| This is an edited version of an e-mail I got from Dan Berger on March 2, 2007 after writing to him about the official canon of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. JEPHAEL: Hey Dan! DAN BERGER: Howdy, Jephael! JEPH: I was reading this interview with Steve Murphy on Toon Zone.com concerning the official continuity of the TMNT multiverse as it were and I found it quite perplexing. DAN: I haven't read it, so I don't know what he said. JEPH: I always considered the Archie comics its own universe just as the current 4Kids animated series is now. DAN: Me too. JEPH: Peter even once considered doing a crossover with Mirage and Archie TMNT via Kirby's warp crystal! So how come Murphy chose to mention the Archie Adventure series non-canon? DAN: From your question, I'm kinda lost... if he listed Archie as non-canon, I assume he was talking about the Mirage Universe, which the Archie series is not part of (at least at the moment - with the C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa showing up in Tales, anything is possible)! JEPH: Also, according to the movie website and producer Thomas Gray, the previous sequels remain canon. There's a screen shot where Master Splinter is viewing artifacts from the Turtles' past and you can clearly see the time scepter from the third movie. I know that film was poorly done, but I still consider it a good effort for a Ninja Turtle movie. DAN: So do I. I much prefer the third movie over the second, probably because I was an adult when all three films were released. I suspect so many fans hate the third movie because they were so much older by the time it came out... or maybe not. Regardless, to each their own. JEPH: Those are my only two rants on this subject, but I agree on Next Mutation and Image being declared non-canon. DAN: They're non-Mirage canon (as is everything not published as comics by Mirage), but they remain their own legitimate "alternate universes" (the Next Mutation being almost universally reviled). Maybe someone will try to officially tie all of the various incarnations into a cohesive whole at some point, as they've done at DC numerous times, but I don't see it happening any time soon. JEPH: As far as the original cartoon goes, it was similar to the newspaper comic strip you did and just meant to be entertainment so I try not to categorize them at all. DAN: I'd say that's for the best. None of the various incarnations were ever meant to maintain continuity with one another. Thanks for writing! Cheers!  In April 2011 I was talking with some fellow fans on Facebook about the Ninja Turtles and how excited most of us were for the new series being developed by Nickelodeon. One friend in particular had some very enthusiastic words to say:"I cannot wait to see what the new incarnation will be, no matter how it is! I love how TMNT has become like mythology, with so many different stories and styles. I fell in love with the movies and the original series first. I'm not sure of which I was into first, I was so young. I didn't even pick up one of the comics until I was in my 20's, and my love for TMNT grew even more as I discovered all the different ways the TMNT story was told through the original Mirage series, the Image series, the Archies comics, Dream Wave, the later Mirage series. Then I saw the CGI movie, Next Mutation, the 4Kids TV series, fanfiction and fan art... and I love it all! There is something awesome about every nook and cranny of this fandom. The Turtles are just such incredibly complex characters that there're a million different ways to tell their stories. And I think what brings us all together as fans as that we relate to these characters and to their struggles and triumphs!" Kellyanne Higgins "I'd been giving it a lot of thought what I feel constitutes a proper adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and I've come to this conclusion: As long as the story includes Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo with their signature color coded bandanas and weapons, being raised and trained by Splinter, befriended by April 'O Neil and on a never ending battle against Shredder and his forces, that's all that truly matters in my personal opinion. You can do whatever you like with the backstory and throw in whatever supporting cast you want, just so long as it makes for a good compelling story. The Archie comics I loved as a kid did that extremely well back in the day, and I often wish people would give them more credit for that! Then again I understand why some people didn't care much for that iteration, but to each their own. Whatever Seth Rogen's team comes up with for the next film, it will either be a hit and people will love it, or it'll flop just like the Michael Bay nonsense that came prior. Until then, we'll all just have to wait with baited breath."  TMNT Casting Call  Jonathan Jackson as Leonardo BORN: May 11, 1982 BEST KNOWN FOR: Lucky Spencer on General Hospital; Avery Barkley on Nashville  Breckin Meyer as Donatello BORN: May 7, 1974 BEST KNOWN FOR: Travis in the film version of Clueless (cameo in the TV version as a different character); Josh in Road Trip; Jon Arbuckle in the live action film adaptation of Garfield  Macaulay Culkin as Raphael BORN: August 26, 1980 BEST KNOWN FOR: Kevin McCallister in Home Alone + Home Alone 2: Lost in New York; Richie Rich in the live action film adaptation  Bret Harrison as Michelangelo BORN: April 6, 1982 BEST KNOWN FOR: Brad O'Keefe on Grounded for Life + Sam Oliver on Reaper  John Cho as Hamato Yoshi, aka Master Splinter BORN: June 16, 1972 BEST KNOWN FOR: Harold Lee in the Harold & Kumar film series; Sulu in the Star Trek reboot film series  Maria Thayer as April O' Neil BEST KNOWN FOR: Rory Thayer in Accepted; Wyoma in Forgetting Sarah Marshall  Chris Klein as Casey Jones BORN: March 14, 1979 BEST KNOWN FOR: Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the American Pie film series; Gilbert Noble in Say It Isn't So  Jonathan Loughran as Leatherhead BEST KNOWN FOR: various roles in buddy Adam Sandler's movies such as The Waterboy; Big Daddy; Little Nicky; Anger Management; 50 First Dates  Heather Graham as Renet BORN: January 29, 1970 BEST KNOWN FOR: Roller Girl in Boogie Nights; Judy Robinson in film reboot of Lost in Space; Felicity Shagwell in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me; Josephine Wingfield in Say It Isn't So; Kendra in Anger Management; had a recurring role on the series Scrubs  Kurt Fuller as Lord Simultaneous BORN: September 16, 1953 BEST KNOWN FOR: Russell in Wayne's World; Karl Rove on That's My Bush!  John Turturro as Professor Honeycutt, aka Fugitoid BORN: February 28, 1957 BEST KNOWN FOR: Pete Hogwallop in O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Emilio Lopez in Mr. Deeds; Chuck in Anger Management; Abner DoubleDay in The Ridiculous 6  Missi Pyle as Irma BEST KNOWN FOR: Mildred in Big Fish; Fran in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story; Mrs. Beauregarde in the film reboot of Charlie and the Cholocate Factory  Ethan Embry as Vernon Fenwick BORN: June 13, 1978 BEST KNOWN FOR: The Bass Player in That Thing You Do; Marc in Empire Records; Rusty Griswold in Vegas Vacation  Tom Wilson as Burne Thompson BORN: April 15, 1959 BEST KNOWN FOR: Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and animated series  Zac Efron as Dask BORN: October 18, 1987 BEST KNOWN FOR: Troy Bolton in the High School Musical film series; Young Mike O'Donnell in 17 Again; Charlie St. Cloud in Charlie St. Cloud; Matt Brody in the film reboot of Baywatch; voice of Fred Jones in Scoob!  Justin Timberlake as Zak BORN: January 31, 1981 BEST KNOWN FOR: member of pop boy band *NSYNC; Sean Parker in The Social Network; Dylan in Friends With Benefits  Anna Kendrick as Kala BORN: August 9, 1985 BEST KNOWN FOR: Jessica in the Twilight film series; Katherine in 50/50; Beca in the Pitch Perfect film series; Cinderella in Into the Woods  Heather Morris as Princess Trib BORN: February 1, 1987 BEST KNOWN FOR: Brittany S. Pierce on Glee  John Goodman as Cudley the Cowlick BORN: June 20, 1952 BEST KNOWN FOR: Ralph in King Ralph; Babe Ruth in The Babe; Fred Flintstone in the 1994 live action film version of The Flintstones; Walter Sobchak in The Big Lebowski; Dan Conner on Roseanne and its short-lived spin-off series The Conners  Jake Busey as Wingnut and Screwloose BORN: June 15, 1971; son of actor Gary Busey BEST KNOWN FOR: Johnny Bartlett in The Frighteners; Ace Levy in Starship Troopers; Angus Montier in Home Fries  Mark Consuelos as Jagwar BORN: March 30, 1971 BEST KNOWN FOR: husband of All My Children co-star Kelly Ripa  Maynard Eziashi as Dreadmon BEST KNOWN FOR: Ouda in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls  Johnny Whitworth as Mondo Gecko BEST KNOWN FOR: A.J. in Empire Records  Tara Reid as Candy Fine BORN: November 8, 1975 BEST KNOWN FOR: Vicky in the American Pie film series; Gwen Pearson in National Lampoon's Van Wilder; Lisa Taylor in My Boss's Daughter; had a recurring role on the series Scrubs  Marguerite Moreau as Mona Lisa BORN: April 25, 1977 BEST KNOWN FOR: Connie in Disney's The Mighty Ducks film series; Jamie Harris in Easy  Kristin Kreuk as Oyuki Mashimi BORN: December 30, 1982 BEST KNOWN FOR: Lana Lang on Smallville; guest starred as Hannah on Chuck; Chun-Li in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li  Milana Vayntrub as Angel BORN: March 8, 1987 BEST KNOWN FOR: Lily Adams in the AT&T commercials; voiced Doreen Green aka Squirrel Girl in Marvel Rising  Dana Carvey as Pigeon Pete BORN: June 2, 1955 BEST KNOWN FOR: classic Saturday Night Live characters such as Garth Algar of Wayne's World and the Church Lady  John C. McGinley as Nobody BORN: August 3, 1959 BEST KNOWN FOR: Sgt. O'Neill in Platoon; Ben Harp in Point Break; Bob Slydell in Office Space; Strauss in Three to Tango; Sgt. Sisk in The Animal; Dr. Perry Cox on Scrubs; Stanley Miller on Stan Against Evil  Robin Shou as Oroku Saki, aka The Shredder BORN: July 17, 1960 BEST KNOWN FOR: Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat + Mortal Kombat: Annihilation; Gobei in Beverly Hills Ninja; Gen in Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li  Tracy Morgan as Bebop BORN: November 10, 1968 BEST KNOWN FOR: Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock  Brandon Molale as Rocksteady BORN: November 24, 1971 BEST KNOWN FOR: Kevin Ward in Mr. Deeds; Blazer in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story  Alfonso Ribeiro as Baxter Stockman BORN: September 21, 1971 BEST KNOWN FOR: Carlton Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air  Tia Carrere as Karai BORN: January 2, 1967 BEST KNOWN FOR: Cassandra in the Wayne's World films; Juno in True Lies  Nick Swardson as Krang BORN: October 9, 1976 BEST KNOWN FOR: Jeff in Grandma's Boy; Hector in Blades of Glory; voice of Remy in Hell and Back  Henry Rollins as General Traag BORN: February 13, 1961 BEST KNOWN FOR: vocalist in the punk rock band Black Flag; Officer Dobbs in The Chase |
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