Library of Congress displays TMNT #1 in children’s comics section.

[pferreira]

I feel that TMNT issue 1 is in the wrong section. Probably belongs next to the other slightly more adult stuff, not next to Smurfs and Powerpuff Girls.

[miru]

I would have put the Mirage #1 in “Milestones”, with putting some Archie and IDW books in the kid section. Or IDW in the sci-fi and Archie with the kid stuff.

[AquaParade]

Originally Posted by Powder

I'd say that it did, unquestionably, however it doesn't get the credit it deserves for that.

Their initial burst of popularity sparked a trend of wisecracking antho animal teams, the "black & white comics boom", & its creators Kevin & Pete spearheaded a huge creators rights movement that led to the creation of indie publishers like Image. They definitely made their mark. But again, most of the brand visibility came from the kids show, which is what the world at large thinks is the sum of TMNT, so they're largely unaware of what the books were like or how influential they were. I once read an anecdote in which someone got main art duties on an (adult) TMNT comic in the 90's (might have been Frank Fosco), & in response to this one of their contemporaries said "I'm so sorry", assuming he was stuck doing goofy children's books for a living.

As someone heavily invested in the comic book community/culture (as I'm sure a lot of us here are), I definitely notice a lack of reverence for TMNT in the comic book zeitgeist. From a creator-owned standpoint, they were pioneers first and foremost, but the turtles were also just great comic book characters with a lot of variety and passion thrown behind them. I'm not sure what to expect, but I wish I felt more of a reverence for Kevin, Peter, and the turtles in the comic community. For one, you'd think IDW would sell better just based on the history of the turtles, alone.

That said, I do think they are appreciated greatly in the larger pop-culture sense. Here's a game to play - Anytime you watch one of those YouTube channel that deals in "geek-culture", if they have toys/statues/items littering their background as eye-candy, you're almost guaranteed to spot something related to the TMNT. People have a love and appreciation for them, and that's wonderful, but they've nearly been forgotten as leaders in the comicbook arena.

[clockstomper]

I was 6 the first time I read it.

[TurtleToys]

That’s awesome! But yeah I agree it’s in the wrong section. The Archie series might fit in better.