Turtle Power: Viacom Shells Out $60 Million For TMNT

Pizza power doesn't die - it multiplies! 25 years after their indie comic book debut, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are stronger than ever after a $60 million global rights acquisition by Viacom from former holders the Mirage Group and 4Kids Entertainment according to Variety.

The green machines are about to join the ranks of Nickelodeon's best and brightest (or at least most heavily promoted) with more or less every possible multi-media adaptation planned: A tentpole film by Paramount by 2012, more toys from Playmates, a new CG animated series, video games, and so on - Basically, it's going to feel like the late '80s all over again if kids (and their deep pocketed parents) dig it.

There's no mention of what will happen to Mirage's comic book series, but here's hoping the title lands on its toes - both of them - somewhere it can thrive.