The Turtles Make Their Renaissance: 30 Years and Counting

Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird

The first Ninja Turtle was sketched out by Kevin Eastman in 1983 in Northampton, Massachusetts. His friend, Peter Laird, liked the idea of “Ninja Turtle” and sketched another. In no time, the pair quickly created the four turtles: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael.

A few months later, using their tax returns, Eastman and Laird formed Mirage Studios and in March 1984 printed 3,000 copies of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- a dark and gritty black and white parody of Daredevil starring the four turtles, their rat Master Splinter(Daredevil’s Sensei was named “Stick”) battle Shredder and his Foot Clan(Daredevil: “The Hand”). Even the toxic spill that blinded Daredevil as a boy also washed into the sewers and mutated the four turtles and rat.

Mirage Studios

The issue was advertised in a comic trade journal and became a sweeping success. It was continued the following year with reprints and further issues released intermittently. In what became Volume One of the series, a portion of the work was done by the original creators, guest artists and close collaborators (of note: Ryan Brown and Jim Lawson) also helps contribute to the volume’s 62 issues, with various Micro Series, miniseries and specials. A companion anthology piece “Tales of the TMNT” added 7 tales to the mythos in the early years.

In 1987, the property was optioned to Playmates Toys for a toy line. They wanted to test the characters with a five episode miniseries, making the characters much more kid friendly with phrases like “Cowabunga”, “Turtle Power” and “Heroes in a Half Shell”. Much more comedy than grit, the Fred Wolf show was very different from the ongoing, mature, black and white comic that was simultaneously being published. The show lasted ten seasons and had 193 episodes and a wildly popular, and collectible, action figure line.

Archie Comics/Mirage Studios

Archie Comics published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures to market comics to a younger audience, spanning 72 issues from 1988 to 1995, using cues from the animated series and toy line. Adventures featured an expanded cast and more global mindset. Stories were written by Steve Murphy (under a pen name “ Dean Clarrain”) and penciled by Chris Allen. During this period three major motion pictures were released with puppetry from Jim Henson Studios(and music from Vanilla Ice).

After Volume 1 ended, Volume 2 quickly came to pass. Written and illustrated by Jim Lawson, the full color series lasted 13 issues and was a direct continuation of the series.

In 1996, Image Comics launched a 23 issue Volume 3, taking the property to new and strange places (Donatello became a cyborg). It was written by Gary Carlson and illustrated by Frank Fosco, with covers by one of the Image founders, Erik Larsen(Savage Dragon). The volume was later said to be “outside of continuity”. 1997 saw an ill fated live action show by Saban, those responsible for Power Rangers. The Next Mutation saw the controversial inclusion of a female turtle, Venus de Milo. The show lasted one season. The property’s popularity was waning. Kevin Eastman sold his ownership to Laird and Mirage in 2000.

In 2001, Peter Laird and Jim Lawson returned to continue the original continuity of the Turtles. Now in their 30s (yet still titled TMNT), the turtles faced new and old enemies and challenges. Tales of the TMNT was also revived in 2004 to try and fill the missing history gaps.

In 2003, Laird partnered with Lloyd Goldfine and 4Kids Entertainment to produce a new animated series, heavily based on the comic series. Playmates once again saturated the toy aisles with Turtles Products and Dreamwave Productions released a short lived, 7 issue comic book based on the show, written by Peter David and art by LeSean. The show lasted various incarnations until 2009 with seven seasons, ending during the Ninja Turtles’ 25th anniversary with a TV movie crossing over the Mirage comic book, the 4Kids cartoon and the original cartoon.

4 Kids/Mirage Studios

In 2007, Kevin Monroe directed a CGI movie with voice talents of Chris Evans(Casey Jones), Sarah Michelle Gellar(April O’Neil) and Patrick Stewart as the movie’s antagonist. Mirage released the comic book tie-ins.

Peter Laird sold the Ninja Turtle rights to Viacom/Nickelodeon in October 2009. Tales of the TMNT concluded with issue 70 and Volume 4 was paused indefinitely. Peter/Mirage was given permission to publish 18 issues a year about the Turtles if they so chose. In any event, IDW Publishing was rewarded the comic license. Kevin Eastman returned to oversee the property with Editor Bobby Curnow and writer Tom Waltz and art by Dan Duncan, Ben Bates, Ross Campbell, Andy Kuhn and Mateus Santolouco. The new series premiered in 2011 and took inspiration from all incarnations of the Turtles lore. Micro series, miniseries and annuals help booster the rapidly expanding new world for the heroes in a half shell.

IDW Publishing

In the same vein, Nickelodeon premiered its new CGI series in 2012 which also honors its roots. The creator of the show, Ciro Nieli, grew up with the original series. Throwbacks and references are littered throughout the series, now in the middle of its second series, with characters being reimaged and updated to fit the new tone. Cory Feldman, the voice of Donatello in the first live action movie, returns in season two to voice the evil turtle, Slash. Rob Paulsen-Raphael in the original series- now voices Donatello. Jason Biggs (American Pie), Greg Cipes (Teen Titans), and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) round out the green cast. IDW Publishing has their own monthly Adventures series telling stories inspired by the cartoon and Playmates is, again, churning out the toys.

Nickelodeon

That brings us to 2014: The 30th anniversary of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1. How to celebrate? IDW has a wide range of reprints in production-ranging from hardcover collections of original Eastman and Laird issues to reprinted floppies for the first time in color (In the Mirage “universe” all four turtles have red masks). IDW recently announced they will publish the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 30th Anniversary Special in May. The cover is a collaboration between original creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, marking one of the first times the two have reunited since the split. The 48 page special is a reunion of many of the special creators who brought life to the license. Kevin Eastman will tell a story from the Early days; “Dean Clarrain”/Steve Murphy and Chris Allen will tell another Archie Adventure tale; Gary Carlson and Frank Fosco look back on the Image Volume 3; Jim Lawson will tell a story set around Volume 4; and the original IDW artist Dan Duncan returns with scribe Tom Waltz to round out the special. Pin Ups are also promised but kept under wraps.

IDW/Viacom

 If that isn't the best way to honor the long legacy, you can always watch Meghan Fox as April O’Neil in the next Ninja Turtles movie by Paramount Pictures. The Jonathan Liebesman directed movie (with involvement by Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes company) is in theaters August 8th.

Viacom/Paramount Pictures