Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Creation & Design

Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a parody of popular comic book tropes.

Early Years

The Turtles gained popularity through their comic series, leading to animated series, toys, and films.

Character Development

The Turtles have evolved from simple comic book characters to cultural icons, representing themes of brotherhood, loyalty, and justice.

Cultural Reception

The TMNT franchise has received critical acclaim and commercial success across various media.

Character Details

Real Name:
Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael
First Appearance:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Aliases:
TMNT, Turtles
Species:
Mutant Turtle
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
The Foot Clan, April O'Neil, Splinter, Casey Jones
Abilities:
Martial Arts, Ninjutsu, Stealth, Agility
Equipment:
Ninja Weapons, Shells, Turtle Van
Weight:
150lbs each
Height:
5' 0"
Eye Color:
green
Hair Color:
none
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$0
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$0
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$12.5k

Key Facts

40-page printer's proof of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984)

A printer's proof is a sample that is printed to examine the correctness of the issue before printing the entire run

This one-of-a-kind, historical proof was found in a small print shop in Biddeford, Maine a few years after the publication of issue #1, after the Turtles had already exploded in popularity

The men who found it traded it to Downeast Comics which operated between the years of 1986 - 1994, in Brunswick, Maine

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The owner paid for the proof with store stock and held onto it before auctioning it on Comic Link in 2020 for $12,472 with 77 bids

Mirage ⋅ 1984
Low
$180
Mid
$560
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$3.2k

Key Facts

Advertisement for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984)

1st appearance of Fugitoid

As of November 2023 only five CGC copies have ever been publicly sold

To date there are only 23 copies on the census

Mirage ⋅ 1984
Low
$75
Mid
$220
High
$1.3k

Key Facts

Advertisement for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984)

As of November 2023 only five CGC copies have ever been publicly sold

To date there are only 23 copies on the census

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1984
Low
$15
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$50
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$150

Key Facts

Early printed image of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo only, in an advertisement for the premiere issue of TMNT (1984)

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1984
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$20
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$80
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$200

Key Facts

Solicitation for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Preview of Spider-Man’s Symbiote suit

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$3k
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$15k

Key Facts

1st team appearance and origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo

1st appearance of Splinter, the Turtles' mentor

1st appearance and death of the Shredder

First printing: 3,000 copies

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[February 2022 - Paramount+ to develop three spin-off villain features]

2nd Print ⋅ Mirage ⋅ 1984
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$200
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$700
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$2k

Key Facts

Second printing: 6,000 copies

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$100
Mid
$350
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$1k

Key Facts

2nd team appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1st appearance of Baxter Stockman and his Robot Mousers

1st appearance of April O'Neil

2nd Print ⋅ Mirage ⋅ 1985
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$18
Mid
$75
High
$225

Key Facts

Second Printing

Identical cover with "Second Printing" on interior cover

3rd Print ⋅ Mirage ⋅ 1985
Low
$85
Mid
$220
High
$850

Key Facts

Third printing

The third printing is nearly identical to the first and second printings except for a splash of blood on the second T in Turtles

Print run: 36,000

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$20
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$80
High
$225

Key Facts

3rd team appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

1st team appearance of the Utroms, alien race of Krang

There exists a far rarer and valuable version of this issue with a color error [see variant]

Comics Collector ⋅ 1985
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$10

Key Facts

Earliest depiction of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle in color, Leonardo

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$450

Key Facts

First Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles one-shot spin-off

1st appearance and cover of Casey Jones

4th Print ⋅ Mirage ⋅ 1985
Low
$18
Mid
$60
High
$180

Key Facts

1st cover appearance of the Shredder

4th printing, wraparound cover

Low
$35
Mid
$95
High
$360

Key Facts

Early issue of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series

Wraparound cover

Mirage ⋅ 1985
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$2
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$8
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$25

Key Facts

One-shot, Christmas special featuring Michaelangelo

Mirage ⋅ 1985
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$50

Key Facts

Premiere issue continues in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5

Early appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1985
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$100

Key Facts

First full color image of all Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on back cover advertisement

Comics Interview ⋅ 1985
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$45

Key Facts

Cover art by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

Interview with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

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$18
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$60

Key Facts

Early issue of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series

Approximate print run: 60,000

Wraparound cover

Metropolis ⋅ 1986
Low
$40
Mid
$135
High
$400

Key Facts

Limited to 3,000 copies

A collection of short stories, pinups and sketches featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and supporting characters

Variant ⋅ Metropolis ⋅ 1986
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$40
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$120
High
$400

Key Facts

Variant silver cover limited to 100 copies, signed and numbered on the back cover

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$3
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$9
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$30

Key Facts

Origin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they discover that the ooze which caused their transformation was created by the Utroms, Krang's alien race

KZ Comics ⋅ 1986
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$3
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$9
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$30

Key Facts

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Leonardo pin-up

The pin-up, by Peter Laird was only included in the first printing of this issue which was limited to 3,000 copies

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$2
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$8
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$25

Key Facts

One shot, early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles spin off

Donatello meets an artist based off of Jack Kirby, who can bring his drawings to life

First ⋅ 1986
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Key Facts

Early full color story featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Guest appearance by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who visit Munden's bar

Turtles story written and illustrated by Eastman and Laird

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Key Facts

2nd appearance of the Shredder, briefly, later revealed to be a mystic worm with the ability to create a clone of a human

One shot, early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles spin off

Story continued in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #10

Key Facts

The title says it all

One-shot

GraphXPress ⋅ 1987
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$3
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$9
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$35

Key Facts

2nd cameo appearance of Red Shetland

Cameo appearance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one panel with two turtles

Cameo appearance of a Smurf, chained and emaciated in a dungeon

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1987
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$1
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$5
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$15

Key Facts

Five-page Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story titled 'The Road Trip'

Four-page, reprinted Robert Crumb story

Various other stories by well-known creators

This six-issue series was published to raise money in defense of a lawsuit levied against The Comic Journal and writer Harlan Ellison by writer Michael Fleisher, the long-time writer of Jonah Hex

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Ellison was sued by Fleisher for $2 million dollars on account of libelous statements that made accusations of mental instability

Key Facts

8-page black and white comic book included in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Club Membership Kit

Obtained by mail after sending in an order form that was included with TMNT Playmates action figures plus a $15.00 fee

Included in the TMNT branded kit was the comic book (shown in image), a sticker, a numbered membership card, an orange and white bandana, a 12-month membership to the Chaos Chronicle newsletter and a letter from the president of the marketing company that produced the kit

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$10
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$100

Key Facts

Early cover art by Eastman and Laird featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Limited print run of 4,000 copies

Key Facts

1st appearance of Krang

1st cameo appearance of Bebop and Rocksteady as animals, prior to being mutated

Comic book adaptation of the animated series

Debut of the Turtles' different colored masks in comic books

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Key Facts

1st appearance of Leatherhead, a mutated alligator and enemy of the Turtles

Fantagraphics ⋅ 1988
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$25

Key Facts

1st appearance of Jei-san, a wolf and recurring villain of Usagi Yojimbo

Early appearance of Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Key Facts

Premiere issue of the first ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series published by Archie

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Key Facts

1st appearance of Wingnut, a mutated alien bat

1st appearance of Screwloose, a mutated alien mosquito

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$20

Key Facts

62-page adaptation of the 1990 live-action movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

There exists a $2.95 Canadian Price Variant

Key Facts

One-shot of two Christmas-inspired stories with additional themed content including a double page pin-up

Retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol featuring Raphael being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future - in the future, Raphael is a one-eyed savage living alone in a swamp

Mirage ⋅ 1991
Low
$8
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$25
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$75

Key Facts

16-page pinup promotional comic benefiting a charity event for children

Key Facts

1st appearance of Rahzar, a mutated wolf

1st appearance of Tokka, a mutated alligator snapping turtle

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze movie adaptation

Key Facts

1st appearance of Slash, an alien snapping turtle

Aardvark-Vanaheim ⋅ 1991
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$9
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$30

Key Facts

Cover art by Todd McFarlane featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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$25

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Karai, Shredder's granddaughter

City At War: Part 4 of a 13-issue story arc

Mirage ⋅ 1993
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$10

Key Facts

Mirage begins publishing Usagi Yojimbo (Vol.2), previously published by Fantagraphics (Vol. 1)

Guest appearances by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

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$25

Key Facts

Death of Gabe Jones, the wife of Casey who dies during childbirth in this issue

First mention of Casey's daughter, Shadow (not biological) who he and April will later adopt

City At War: Part 9 of a 13-issue story arc

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$50

Key Facts

Final issue of the first series

City At War: Part 13 of a 13-issue story arc

Key Facts

Late print run, low circulation

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$2
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$8
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$25

Key Facts

Late run, low circulation

Mirage ⋅ 1995
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$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

Guest appearances by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, begins in issue #1

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