TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES TURN 25 AND KICK OFF 2009 WITH YEAR-LONG SHELL-EBRATION
New Website and Fan Sweepstakes Launches New Years Day Highlighting the Past, Present and Future of the TMNT
January 2009 - NEW YORK - It's official, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are turning 25 in 2009, and are ready to Shell-ebrate in style. To kick off this big milestone, Mirage Studios, Inc., owners of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand, and 4Kids Entertainment Inc., announced today the New Year's Day launch of the TMNT25 Website (www.tmnt25.com), an interactive Website dedicated to the 25th Anniversary "Shell-ebration" of the TMNT and the fans who have supported the Turtles throughout the years.
The Shell-ebration will serve as an acclamation of the impressive accomplishments the TMNT have achieved over the years, including four of the highest-grossing independent theatrical motion pictures of all time, top 10 all-time worldwide sales of toy action figures, and record-setting video game sales. However, it will also mark the beginning of the next chapter in TMNT history.
The new Website is a nostalgic, highly-interactive work of art that showcases the brand's impressive past, and features Shell-ebration events taking place during the year so Turtle fans can keep their calendars updated. A few key sections of the site include: Turtle-Power (a 411 on the Turtles), Shell-ebration (special TMNT25 sweepstakes, wallpaper and more), Road Trip ( information on cities where the TMNT will visit in 2009), Get Turtle-ized (a personality quiz to see which TMNT character fans most align with), Green Team (blogs and podcasts from the road, as well as the TMNT's cause-related activities), TMNT Gear (a showcase of TMNT products), Splinter's Dojo (where fans can register for insider news and opportunities) and April's Newsroom (live updates on all Shell-ebration news).
"TMNT25.com is a place where fans can go to relive 25 years of our shell-kicking ninja action, as well as get updated on the events being held throughout 2009," said Gary Richardson, CEO, Mirage Studios. "The site is dedicated to keeping in touch with the most important people - our fans. We hope that with this resource, our fans will be plugged-in throughout the year as we party together in true TMNT style."
Additionally, to engage TMNT fans even more, an online sweepstakes will run from January 1, 2009 until March 17, 2009. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Totally Tubular 25th Anniversary Sweepstakes (click here to enter to win: www.tmnt25.com) is one of several sweepstakes that will take place during the year. One lucky prize winner of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Totally Tubular 25th Anniversary Sweepstakes will receive an original, limited edition TMNT bronze statue and a trip for two to New York City (including airfare, hotel and spending money).
The "Shell-ebration" will provide new and old fans alike with bodacious, new multi-experiential opportunities to interact with this iconic brand including Comic-Con shows on both coasts (New York Comic-Con Feb. 6 - 8 and San Diego Comic-Con July 23 - 26), "Galabungas", large-scale consumer and media celebrations planned for New York City and San Diego, a mobile tour (Party Bus) commemorating 25 years of the TMNT that will hit key cities across the country, screenings of the original TMNT movie, and more.
The Party Bus will kick off the mobile tour at the end of April at the NYC "Galabunga." The Party Bus will include a video gaming station, photo booth where attendees can take pictures with the TMNT, games and prizes, and an interactive museum that will showcase memorabilia from TMNT history.
About Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios, Inc. is part of the Mirage Group, a group of companies located in Northampton, Massachusetts that owns, manages, nurtures and protects the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property.
About 4Kids Entertainment
With U.S. headquarters in New York City, regional offices for its trading card business in San Diego, California and international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global organization devoted to the creation, development, production, broadcasting, distribution, licensing, and manufacturing of children's entertainment products.
Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, 4Kids produces animated television series and films, distributes 4Kids' produced or licensed animated television series for the domestic and international television and home video markets, licenses merchandising rights worldwide to 4Kids' owned or represented properties, operates Web sites to support 4Kids' owned or represented properties, and produces and markets collectible trading card games. Additionally, the Company programs and sells the national advertising time in "TheCW4Kids" five-hour Saturday morning children's television block on The CW Television Network.
Additional information is available on the www.4KidsEntertainment.com corporate Website and at the www.4kids.tv game station site.