Adult Only TMNT Mini-Comic (MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER)

[Archon_Turtle]

Hi everyone,

A week or so ago, Steve Murphy sold an Adult Only Mini-Comic on ebay that was an unofficial internal Mirage project, limited to 50 copies. This was the first time most of us had ever heard of the book, let alone seen it. So obviously, it peaked the interest of many of us.

Well, today, I was able to pick up a copy of this book myself, and while I do not yet have the book in hand, I have some pictures to share as well as some information that i recieved directly from the books creator: Bill Fitts. Once I have the book, rest assured I will provide scans (which will most likely be censored unless Krang wants to give me the go ahead to post uncensored pics.)







I was very fortunate in being able to track down Bill Fitts through Mark Bode. When questioned about the book, he said:

"Well, what this was is a comic I put together as a "farewell gift" to my friends at Mirage before I left to move back to california in 1993

I wrote and did the layouts, and my friend Dan Seneres did the pencils, I inked it and Steve Lavigne did the lettering. As it was sort of a "taboo" at the time (as the TMNT we're still enjoying popularity and we were careful not to tarnish the clean image), I kept it on the under and only printed a run of I beleive 50 copies, which were given out to the creators and some of the staff - it was done secretly and then I sprung it on them as a surprise, heh."

UPDATE:
I got permission from Krang to post the images of the book without censoring them. After having seen each page of this book first hand, I have made the decision not to review the book on GoGreenMachine as it far more...adult...than I ever imagined. However; any website that would like to review the book is more than welcome to do so. I would only as that the GGM watermark not be removed from the images, and that credit for the find be given to GGM.

Now...before I provide the link, let me just say that these images are DEFINITELY adult. SO BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW, YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU ARE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.

I used flickr to host since they allow adult images, so you WILL need a flickr (or yahoo) account to view them. If you are having trouble reading or seeing any page, you can make the picture really big (I believe 1024x76 with the "All Sizes" option on each picture.

Brace Yourself....and Enjoy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45280001@N04/sets/

[Andrew NDB]

I'm curious what the climax will be.

[Archon_Turtle]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I'm curious what the climax will be.

I see what you did there!

[DrSpengler]

I swear to god, if you provide scans I will TOTALLY review that s*** on my site and put include it with the Archie issues.

[Archon_Turtle]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

I swear to god, if you provide scans I will TOTALLY review that s*** on my site and put include it with the Archie issues.

Well I think it goes without saying that GGM gets first review, but I would be happy to provide scans for any sites that wish to review it directly afterwards.

[prescribeddrone]

Wow, that's awesome. I hope to come across scans sometime.

[DrSpengler]

Originally Posted by Archon_Turtle

Well I think it goes without saying that GGM gets first review, but I would be happy to provide scans for any sites that wish to review it directly afterwards.

Oh yes, of course.

But if you guys can be cool enough to share the wealth you shall be credited with honors.

And yeah, furry porn is not something I look forward to on any level, but this at least has comedy value. And I thought those issues of Furrlough with Ninjara were bad, this is gonna be excruciating...

[turkishproverb]

Originally Posted by Archon_Turtle

Well I think it goes without saying that GGM gets first review, but I would be happy to provide scans for any sites that wish to review it directly afterwards.

I'd enjoy reviewing it.

[Allio]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

I'm curious what the climax will be.

It will be the beginning and on until the ending my friend

[sdp]

I can't see them were they deleted?

[ComiCat]

Hi all, this is Bill Fitts here – finally discovered this thread and thought I’d fill in on the story a bit

My association with TMNT began in the mid-80’s when they hit it big, and I was working with Mark Bode on his “Miami Mice” comic series. At one point we hooked up with Kevin and the gang to do a story for issue #4 with an appearance by the Turtles as well as Dave Sim’s “Cerebus”. That was a lot of fun and started a friendship between us on the west coast and them in Mass.

Having grown up back east, on one of my visits back there I went to visit Kevin in Northampton, who was still living in a little apartment with Steve Levigne. They’d sit on beat up couches watching tv and drawing pages for the comic on their laps; we ordered pizza delivery for lunch. At one point, Kevin asked “You have issue #1?” and tossed me a copy out of his closet, where he still had a box of them

Then in 1989 Mark and I travelled to Northampton to visit the gang at the new studio set up in the building that eventually became Tundra Publishing. They had just gotten their money from the deal with Playmates, and the gravy train was rolling, TMNT was flush with funds. Was a stark contrast to the visit to the apartment a few years before.

Forward a couple years – Mark was given the opportunity to move to Northampton and get in on working for TMNT and Tundra. I was hesitant to join him, but after some discussions and some thought, I realized it was a good opportunity for me to move back there and get into some comic work for a very successful company. While working with Mark at the Tundra art studio on various comic stories, I also started working for Kevin doing prep work on translations for graphic novels from Europe that Tundra would be publishing. That was a lot of fun and had the chance to meet and work with many luminaries in the biz like Simon Bisley, Mark Martin, Steve Bissett, and many others at Tundra.

In 1991 I was contacted by Cheryl Pringle at Mirage about an opening – Archivist for the TMNT product/toy collection. I had previous experience in collecting and archiving my own vast collection of underground and independent comics, as well as being the archivist for Vaughn Bode’s estate. I jumped at the chance, obviously Basically, I was “Chief Toy Collector” for the company, really a dream come true! I spent the next 2 years collecting, archiving and preserving every item ever made with the TMNT name. Much of the reason for this was that the last archivist they had left the collection as it was in a sorry state with much missing due to attrition and give-aways. So I set out and contacted every company we didn’t have samples for, and got them to send us what they have, with great success. I created and maintained a database for the collection and stored the collection to preserve it throughout time. Because of this work, I was invited first by Kevin, then Peter, to archive their home collections and personal papers that related to TMNT. Was very enlightening and was able to really see how the arc of the TMNT’s success started and played out.

Aside from being the Archivist, I also worked part of my time for Mirage Publishing, attending trade shows and helping produce the comics themselves. Additionally, as archivist I was part of the licensing department, and attended the NY Toy Fare and other trade shows. Was a total blast Without a doubt, being head toy collector and working in other capacities at Mirage was the best, most enjoyable job I have ever had. Hanging out with the artists every day shooting the breeze, going to lunch and just talking comics and art all of the time was so much fun.

In 1993 it was apparent to most of us that the IP was heading downwards; the books weren’t selling as well, the studio attempted lots of interesting but not well received side projects like Xenophiles and Stupid Heroes and TMNT crossover books with Savage Dragon and other such things. While it went unsaid, we were kind of pulling at straws there. So, many of us saw the end was coming at some point, and since my wife and I always had planned to end up back in California before we had a child, we decided to get the ball rolling on that. She moved back in late ’93 to get her new job and a place for us, and I stayed to wrap up my work with the archives and other projects, including my doing 2 stories for the Ninjara Special Issue of TMNTA, which I was very happy to get to be involved in. In early 1994 I made plans to move back to California, and as a special gift to the studio, I decided to do this little comic. In secret I had Dan Seneres do the pencils, and got Steve Levigne to do the lettering so it would look “official”. Since I worked in licensing I had access to the linelook/templates for TMNTA and used those for the cover. I produced the book, 50 copies, and the office printers, and one night came in and left them on everyone’s desks as a surprise. Everyone loved them (though Peter of course was sort of “ooookay” but did laugh heh). I numbered every issue with a blue pencil. I didn’t think much else about it after I moved that summer, until some TMNT fans I met back in California went ape over the copies of the comic I still had. I gave away all but 3 copies of it, thinking nothing of the fact that I hardly had any left.

Fast forward to 2008, when I was alerted by Mark Bode to the fact that a copy had sold on ebay for $600. WHAT?? I was stunned! I’ve published nearly 100 comics on my own over the past 30 years, and never had one sell for anything much more than the cover price. Wow. So, I was contacted by Steve Reese, who I wold one of the last 3 copies to, followed by a friend of his who bought the second to last. I now have only my “reading” copy, which I have to keep now that all of the original art is gone as well.

Quite the journey for a little book that was done as a lark

[Venom]

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by ComiCat

Hi all, this is Bill Fitts here – finally discovered this thread and thought I’d fill in on the story a bit

My association with TMNT began in the mid-80’s when they hit it big, and I was working with Mark Bode on his “Miami Mice” comic series. At one point we hooked up with Kevin and the gang to do a story for issue #4 with an appearance by the Turtles as well as Dave Sim’s “Cerebus”. That was a lot of fun and started a friendship between us on the west coast and them in Mass.

Having grown up back east, on one of my visits back there I went to visit Kevin in Northampton, who was still living in a little apartment with Steve Levigne. They’d sit on beat up couches watching tv and drawing pages for the comic on their laps; we ordered pizza delivery for lunch. At one point, Kevin asked “You have issue #1?” and tossed me a copy out of his closet, where he still had a box of them

Then in 1989 Mark and I travelled to Northampton to visit the gang at the new studio set up in the building that eventually became Tundra Publishing. They had just gotten their money from the deal with Playmates, and the gravy train was rolling, TMNT was flush with funds. Was a stark contrast to the visit to the apartment a few years before.

Forward a couple years – Mark was given the opportunity to move to Northampton and get in on working for TMNT and Tundra. I was hesitant to join him, but after some discussions and some thought, I realized it was a good opportunity for me to move back there and get into some comic work for a very successful company. While working with Mark at the Tundra art studio on various comic stories, I also started working for Kevin doing prep work on translations for graphic novels from Europe that Tundra would be publishing. That was a lot of fun and had the chance to meet and work with many luminaries in the biz like Simon Bisley, Mark Martin, Steve Bissett, and many others at Tundra.

In 1991 I was contacted by Cheryl Pringle at Mirage about an opening – Archivist for the TMNT product/toy collection. I had previous experience in collecting and archiving my own vast collection of underground and independent comics, as well as being the archivist for Vaughn Bode’s estate. I jumped at the chance, obviously Basically, I was “Chief Toy Collector” for the company, really a dream come true! I spent the next 2 years collecting, archiving and preserving every item ever made with the TMNT name. Much of the reason for this was that the last archivist they had left the collection as it was in a sorry state with much missing due to attrition and give-aways. So I set out and contacted every company we didn’t have samples for, and got them to send us what they have, with great success. I created and maintained a database for the collection and stored the collection to preserve it throughout time. Because of this work, I was invited first by Kevin, then Peter, to archive their home collections and personal papers that related to TMNT. Was very enlightening and was able to really see how the arc of the TMNT’s success started and played out.

Aside from being the Archivist, I also worked part of my time for Mirage Publishing, attending trade shows and helping produce the comics themselves. Additionally, as archivist I was part of the licensing department, and attended the NY Toy Fare and other trade shows. Was a total blast Without a doubt, being head toy collector and working in other capacities at Mirage was the best, most enjoyable job I have ever had. Hanging out with the artists every day shooting the breeze, going to lunch and just talking comics and art all of the time was so much fun.

In 1993 it was apparent to most of us that the IP was heading downwards; the books weren’t selling as well, the studio attempted lots of interesting but not well received side projects like Xenophiles and Stupid Heroes and TMNT crossover books with Savage Dragon and other such things. While it went unsaid, we were kind of pulling at straws there. So, many of us saw the end was coming at some point, and since my wife and I always had planned to end up back in California before we had a child, we decided to get the ball rolling on that. She moved back in late ’93 to get her new job and a place for us, and I stayed to wrap up my work with the archives and other projects, including my doing 2 stories for the Ninjara Special Issue of TMNTA, which I was very happy to get to be involved in. In early 1994 I made plans to move back to California, and as a special gift to the studio, I decided to do this little comic. In secret I had Dan Seneres do the pencils, and got Steve Levigne to do the lettering so it would look “official”. Since I worked in licensing I had access to the linelook/templates for TMNTA and used those for the cover. I produced the book, 50 copies, and the office printers, and one night came in and left them on everyone’s desks as a surprise. Everyone loved them (though Peter of course was sort of “ooookay” but did laugh heh). I numbered every issue with a blue pencil. I didn’t think much else about it after I moved that summer, until some TMNT fans I met back in California went ape over the copies of the comic I still had. I gave away all but 3 copies of it, thinking nothing of the fact that I hardly had any left.

Fast forward to 2008, when I was alerted by Mark Bode to the fact that a copy had sold on ebay for $600. WHAT?? I was stunned! I’ve published nearly 100 comics on my own over the past 30 years, and never had one sell for anything much more than the cover price. Wow. So, I was contacted by Steve Reese, who I wold one of the last 3 copies to, followed by a friend of his who bought the second to last. I now have only my “reading” copy, which I have to keep now that all of the original art is gone as well.

Quite the journey for a little book that was done as a lark

Howdy doo and welcome, Bill! Would you mind if the unofficial title of this silly thing was called "Teenage Mutant Horny Turtles"?

On a more serious note, do you perchance happen to have a digital copy of the archives up to the time of your departure? It would be amazing to learn of all the different things carrying the TMNT license back then, if not to just see how daunting a task you upheld.

You guys who worked at Mirage back in the heyday all share one common theme - that is was probably the most fun atmosphere to be in back then.

Thanks for being a part of TMNT history, Bill.

[ComiCat]

Originally Posted by Venom

Howdy doo and welcome, Bill! Would you mind if the unofficial title of this silly thing was called "Teenage Mutant Horny Turtles"?

On a more serious note, do you perchance happen to have a digital copy of the archives up to the time of your departure? It would be amazing to learn of all the different things carrying the TMNT license back then, if not to just see how daunting a task you upheld.

You guys who worked at Mirage back in the heyday all share one common theme - that is was probably the most fun atmosphere to be in back then.

Thanks for being a part of TMNT history, Bill.

Thanks!

As far as the archive list, I have it printed out in a big book. Back when I was there, we were using crappy pre-win95 boxes and not much in the way of digital archiving. It's saved in a database (hopefully still exsists or was converted) and as a large book of the printed out list, and each archived box has a packing list of it's contents. Lord knows what they did with the collection since the studio closed down *shudder* Hopefully all of my work wasn't for naught and the collection still exsists somewhere I probably managed to collect and store 98% of everything ever made, but there a few items we were unable to get. Peter and Kevin donated some of the items that were missing as they were able.

[Venom]

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by ComiCat

Thanks!

As far as the archive list, I have it printed out in a big book. Back when I was there, we were using crappy pre-win95 boxes and not much in the way of digital archiving. It's saved in a database (hopefully still exsists or was converted) and as a large book of the printed out list, and each archived box has a packing list of it's contents. Lord knows what they did with the collection since the studio closed down *shudder* Hopefully all of my work wasn't for naught and the collection still exsists somewhere I probably managed to collect and store 98% of everything ever made, but there a few items we were unable to get. Peter and Kevin donated some of the items that were missing as they were able.

Wait a sec, you mean the collection Kevin wanted to sell in one drop wasn't the only one of that magnitude? :EEK!: Wow! I hope it still exists somewhere too, for the sake of posterity.

There was a poster a couple of months back who acquired a nice collection from (who we deduce to be) Murph, the guy relaying second-hand that when Mirage began shuttering they were literally throwing things out in the Dumpster and he (presumably Murph) got what he could because he didn't want to see all of it just be carried to the dumps.

What a tale the Turtles biz make!

[Metropoliskid41]

Awesome story Bill thanks for sharing and giving us all a behind the scenes look!

[Abnormal Freak]

Thanks for posting, Mr. Fitts. :) Fascinating read. Sad to think of the possibility of all your hard archiving work being done away with in the end. As said, hopefully the collection still exists despite Peter Laird's selling off of everything TMNT-related from his own collection and I assume whatever's left of Mirage's stash.

[ComiCat]

Originally Posted by Venom

Wait a sec, you mean the collection Kevin wanted to sell in one drop wasn't the only one of that magnitude? :EEK!: Wow! I hope it still exists somewhere too, for the sake of posterity.

There was a poster a couple of months back who acquired a nice collection from (who we deduce to be) Murph, the guy relaying second-hand that when Mirage began shuttering they were literally throwing things out in the Dumpster and he (presumably Murph) got what he could because he didn't want to see all of it just be carried to the dumps.

What a tale the Turtles biz make!

Yikes I hadn't heard about the throwing out. I doubt the collection in the archives went, it was probably all of the junk we had in the studio The stuff I archived went into sealed archival bags and then into uniform sealed boxes.

I hadn't heard that Peter let go of his stuff too. Jeez what is it with people connected to TMNT trying to divorce themselves from their past? It's pretty sad to say the least. I'll never understand that (said the lifelong collector of things, lol).

Was what Kevin sold in one drop a toy collection? He had his collection at the Northampton airport, where he kept part of his vast auto collection as well.

[IamtheNorm]

Originally Posted by ComiCat

Quite the journey for a little book that was done as a lark

I think that it is quite amusing and would be a fun addition to a collection. I have been keeping my eye out for one since I learned of it's existence, but have not yet been able to find one.

[DrSpengler]

The deed has been done.

May god have mercy on my soul.

[Master Splinter]

Originally Posted by DrSpengler

The deed has been done.

May god have mercy on my soul.

lol great review!

-ms