TMNT toys ordered from a comic?
 

I found this on Ebay just now... the auction is almost over, but it has me intrigued.

This guy claims these figures were ordered out of the back of a comic, but he doesn't say much more. The picture isn't great either, but to me they look practically identical to the 88 figures. The skin tones for each turtle are the same, though they only have their trademark weapons, not the whole rack they came with in the 88 release.

I've never seen these before or even heard of mail order turtle figures. Are these really early versions that Laird & Eastman were hocking themselves, or just bootlegs of unusually good quality?

They're indeed bootlegs.

My first instinct was bootleg, but you're right that they look to be of very good quality. And it's the real logo, too.

If they were hocked in the back of a comic book, it's not from a TMNT comic.

I'd ask him for a pic of the back of the card.

I figured as much, I've spent too much time researching the turtles to have missed something as big as mail-order versions of the figures, but I did want a second opinion.

Thanks again, Putrescent!

Yeah, I think I'll do that, who knows if he'll get back to me with just 6 hours left, but it's worth a shot. Even if it is a bootleg, which it almost certainly is, it would be interesting. I've seen a lot of bootlegs with backs nearly identical to the real figs, though they sometimes make interesting additions and subtractions.

I'm fairly certain they are bootlegs as well, though they seem to be much better quality (package and figures) that whats usually seen...

I actully own the first set of bootlegs that where released when the turtles first came out and the box art and back of box are almost identical to the first releases as are the figures.
I'll be selling them on ebay very soon.

are those called "fighting * action turtles"? I have one of those I believe..

If it weren't for the bandana colors, I would might have thought those were the figures that were available for order out of the back of the early issues of TMNT... but for the life of me, I don't recall if those were actual action figures, or figurines... and I'm too lazy to check.

No action figures were sold in the back of TMNT comics. The lead gaming figures from Dark Horse were the only figure-type things that were sold in the back of the comics.

And thats exactly what he's thinking of I've got a few of them they even made large ones but I've yet to see them ever.

Yeah, I've got a stash of them that includes the big ones. MrPliggins does, too. I think I've finally rounded up all of the different ones, though not all of the variations. MrPliggins has me beat on that.

Cool I want the doc Feral and mutants set the most cause he reminds me so much of the character I'm using as my icon right now.
I'd like to ask Kevin if it was intentional that the two look so much a like.

That must be what they were... yeah, I saw the topic, I'm pretty sure those are what I saw.