30th anniversary of the TMNT Adventures comics

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

We write August 2018, and 30 years have passed since first issue of the TMNT Adventures comics from Archie Comics was published in August 1988.

http://mutantooze.org/ninjaturtles/comics/archie/miniseries/01/01.htm

Originally adapting episodes of the original cartoon, it later began to develop original stories, forming a new TMNT version, also creating the Mutanimals spinoff comic. The final TMNT Adventures issue was published in March 1996.

http://mutantooze.org/ninjaturtles/comics/archie/miniseries/year/03/03.htm

Here, we celebrate and exchange memories from TMNT Adventures and the original Mutanimals spinoffs. Did you read these comics? What memories do you have?

I used to subscribe for a TMNT magazine that published both TMNT Adventures comics and Fleetway Hero Turtles comics.

[ChosenOne]

These were my gateway to TMNT, I still have many of the early issues and lots of great memories!

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

These were my gateway to TMNT, I still have many of the early issues and lots of great memories!

I forgot to mention that the Archie and Fleetway comics were not only many children's gateways to TMNT, but also their main-source for TMNT entertainment in countries where television access was very limited in pre-Internet and pre-broadband days.

Without cable television or parabolic antenna, you would only be able to catch episodes released to home video and not all episodes released were released in all countries, if you even had a home video player at all. Also, publication of the Archie comics continued in Sweden until December 1996 while the Fred Wolf cartoon stopped airing by mid-1993 or something (after airing seasons 1-5 and the Vacation in Europe sideseason).

[ChosenOne]

I had access to the Fred Wolf show on TV, but even as a kid I always craved something a little more continuity-heavy and just... better written, I guess... so the show alone didn't cut it for me. The comic did benefit from the cross-promotion, of course, but it didn't take long for me (and I guess others of the same generation) to realize they were two different beasts entirely.

[TurtleWA]

I never read the 1996 mini series until I was an adult. I guess after all these years the comics are still creating new memories for people.

A recent memory was just about five days ago I posted a short overview of ‘The Year Of The Turtle’ mini series (from 1996) on my Youtube channel.

I read the three comics around two years ago so it’s a little fuzzy but I do remember enjoying them.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I always liked how many of the artists would draw Krang with longer tentacles than in the cartoon, something also spreading to some Fleetway comics and some storybooks addopting cartoon episodes and Archie comics.

[John Pannozzi]

TMNT Adventures is the earliest comic book I ever remember reading. It probably was the first comic I ever read.

While I haven't really reread TMNTA in my adult years, I'll always appreciate how it led me down the road to being a patron of sequential art.

Now, if only IDW would put remastered trades of it, so I'll easily be able to enjoy it in its entirety...

[Darth Knuckles]

TMNT Adventures is the earliest comic book I ever remember reading. It probably was the first comic I ever read.

While I haven't really reread TMNTA in my adult years, I'll always appreciate how it led me down the road to being a patron of sequential art.

For me this was also the first comic book series I read and followed regularly. I really enjoyed getting a new comic whenever I saw one at the store. This was right up there for me with the original cartoon, movies, toys, and video games at the time. The Archie Comics were just as important as all of the other TMNT things were.

I really got into the comics when Chris Allan drew the covers and stories of the comics. To me it was a whole new level for TMNT Adventures. Highlights being The Mighty Mutanimals, Ninjara, The Future Shark Trilogy story, Maligna, Mr. Null, Death, War, Famine, and Pestilence. I also loved the three encyclopedia comics they released!

I do recommend reading them (or as many as you have) again as an adult because I did that about three years ago and it was a great trip down memory lane. I also got a few more comics that I didn't have as a kid and gained a big appreciation for The Black Hole Trilogy and Terracide. Those are really great stories too.

I really enjoyed TMNT Adventures growing up and I still put it up there with the Mirage Comics (a comics series I read later than when it debuted), original cartoon, movies, etc. So Happy 30th Anniversary to Archie's TMNT Adventures!

[pferreira]

Well I grew up with the Hero Turtles comic which incorporated the Archie stories. I found it very confusing after a while keeping up with what was going on. I'm sure they were well written.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Well I grew up with the Hero Turtles comic which incorporated the Archie stories.

Not all of them had Archie, some issues just had Fleetway.

[darthsmozers]

One of my favorite comic book series, hands down. Nostalgia overload, fond memories...I love it.

[Sumac]

While most of the other comic books didn't see the light of day in Russia, up until 2000-s, TMNT Adventures and Archie were officially published by Russian company Machaon.

Sadly TMNT comic books were pretty rare or at least I haven't seen them very often in newspaper booths, so I've got only few of them: adaptation of "Incredible Shrinking Turtles", part of the arc about Touchstone (sic?) about Stump Asteroid tournament and Wingnut & Screwloose in New York, parts 2 and 3 of Future Shark Trilogy and parts 1 and 2 of Animus story.

Some stories from TMNT Adventures were published in one of the gaming magazine.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Touchstone

It's called the Turnstone

http://miragelicensing.com/comics/archie/11/11.htm

[Lordmylar06]

To this day TMNT Adventures by Archie is my favorite TMNT universe. Chris Allan and Ken Mitchroney also remain my favorite TMNT artists and are huge influences on me as an artist.
At one time I had hoped that the series would be renewed for one last hurrah by IDW comics, but as time goes by I'm not sure if it'll be possible.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

At one time I had hoped that the series would be renewed for one last hurrah.

We almost got Forever War by 2008–2009 for the 25th TMNT anniversary, but then came Nickelodeon buying it all.

[darthsmozers]

To this day TMNT Adventures by Archie is my favorite TMNT universe. Chris Allan and Ken Mitchroney also remain my favorite TMNT artists and are huge influences on me as an artist.
At one time I had hoped that the series would be renewed for one last hurrah by IDW comics, but as time goes by I'm not sure if it'll be possible.

I’m hoping the new Image conclusion at IDW will do well to warrant another try.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

If Archie comics had just continued adopting episodes, the comics would probably have been cancelled during mid-season 3.

Seasons 3-4 are long, that even if Archie went monthly earlier, it would take years and the cartoon would already be in the Red Sky-phase.