Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2, Third Print

What originally started out as a black and white tribute/parody of Frank Miller’s DC Comics mini-series Ronin and Marvel Comics Daredevil series blossomed into a hugely successful comic book and merchandising empire.

Imagine, a couple of young guys decide to self-publish your own comic book as a tribute to Frank Miller’s Daredevil and Ronin runs of comic books.

You manage to scrape together enough cash to publish around 2,000 copies and with a little more luck you get the book distributed to comic book shops.

Nothing happens at first and you figure that’s pretty much the end of it-until...

One day a marketing executive with Playmates Toys passes a comic book shop and decides to drop in hoping that he might spot something that would make a good line of toys.

He picks up a copy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and viola!’’ It’s just what he was looking for.

Playmate Toys strikes up a deal to produce a line of TMNT toys promoted by a half hour animated TV show for kids.

The rest they say, is history.

Fans took notice and before you know TMNT toys and comic books are flying off the shelves.

The series becomes so popular that the low print run first issues are reprinted-several times.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2, Third Print, from Mirage Studios, is one such reprint and it boasts a full color Richard Corben cover. Both April and the Munchers are introduced in this issue.

Reprint issues of the first half dozen or so of the series are jumping in price. If you find them-buy them!

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." — Deuteronomy 31:8