The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Thread 2 2

[Norrin_Radd]

Greetings forumites,

 

I was surfing the web today, as I am wont to do, and lookie what I found.... TMNT #1

 

I've never read it and was ecstatic to finally get to read the original b&w origin issue. I thought I'd share it with all you Copper Age fans.

 

I've always been a TMNT fan. I used to watch the cartoon series back in the 80's, but didn't even know the comic book series existed until a friend in college mentioned that he bought issue #1 off the shelf and that it was a b&w comic (of course, he traded it away long before it became valuable).

 

So, I thought I would start this thread to share favorite covers and storylines. And for any fans who might have stories to share about when the original comic series came out in 1984.

[helionaut]

TMNT was a fun book at the time. Frank Miller had made a huge splash with Ronin, which now is overshadowed by Dark Knight, but at the time was seen as a really big leap forward for comic art, with all the graphic "Millerisms" in full force, the use of the full-page bleeds and such. If you haven't read it, check it out. My favorite part is actually to make a close comparison of the double-page cityscape spreads as the "living" building evolves over the series. Anyway, TMNT was a pure Ronin homage when it started. Ninjas were very hot at the time (thanks in no small part to FM), and stylistically, there was so much cross-hatching and solid black on the page it was sometimes hard to see what was going on. But it sold out it's first print run. Then it's second and third, etc., and by the time the 80s were over many original fans (like me) were completely turned off by the...CARTOON...it had become. Six-year-olds were running around calling each names of Renaissance painters while karate-chopping them, there were videogames, Kevin Eastman and/or Peter Laird was married to Julie Strain and driving the Batmobile, it was all a bit much for a Frank Miller homage. But we have our memories. The original "one-issue micro-series," the Fugitoid, the magazine-size issues so hard to keep in good shape. I remember back around 1990 when I heard that first print #1s were selling for $100. I thought it was totally illogical. I couldn't think that serious collectors took the book $100-seriously, and the kids who would want it couldn't afford $100 for a comic. Anyway, lesson learned.

 

BTW, I have a 2nd print #1, first prints of 2-4, plus "Raphael" and "Fugitoid." Haven't read them in years, but maybe I will tonight.

[Kermit the frog]

thanks a lot for posting the link to the TMNT link, i never read the original stories/comics and indeed they are a good one...

[Norrin_Radd]

 

[hobbes]

Cool! That's the first time I've read it too. Thanks.

[comichut]

Does anyone know how much a TMNT #3 variant (New York) will cost me/estimate.... anyone seen one for sale?

[Norrin_Radd]

[B-Smooth]

I bought a first print in the late 80's for $120 with my Burger King money ($3.35 an hour) and treasured it up until I sold it. I wish I still had it. It was one of the first money books i owned. I think I sold it after I saw the cartoon.

[kidcolt]

First prints and Goobledygook #1 (1st Turtles app) still fetch good coin on ebay. Good luck finding one they are rarely seen forsale.

[mr_highgrade]

1st Print

 

Edited December 4, 2005 by mr_highgrade

[greggy]

1st Print

 

[mr_highgrade]

1st Print

 

Edited December 4, 2005 by mr_highgrade

[greggy]

1st Print

 

[mr_highgrade]

[shadroch]

While I agree that Turtles was a homage to Miller,I think it was more his Daredevil work than his Ronin.

The warrior woman was obvously Elektra,Splinter was Stick,the Foot was the Hand ,ect,ect.

Also have to disagree that ronin was much of a hit. Issue six being so scarce is a direct result of stores lowering their orders so much after getting stuck with so many unsold 1 thru 5s. While a small group went ga-ga over the experimental artwork,the overwhelming reaction was disappointment.

[kidcolt]

How hard are the first prints to find? I know the #1 is hard but what about the rest of the series?

[Psiknight]

My 1st print # 1.

 

 

[Psiknight]

How hard are the first prints to find? I know the #1 is hard but what about the rest of the series?

 

Issue 1 had a print run of 3,000. The second printing had a run of 10,000 and the third printing had a run of 35,000, I believe. I know quite a few people, including Laird and Eastman, cut up some of the original print run to make ads and whatnot.

 

One dealer from Mass. claims to have cut up more than a few issues of the first print run to help with advertising. That, coupled with the fact it has a black cover like so many 1st print independent books , makes it kind of difficult to find in high grade.

 

I think the 2nd issue had a print run of about 40,000? And it escalated from there to about 125,000 per issue.

[Bronty]

I don't believe those figures are correct.

 

I agree with you on the 3000 for #1 1st, but I believe #1 2nd is 6,000 with #1 3rd being 15000(? I'm not as sure about this one, but still relatively sure and I think your confusion is that #3 1st, not #1 3rd is 35,000.).

 

I believe #2 1st was 15,000 IIRC.

[Psiknight]

I don't believe those figures are correct.

 

I agree with you on the 3000 for #1 1st, but I believe #1 2nd is 6,000 with #1 3rd being 15000(? I'm not as sure about this one, but still relatively sure and I think your confusion is that #3 1st, not #1 3rd is 35,000.).

 

I believe #2 1st was 15,000 IIRC.

 

I just double checked:

 

"A second printing of the comic book [referring to issue 1] went to the printers and sold out its print run of 15,000 copies, and was followed shortly by a third printing that sold out its run of 35,000 issues!"

 

This is from ninjaturtles.com and it agrees with my memory.

 

That's not to say the site and I are not wrong and that ninjaturtles.com isn't referencing the same source that I remember (which could have been wrong!).