Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage Studios)
Encyclopedia
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American comic book
published by Mirage Studios
from 1984
to 2009. Originally conceived by Kevin Eastman
and Peter Laird
as a one-off parody, the comic's popularity has gone on to inspire a major pop culture franchise
, including three television series, four feature films
, numerous video games and a wide range of toys and merchandise.
Over the years, the Turtles have appeared in numerous cross-overs with other successful independent comics characters, including Dave Sim
's Cerebus, Erik Larsen
's Savage Dragon
, Bob Burden
's Flaming Carrot and Stan Sakai
's Usagi Yojimbo
.
In 2009 Peter Laird sold the Turtles franchise to Viacom
, parent company of the Nickelodeon (TV channel)
, and shut down Mirage Studios. At WonderCon
2011, it was announced that IDW Publishing
had been given the rights to publish new issues and reprint the older comics.
s strapped to its arms was incredibly funny to the young artists, as it played upon the inherent contradiction of a slow, cold-blooded
reptile
with the speed and agility of the Japan
ese martial arts. At Laird's suggestion, they created a team of four such turtles, each specializing in a different weapon. Eastman and Laird often cite the work of Frank Miller
and Jack Kirby
as their major artistic influences.
Using money from a tax refund
together with a loan from Eastman's uncle, they formed Mirage Studios
and self-published
a single-issue comic book that would parody
four popular comics of the early 1980s: Marvel Comics
' The New Mutants
, which featured teenage mutants, Cerebus, Ronin
, and Daredevil
, which featured ninja
clans dueling for control of the New York City
underworld.
In fact, many comics fans will recognize in the Turtles' origin several direct allusions to Daredevil: The traffic accident, involving a blind man and a truck carrying radioactive waste, is a reference to Daredevil's own origin story. The name "Splinter
" is a parody on Daredevil's mentor, a man known as "Stick
." The Foot
, a clan of evil ninja who became the Turtles' arch-enemies, is a parody of the Hand
, who were themselves a mysterious and deadly ninja clan in the pages of Daredevil.
, issue 547. The full page advertisement in CBG helped them gain the attention of retailers and jump-started their early sales. Because of the CBG's newspaper format, many were disposed of, making it a highly sought after collector's item today. The book premiered in May 1984 at a comic book convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
. It was printed in an oversized magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint and had a print run of only 3,000 copies. It was a period of intense speculation in comic book investment, with especially strong interest in black and white comics from independent companies. The first printings of the original TMNT comics had small print runs that made them instant collector items. Within months, the books were trading at prices over 50 times their cover price.
The success also led to a black and white comics boom in the mid-1980s, where other small publishers put out animal-based parody books hoping to make a quick profit. Among them, the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters
, the Cold-Blooded Chameleon Commandos, the Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung Fu Kangaroos, Karate Kreatures, and Adult Thermonuclear Samurai Elephants were obvious parodies of TMNT. Most of them sold to comic shops in large numbers, but failed to catch on with comics readers. This speculation led to financial problems with both comic shops and distributors, contributing to a sales collapse in 1986-7.
The "Return to New York" story arc
concluded in the spring of 1989, and by this time the Ninja Turtles phenomenon was well established in other media. Eastman and Laird now found themselves administrating an international merchandising juggernaut, overseeing a wide array of licensing deals. This prevented the two creators from participating in the day-to-day work of writing and illustrating a monthly comic book. For this reason, many guest artists were invited to showcase their unique talents in the TMNT universe
. The breadth of diversity found in the various short stories had the adverse effect of disrupting some continuity and gave the series a disjointed, anthology-like
feel. Some of these artists, including Michael Dooney, Eric Talbot, A.C. Farley, Ryan Brown, Steve Lavigne, Steve Murphy, and Jim Lawson, continued to work with Mirage Studios
for years to come.
Issue #45 kicked off a major turning point, as Mirage made a concerted effort to return the series to continuity
. A 13-part story arc entitled "City at War" began with issue #50, which was the first issue to be completely written and illustrated by both Eastman and Laird since issue #11. "City at War," and Volume 1 itself, concluded with the publication of issue #62 in August, 1993.
, the series lasted only thirteen issues before ceasing publication in October 1995. The cancellation was due, in part, to declining popularity and lagging sales.
Erik Larsen
came to the rescue in June 1996, with the publication of a third volume under the Image Comics
banner. The 23 monthly issues were written by Gary Carlson
and pencilled by Frank Fosco, and marked a return to black and white artwork. This volume is notable for having a faster pace and more intense action while inflicting major physical changes on the Turtles themselves; Leonardo losing a hand, Raphael's face being scarred, Splinter becoming a bat, and Donatello becoming a cyborg
. In a startling plot twist, Raphael even took on the identity of Shredder and assumed leadership of the Foot. With Volume 3, the Turtles were incorporated into the Image universe
, which provided opportunities for a few crossovers and guest appearances by characters from The Savage Dragon series. The series ceased publication in 1999, and it is no longer considered part of the "official" TMNT canon
due, in part, to a lack of desire by co-creator Peter Laird to follow-up material with which he was not directly involved nor fully approved. Raph's depiction as the Shredder however, is referenced in an episode of the third season of the 2003 animated series "The Darkness Within", where Raph is exposed to his fear of giving into anger and becoming the very thing he hates.
Picking up fifteen years after the conclusion of Volume 2 (and omitting the events of Volume 3), the Turtles, now in their early thirties, are living together in their sewer lair beneath New York City. April and Casey have been married for some time and remain in contact with the Turtles from their nearby apartment. Splinter continues to live at the Northampton farmhouse, where he has become a "grandfather" of sorts to Casey's teenage daughter, Shadow. The Utroms return to Earth in a very public arrival, subsequently establishing a peaceful base in Upper New York Bay. Since the arrival, aliens—and other bizarre life-forms, like the Turtles—have become more accepted within society. No longer forced to live in hiding, the Turtles now roam freely among the world of humans, albeit under the guise of aliens.
The latest issue of TMNT Volume 4 was issue #31 which came out online in October 17, 2010 several months after Peter Laird sold the Turtles franchise. It ends with "To be Continued" but the story was never continued or concluded, as of yet. Also issue 31 is free and available for viewing on Peter Laird's blog. To the much disappointment of fans Peter does not know when or if he will conclude volume 4. He has however stated that #32 has been finished and hopes to put it online like #31.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
published by Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios is an independent American comic book company founded in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, based in Northampton, Massachusetts and best known for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.-History:...
from 1984
1984 in comics
-Year overall:* The independent publishing boom continues, as Antarctic Press, Continuity Comics, Deluxe Comics, Matrix Graphic Series, and Renegade Press all enter the arena...
to 2009. Originally conceived by Kevin Eastman
Kevin Eastman
Kevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
and Peter Laird
Peter Laird
Peter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
as a one-off parody, the comic's popularity has gone on to inspire a major pop culture franchise
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
, including three television series, four feature films
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, numerous video games and a wide range of toys and merchandise.
Over the years, the Turtles have appeared in numerous cross-overs with other successful independent comics characters, including Dave Sim
Dave Sim
David Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained...
's Cerebus, Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
's Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon
Savage Dragon is an ongoing American comic book series created by Erik Larsen, published by Image Comics and taking place in the Image Universe. The comic features the adventures of a superheroic police officer named the Dragon...
, Bob Burden
Bob Burden
Bob Burden is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of Flaming Carrot Comics and the Mystery Men.-Early life:Burden grew up in the industrial rust belt of the Northeast United States...
's Flaming Carrot and Stan Sakai
Stan Sakai
is a third-generation Japanese American Cartoonist comic book creator. He is best known as the creator of the comic series Usagi Yojimbo. -Biography:...
's Usagi Yojimbo
Usagi Yojimbo
is a comic book series created by Stan Sakai in 1987. In 2011 IGN ranked Miyamoto Usagi 92nd in the top 100 comic books heroes.-Concept:Set primarily at the beginning of Edo period of Japan , with anthropomorphic animals replacing humans, the series features a rabbit ronin, Miyamoto Usagi, whom...
.
In 2009 Peter Laird sold the Turtles franchise to Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
, parent company of the Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, and shut down Mirage Studios. At WonderCon
WonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
2011, it was announced that IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
had been given the rights to publish new issues and reprint the older comics.
Origin of the concept
The concept originated from a comical drawing sketched out by Kevin Eastman during a casual evening of brainstorming with his friend Peter Laird. The drawing of a short, squat turtle wearing a mask with nunchakuNunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
s strapped to its arms was incredibly funny to the young artists, as it played upon the inherent contradiction of a slow, cold-blooded
Ectotherm
An ectotherm, from the Greek εκτός "outside" and θερμός "hot", refers to organisms that control body temperature through external means. As a result, organisms are dependent on environmental heat sources and have relatively low metabolic rates. For example, many reptiles regulate their body...
reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
with the speed and agility of the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese martial arts. At Laird's suggestion, they created a team of four such turtles, each specializing in a different weapon. Eastman and Laird often cite the work of Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
and Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
as their major artistic influences.
Using money from a tax refund
Tax refund
A tax refund or tax rebate is a refund on taxes when the tax liability is less than the taxes paid. Taxpayers can often get a tax refund on their income tax if the tax they owe is less than the sum of the total amount of the withholding taxes and estimated taxes that they paid, plus the...
together with a loan from Eastman's uncle, they formed Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios is an independent American comic book company founded in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, based in Northampton, Massachusetts and best known for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.-History:...
and self-published
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
a single-issue comic book that would parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
four popular comics of the early 1980s: Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' The New Mutants
New Mutants
The New Mutants are a group of teenaged mutant superheroes-in-training published by Marvel Comics. They have been the main characters of three successive comic book series, which were spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise....
, which featured teenage mutants, Cerebus, Ronin
Ronin (comic book series)
Ronin is a comic book limited series published between 1983 and 1984, by DC Comics. The series was written and drawn by Frank Miller with artwork painted by Lynn Varley. It takes place in a dystopic near-future New York in which a ronin is reincarnated...
, and Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
, which featured ninja
Ninjutsu
or may be:*the arts associated with espionage and assassination in feudal Japan, see Ninja*modern schools of martial arts claiming to be based in these traditions, see Modern Schools of Ninjutsu*fictional depictions, see Ninja in popular culture...
clans dueling for control of the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
underworld.
In fact, many comics fans will recognize in the Turtles' origin several direct allusions to Daredevil: The traffic accident, involving a blind man and a truck carrying radioactive waste, is a reference to Daredevil's own origin story. The name "Splinter
Splinter (TMNT)
Master Splinter, or simply Splinter is a fictional character in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. -Origin Story:Splinter has two origin stories, and which one is used depends on the medium...
" is a parody on Daredevil's mentor, a man known as "Stick
Stick (comics)
Stick is a fictional American comic book character owned by Marvel Comics who appears in that company's Marvel Universe.-Fictional character biography:The mysterious Stick is a sensei who trained the young but inexperienced Matt Murdock Marvel...
." The Foot
Foot Clan
The Foot Clan is a fictional ninjutsu clan in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe and the Turtles' main antagonists. It is usually led by the Shredder. The Foot Clan was originally a parody of the criminal ninja clan the Hand in the Daredevil comics...
, a clan of evil ninja who became the Turtles' arch-enemies, is a parody of the Hand
Hand (comics)
The Hand is a fictional supervillainous organization in the Marvel Comics universe.The Hand is an order of evil mystical ninja who are heavily involved in organized crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots. The Hand covets power above all other objectives. They are primarily based...
, who were themselves a mysterious and deadly ninja clan in the pages of Daredevil.
Volume 1: 1984 - 1993
The first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was advertised in issues #1 and #2 of Eastman and Laird's 1984 comic, Gobbledygook, in addition to the Comics Buyer's GuideComics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
, issue 547. The full page advertisement in CBG helped them gain the attention of retailers and jump-started their early sales. Because of the CBG's newspaper format, many were disposed of, making it a highly sought after collector's item today. The book premiered in May 1984 at a comic book convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. It was printed in an oversized magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint and had a print run of only 3,000 copies. It was a period of intense speculation in comic book investment, with especially strong interest in black and white comics from independent companies. The first printings of the original TMNT comics had small print runs that made them instant collector items. Within months, the books were trading at prices over 50 times their cover price.
The success also led to a black and white comics boom in the mid-1980s, where other small publishers put out animal-based parody books hoping to make a quick profit. Among them, the Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters
Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters
Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, written by Don Chin and originally illustrated by Patrick Parsons and later by Sam Kieth, initially published by Eclipse Comics and later on by Parody Press and then Dynamite Entertainment, was the first unofficial spoof of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
, the Cold-Blooded Chameleon Commandos, the Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung Fu Kangaroos, Karate Kreatures, and Adult Thermonuclear Samurai Elephants were obvious parodies of TMNT. Most of them sold to comic shops in large numbers, but failed to catch on with comics readers. This speculation led to financial problems with both comic shops and distributors, contributing to a sales collapse in 1986-7.
The "Return to New York" story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
concluded in the spring of 1989, and by this time the Ninja Turtles phenomenon was well established in other media. Eastman and Laird now found themselves administrating an international merchandising juggernaut, overseeing a wide array of licensing deals. This prevented the two creators from participating in the day-to-day work of writing and illustrating a monthly comic book. For this reason, many guest artists were invited to showcase their unique talents in the TMNT universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
. The breadth of diversity found in the various short stories had the adverse effect of disrupting some continuity and gave the series a disjointed, anthology-like
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
feel. Some of these artists, including Michael Dooney, Eric Talbot, A.C. Farley, Ryan Brown, Steve Lavigne, Steve Murphy, and Jim Lawson, continued to work with Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios
Mirage Studios is an independent American comic book company founded in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, based in Northampton, Massachusetts and best known for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series.-History:...
for years to come.
Issue #45 kicked off a major turning point, as Mirage made a concerted effort to return the series to continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
. A 13-part story arc entitled "City at War" began with issue #50, which was the first issue to be completely written and illustrated by both Eastman and Laird since issue #11. "City at War," and Volume 1 itself, concluded with the publication of issue #62 in August, 1993.
Volume 2: 1993 - 1995
Mirage Studios launched Volume 2 with much fanfare in October 1993, as a full-color series that maintained the continuity of the first volume. Written and illustrated by Jim LawsonJim Lawson
Jim Lawson is an American comic book artist best known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Lawson created the Rat King and also co-created the series Planet Racers with Peter Laird. He is also the writer/artist of the black-and white-comic series Paleo: Tales of the Late...
, the series lasted only thirteen issues before ceasing publication in October 1995. The cancellation was due, in part, to declining popularity and lagging sales.
Volume 3: 1996 - 1999
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
came to the rescue in June 1996, with the publication of a third volume under the Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
banner. The 23 monthly issues were written by Gary Carlson
Gary Carlson
Gary Carlson is an American comic book writer, editor and publisher.-Biography:Gary self-published and created the black and white superhero anthology Megaton back in the early '80s, which introduced many new comic book talents including artists Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld and Angel Medina as well...
and pencilled by Frank Fosco, and marked a return to black and white artwork. This volume is notable for having a faster pace and more intense action while inflicting major physical changes on the Turtles themselves; Leonardo losing a hand, Raphael's face being scarred, Splinter becoming a bat, and Donatello becoming a cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
. In a startling plot twist, Raphael even took on the identity of Shredder and assumed leadership of the Foot. With Volume 3, the Turtles were incorporated into the Image universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
, which provided opportunities for a few crossovers and guest appearances by characters from The Savage Dragon series. The series ceased publication in 1999, and it is no longer considered part of the "official" TMNT canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
due, in part, to a lack of desire by co-creator Peter Laird to follow-up material with which he was not directly involved nor fully approved. Raph's depiction as the Shredder however, is referenced in an episode of the third season of the 2003 animated series "The Darkness Within", where Raph is exposed to his fear of giving into anger and becoming the very thing he hates.
Volume 4: 2001 - 2010
Peter Laird and Jim Lawson brought the Turtles back to their roots with the simply-titled TMNT in December 2001. Published bi-monthly, the series took the opportunity to correct a persistent error: Since the first issue of Volume 1, Michelangelo's name had been misspelled as "Michaelangelo." It is now spelled correctly, consistent with his Renaissance namesake.Picking up fifteen years after the conclusion of Volume 2 (and omitting the events of Volume 3), the Turtles, now in their early thirties, are living together in their sewer lair beneath New York City. April and Casey have been married for some time and remain in contact with the Turtles from their nearby apartment. Splinter continues to live at the Northampton farmhouse, where he has become a "grandfather" of sorts to Casey's teenage daughter, Shadow. The Utroms return to Earth in a very public arrival, subsequently establishing a peaceful base in Upper New York Bay. Since the arrival, aliens—and other bizarre life-forms, like the Turtles—have become more accepted within society. No longer forced to live in hiding, the Turtles now roam freely among the world of humans, albeit under the guise of aliens.
The latest issue of TMNT Volume 4 was issue #31 which came out online in October 17, 2010 several months after Peter Laird sold the Turtles franchise. It ends with "To be Continued" but the story was never continued or concluded, as of yet. Also issue 31 is free and available for viewing on Peter Laird's blog. To the much disappointment of fans Peter does not know when or if he will conclude volume 4. He has however stated that #32 has been finished and hopes to put it online like #31.
Creators
- Listed chronologically
- Peter LairdPeter LairdPeter Alan Laird is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for co-creating Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with writer and artist Kevin Eastman.-Early life and career:...
- Vol. 1 #1-12, 15, 19-21, 48-62; Vol. 4 #1-30 - Kevin EastmanKevin EastmanKevin Brooks Eastman is an American comic book artist and writer, best known as the creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Eastman is also the current owner, editor and publisher of the magazine Heavy Metal.-Early life:Eastman was born on May 30, 1962 in Springvale, Maine...
- Vol. 1 #1-11, 14, 17-21, 32, 48-62; Bodycount #1-4 - Dave SimDave SimDavid Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained...
- Vol. 1 #8 - Michael DooneyMichael DooneyMichael Dooney is an American comic book artist and toy designer best known for his works on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Dooney also created the comic book series, Gizmo in 1986 under Mirage Studios.-External links:...
- Vol. 1 #9, 13, 27, 46-47 - Ryan BrownRyan Brown (comics)Ryan Brown is a comic book artist best known for his work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.-Career:Brown began inking the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1985 and continued until 1988, when he and partner Steve Lavigne began producing artwork for licensed TMNT products...
- Vol. 1 #9; Leonardo #1 - Jim LawsonJim LawsonJim Lawson is an American comic book artist best known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. Lawson created the Rat King and also co-created the series Planet Racers with Peter Laird. He is also the writer/artist of the black-and white-comic series Paleo: Tales of the Late...
- Vol. 1 #9, 15, 19-21, 28, 48-49, 51-62; Vol. 2 #1-13; Vol. 4 #1-30 - Steve Bissette - Leonardo #1
- Eric TalbotEric TalbotEric Talbot is an American comic book artist known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series under Mirage Studios.Talbot co-wrote the graphic novel The Melting Pot along with Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley, which was used as the basis for the film Heavy Metal 2000.-External links:* *...
- Vol. 1 #14, 17, 20, 32; Vol. 2 #4-11; Vol. 4 #5-30 - Mark MartinMark MartinMark Martin may refer to:* Mark Martin , American racecar driver* Mark Martin , American cartoonist* Mark Martin , American judge* Mark Martin , British murderer...
- Vol. 1 #16, 22-23 - Mark BodeMark BodéMark Bodé is an American comic book author and artist. Bodé is best known for his work on Cobalt-60, Miami Mice and The Lizard of Oz. Bodé has also worked on Heavy Metal Magazine, and on The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
- Vol. 1 #18, 32 - Rick VeitchRick VeitchRichard "Rick" Veitch is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked in mainstream, underground, and alternative comics.-Early career:...
- Vol. 1 #24-26, 30 - Stephen MurphyStephen MurphyStephen Murphy is an American comic book writer best known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.-Biography:Murphy revamped the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures title for Archie Comics beginning with issue number five and created the characters Jagwar, Nova Posse,...
- Vol. 1 #28 - A.C. Farley - Vol. 1 #29, 43
- Michael ZulliMichael ZulliMichael Zulli is an American artist known for his work as an animal and wildlife illustrator and as a comic book illustrator. He's gotten great acclaim for his work on The Sandman with writer Neil Gaiman and has been a longtime collaborator with the author...
- Vol. 1 #31, 35-36 - Jan StrnadJan StrnadJan Steven Strnad is an American writer of comic books and science fiction. He is most known for his work in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the majority of which has been published by Dark Horse Comics....
- Vol. 1 #33 - Richard CorbenRichard CorbenRichard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
- Vol. 1 #33 - Rich Hedden - Vol. 1 #34, 38-40
- Tom McWeeney - Vol. 1 #34, 38-40
- Rick McCollum - Vol. 1 #37, 42
- Bill Anderson - Vol. 1 #37, 42
- Matt HowarthMatt HowarthMatt Howarth is an American comic book writer/artist known for such series as Those Annoying Post Bros, Savage Henry, Star Crossed, and Bugtown....
- Vol. 1 #41 - Paul JenkinsPaul Jenkins (writer)Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
- Vol. 1 #43 - Rick Arthur - Vol. 1 #44
- Dan BergerDan BergerDan Berger is an American comic book artist best known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.Berger began his career working on the TMNT Adventures series published by Archie Comics and officially began working on TMNT in August 1989...
- Vol. 1 #45 - Keith Aiken - Vol. 1 #46-49, 51-52, 54-57, 59-60, 62
- Matt Banning - Vol. 1 #53
- Jason Minor - Vol. 1 #58, 61; Vol. 2 #1-3
- Gary CarlsonGary CarlsonGary Carlson is an American comic book writer, editor and publisher.-Biography:Gary self-published and created the black and white superhero anthology Megaton back in the early '80s, which introduced many new comic book talents including artists Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld and Angel Medina as well...
- Vol. 3 #1-23 - Frank Fosco - Vol. 3 #1-23
- Simon BisleySimon BisleySimon Bisley is a British comics artist best known for his 1990s work on ABC Warriors, Lobo and Sláine. His style, reliant on paints, acrylics, inks and multiple-mediums, is strongly influenced by Frank Frazetta, Bill Sienkiewicz, Gustav Klimt, Salvador Dalí, Egon Schiele, and Richard Corben...
- Bodycount #1-4
- Peter Laird
Collected books
There are few trade paperback collections of the series, and there do not appear to be any forthcoming collections in the future. As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations, a new trade paperback Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Collected Book Volume 1 was released in July 2009.Mirage Publishing
- TMNT Collected Book Volume One (Limited Edition Hard Cover), collecting Vol. 1 #1-11, plus Raphael #1, Michelangelo #1, Donatello #1, and Leonardo #1 (1,000 copies only all signed by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird) (First Printing: 1988)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume One, collecting Vol. 1 #1-11, plus Raphael #1, Michaelangelo #1, Donatello #1, and Leonardo #1 (trade paperback) (First Printing: 1988)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume One, collecting Vol. 1 #1-11, plus Raphael #1, Michaelangelo #1, Donatello #1, and Leonardo #1 (Second Printing: March, 540 pages)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Collected Book Volume 1 (July 2009, 608 pages) (ISBN 0-9819497-0-3) -collecting Vol. 1 #1-11, plus Raphael #1, Michaelangelo #1, Donatello #1, Leonardo #1, and Fugitoid #1, plus bonus material
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Two, collecting Vol. 1 #12-14 (May, 1990)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Three, collecting Vol. 1 #15, 17-18 (June, 1990)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Four, collecting Vol. 1 #19-21 (October, 1990)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Five, collecting Vol. 1 #16, 22-23 (November, 1990)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Six, collecting Vol. 1 #24-26 (July, 1991)
- TMNT Collected Book Volume Seven, collecting Vol. 1 #27-29 (November, 1991)
- TMNT: Soul's Winter, collecting Vol. 1 #31, 35-36 (February, 2007)
- Shell Shock, collecting short stories by various authors and artists (December, 1989)
- Challenges, by Michael Dooney (1991)
- TMNT - The Collected Movie Books, Collects the movie comics: TMNT Movie Prequel #1 - Raphael, TMNT Movie Prequel #2 - Michaelangelo, TMNT Movie Prequel #3 - Donatello, TMNT Movie Prequel #4 - April, TMNT Movie Prequel #5 - Leonardo, TMNT Movie Adaptation (June 2007) (ISBN 0-9787029-6-4)
- TMNT Future Tense, collecting "Mighty Mutanimals" #7 and "TMNT Adventures" #42-44 and #62-66 (July 2009)
First Publishing
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Book I (ISBN 0-915419-09-2) collecting Vol. 1 #1-3
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Book II (ISBN 0-915419-22-X) collecting Vol. 1 #4-6
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Book III (ISBN 0-915419-28-9) collecting Vol. 1 #7-9
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Book IV (ISBN 0-915419-43-2) collecting Leonardo #1 & Vol. 1#10-11
Image Comics
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles TPB (ISBN 1-887279-56-3) -collecting Vol. 3 #1-5
- Bodycount TPB (ISBN 1-887279-36-9) -collecting Bodycount #1-4 miniseries by Kevin Eastman & Simon Bisley
Heavy Metal
- Bodycount TPB (2008 rerelease, ISBN 978-193241399-1) -collecting Bodycount #1-4 miniseries by Kevin Eastman & Simon Bisley -This reprint edition is in magazine sized dimension not comics sized.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary: A Quarter Century Celebration (ISBN 193535115X) -selected reprints with some stories colored.