How popular were the Mirage comics in the 80s?

*Prowler* · 03-19-2026, 06:27 PM

I remember Cylons and I joking that there can't have been more than 5 or so original Mirage TMNT comics fans.

Obviously, Mirage TMNT comics were not mainstream by any means, but they must have had a respectable enough cult following, right? Otherwise, Eastman and Laird would not have gotten approached for a cartoon series based on the comics.

For all the older folks here, how many of you knew about the Mirage comics when you were kids? Did you know of them when you were watching the 1987 cartoon series on weekend mornings?

*frank_one* · 03-19-2026, 07:36 PM

As a kid in Italy I knew there was a company called "Mirage Studios" as I was constantly reading it on the toys and every other product with the Turtles on it. However, I didn't know there was an original Turtles comics and that it was where the Turtles had originated even if I was sure the weird turtles with white eyes on the boxes of the toys where an hint to the existence of something different from the Turtles of the tv series.
I also remember seeing the names "Eastman and Laird" in the credits of the first movie and in the Gameboy games and at some point I found out, through a videogames magazine, that Eastman and Laird were comics artists and so I started to understand that there was a comics series at the beginning of it all. But this was in the late 90s, years before I got access to the web and the old Mirage website where I finally saw the Mirage Turtles for the first time.

*Andrew NDB* · 03-19-2026, 08:05 PM

My guess is super popular until the "guest artist years" and then a huge drop-off. It never sold anywhere near as much as TMNTA (no other TMNT comic has or probably ever will or can) but probably pretty well.

*CyberCubed* · 03-19-2026, 08:35 PM

The first 11 issues probably sold the best, when Eastman/Laird were together. After that it likely declined till Return to New York which I assume had a sales bump, then a huge decline for the guest writer years till City at War started, but by then in real life a large number of years had passed and most of those original fans were probably gone by then (even if they went back to get back issues later).

Also remember Mirage issues had a weird schedule, wasn't there like 2-3 month gap between new issues at some point? I can't imagine following the comic as it was happening, like you'd completely lose interest between issues due to how long it would take for them to come out.

*Andrew NDB* · 03-19-2026, 08:44 PM

Imagine spending like 6 months reading stuff like Hedden-McWeeney and then the Dale stuff over years and years, hoping for Eastman & Laird's return. Readers probably dropped like flies.

*CyberCubed* · 03-19-2026, 09:35 PM

I don't get why those issues weren't just stand-alone specials, rather than in the main numbered ongoing. Like they could have had those wacky stories published as random specials and it would be ok, but to include that in the main series? Weird thing is they could have used the stories they were printing in Turtle Soup or the other specials with more serious takes in the main series instead to fill those months.

*frank_one* · 03-19-2026, 10:25 PM

The good thing is Eastman and Laird decided to get back and do City at war. Imagine if they NEVER got back.

*Andrew NDB* · 03-19-2026, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frank_one

The good thing is Eastman and Laird decided to get back and do City at war. Imagine if they NEVER got back.

I think the damage was largely done by that point. I'm sure there was an uptick with CAW but I don't thnk sales were super high going into Vol. 2. The large scale readers had largely left and Mirage was too niche and too damaged by the "kiddie" brand for new readers to discover it much.

*CyberCubed* · 03-20-2026, 05:22 AM

Why did Pete/Kevin take such a long break from the comics? I understand they may have been busy with the licensing/merch stuff that was in full swing back then, but it's weird they went from issue 21 till like issue 48 till they got back into it full-time.

Most of Tales and the specials were written by other Mirage artists or guest writers. Archie was being handled by Murphy and Ryan Brown at the time. We know they were overlooking the 1990 movie but I don't think that could have taken that much time given they don't write the script. They didn't write any episodes of the original cartoon either, so what exactly what they doing in that time?

*ToTheNines* · 03-20-2026, 05:47 AM

They were doing other stuff. Eastman had Tundra and some other endeavors. I’m pretty sure Laird had his kid around that time. Plus they were constantly being dragged into meetings and getting sued by everyone and their brother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

Imagine spending like 6 months reading stuff like Hedden-McWeeney and then the Dale stuff over years and years, hoping for Eastman & Laird's return. Readers probably dropped like flies.

I think about this all the time when I look at the release schedule of Vol. 1.

We all know how agonizing 1 month can be when you’re following a good comic, but Mirage would have eons between canon issues.

*Coola Yagami* · 03-20-2026, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

They were doing other stuff. Eastman had Tundra and some other endeavors. I’m pretty sure Laird had his kid around that time. Plus they were constantly being dragged into meetings and getting sued by everyone and their brother.

why were they getting sued? And that often?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

We all know how agonizing 1 month can be when you’re following a good comic, but Mirage would have eons between canon issues.

I guess it's the equivalent to people waiting for the Sophie run to end in modern day.

*ToTheNines* · 03-20-2026, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

why were they getting sued? And that often?

Because people suck ass. Everyone saw these two New England yokels making money hand over fist and sued them because they could. The biggest one was Fred Wolf Films.

Smithguy789 · 03-20-2026, 08:33 AM

Taking the 80s Black and White Boom into account, I imagine readership for TMNT was in flux a lot of the time. I'm sure there were readers who just bought independent b&w books regardless of what was in them. Considering the Turtles were the poster child for the boom, they were probably easier to come by than say, a Greater Mercury or a SilverWolf book (Not to mention much higher quality).

I imagine that readership flux continued through the guest era. Like, yeah, some strictly TMNT fans probably dropped off, but some of those issues were by (at the time) independent darlings. Fans of Veitch, Martin, Corben, Bodé, Howarth and the others probably goosed some sales here and there. I'd be surprised if at least a few of those readers didn't stick around at least a handful of issues.

*Coola Yagami* · 03-20-2026, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Because people suck ass. Everyone saw these two New England yokels making money hand over fist and sued them because they could. The biggest one was Fred Wolf Films.

No but I mean over what? Too much violence? Someone claiming they came up with the idea of martial arts animals first? Nunchucks on TV? April's ass being too hot for a kid's show? What?

*frank_one* · 03-20-2026, 09:09 AM

Imagine you are a young dude who likes to draw this small underground comics about mutant turtles and at some point, all at once, you have to manage an empire and have to deal with international licensings and tons of legal papers and other complicated stuff. Easy to get overwhelmed!

*ToTheNines* · 03-20-2026, 09:23 AM

People suing them saying they created TMNT first. Stupid stuff like that. Licnesing disputes like whatever this whole mess with Mark Freedman was: https://www.casemine.com/judgement/u...49344e47ec/amp

*frank_one* · 03-20-2026, 09:47 AM

I think sometimes they were the ones suing other people as well. They had quite busy days!

*ToTheNines* · 03-20-2026, 10:03 AM

Yeah, I’m sure there was a lot of IP theft going on. They also probably countersued most of the clowns coming at them.

Heyowakka · 03-20-2026, 11:37 AM

Do you think the judges and jurors ever questioned the life choices that led to them sitting through civil disputes involving cartoon ninja turtles?

*ToTheNines* · 03-20-2026, 11:53 AM

Yeah that’s so funny. Present day, no one would bat an eye. But imagine some judge born in like ****in 1930 having to hear some of these cases lol.

“Teenage Mutant what the hell now?”

03-19-2026, 08:05 PM	#3
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 34,495	My guess is super popular until the "guest artist years" and then a huge drop-off. It never sold anywhere near as much as TMNTA (no other TMNT comic has or probably ever will or can) but probably pretty well. __________________ [ ODYSSEY \| ORIGIN \| THE IMAGE/VOL. 3 CONCLUSION \| THE SHELLSHOCKED PODCAST \| ON FACEBOOK ]

03-19-2026, 08:44 PM	#5
Andrew NDB Weed Whacker Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Auburn, WA Posts: 34,495	Imagine spending like 6 months reading stuff like Hedden-McWeeney and then the Dale stuff over years and years, hoping for Eastman & Laird's return. Readers probably dropped like flies. __________________ [ ODYSSEY \| ORIGIN \| THE IMAGE/VOL. 3 CONCLUSION \| THE SHELLSHOCKED PODCAST \| ON FACEBOOK ]

03-20-2026, 09:23 AM	#16
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,274	People suing them saying they created TMNT first. Stupid stuff like that. Licnesing disputes like whatever this whole mess with Mark Freedman was: https://www.casemine.com/judgement/u...49344e47ec/amp Last edited by ToTheNines; 03-20-2026 at 11:54 AM.

03-19-2026, 07:36 PM	#2
frank_one Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern Europe Posts: 2,245	As a kid in Italy I knew there was a company called "Mirage Studios" as I was constantly reading it on the toys and every other product with the Turtles on it. However, I didn't know there was an original Turtles comics and that it was where the Turtles had originated even if I was sure the weird turtles with white eyes on the boxes of the toys where an hint to the existence of something different from the Turtles of the tv series. I also remember seeing the names "Eastman and Laird" in the credits of the first movie and in the Gameboy games and at some point I found out, through a videogames magazine, that Eastman and Laird were comics artists and so I started to understand that there was a comics series at the beginning of it all. But this was in the late 90s, years before I got access to the web and the old Mirage website where I finally saw the Mirage Turtles for the first time.

03-19-2026, 08:35 PM	#4
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,831	The first 11 issues probably sold the best, when Eastman/Laird were together. After that it likely declined till Return to New York which I assume had a sales bump, then a huge decline for the guest writer years till City at War started, but by then in real life a large number of years had passed and most of those original fans were probably gone by then (even if they went back to get back issues later). Also remember Mirage issues had a weird schedule, wasn't there like 2-3 month gap between new issues at some point? I can't imagine following the comic as it was happening, like you'd completely lose interest between issues due to how long it would take for them to come out.

03-19-2026, 09:35 PM	#6
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,831	I don't get why those issues weren't just stand-alone specials, rather than in the main numbered ongoing. Like they could have had those wacky stories published as random specials and it would be ok, but to include that in the main series? Weird thing is they could have used the stories they were printing in Turtle Soup or the other specials with more serious takes in the main series instead to fill those months.

03-19-2026, 10:25 PM	#7
frank_one Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern Europe Posts: 2,245	The good thing is Eastman and Laird decided to get back and do City at war. Imagine if they NEVER got back.

03-20-2026, 05:22 AM	#9
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,831	Why did Pete/Kevin take such a long break from the comics? I understand they may have been busy with the licensing/merch stuff that was in full swing back then, but it's weird they went from issue 21 till like issue 48 till they got back into it full-time. Most of Tales and the specials were written by other Mirage artists or guest writers. Archie was being handled by Murphy and Ryan Brown at the time. We know they were overlooking the 1990 movie but I don't think that could have taken that much time given they don't write the script. They didn't write any episodes of the original cartoon either, so what exactly what they doing in that time?

03-20-2026, 08:33 AM	#13
Smithguy789 Thug Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: Tennessee Posts: 80	Taking the 80s Black and White Boom into account, I imagine readership for TMNT was in flux a lot of the time. I'm sure there were readers who just bought independent b&w books regardless of what was in them. Considering the Turtles were the poster child for the boom, they were probably easier to come by than say, a Greater Mercury or a SilverWolf book (Not to mention much higher quality). I imagine that readership flux continued through the guest era. Like, yeah, some strictly TMNT fans probably dropped off, but some of those issues were by (at the time) independent darlings. Fans of Veitch, Martin, Corben, Bodé, Howarth and the others probably goosed some sales here and there. I'd be surprised if at least a few of those readers didn't stick around at least a handful of issues.

03-20-2026, 09:09 AM	#15
frank_one Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern Europe Posts: 2,245	Imagine you are a young dude who likes to draw this small underground comics about mutant turtles and at some point, all at once, you have to manage an empire and have to deal with international licensings and tons of legal papers and other complicated stuff. Easy to get overwhelmed!

03-20-2026, 09:47 AM	#17
frank_one Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southern Europe Posts: 2,245	I think sometimes they were the ones suing other people as well. They had quite busy days!

03-20-2026, 10:03 AM	#18
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,274	Yeah, I’m sure there was a lot of IP theft going on. They also probably countersued most of the clowns coming at them.

03-20-2026, 11:37 AM	#19
Heyowakka Stone Warrior Join Date: Aug 2025 Posts: 508	Do you think the judges and jurors ever questioned the life choices that led to them sitting through civil disputes involving cartoon ninja turtles?

03-20-2026, 11:53 AM	#20
ToTheNines Col. Stinkmeaner Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 19,274	Yeah that’s so funny. Present day, no one would bat an eye. But imagine some judge born in like ****in 1930 having to hear some of these cases lol. “Teenage Mutant what the hell now?”