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Publishers / Mirage / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984) / #1
1May 1984
$1.50

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1

Mirage · May 1984 · on sale May 5, 1984

First appearance (cover): LeonardoFirst appearance (cover): RaphaelFirst appearance (cover): DonatelloOrigin: DonatelloDeath of Hamato Yoshi2 variants
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How to read this file
  • Every claim on this page traces to a public bibliographic record; the sources are listed at the bottom of the file.
  • A first-appearance badge means this is the earliest non-flashback appearance on record in this database.
  • Buy links are eBay affiliate links. They never change what the record says.

Identification plate

Series
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage, 1984 series)
Issue
#1
Publication date
May 1984
Key date
May 5, 1984
On-sale date
May 5, 1984
Indicia publisher
Mirage Publishing Inc.
Price
$1.50
Pages
44

Match the book in your hand against this plate before paying an edition-specific price.

Why this issue matters

From the editorial file Self-published by Eastman and Laird in May 1984 with a print run in the low thousands, funded by a tax refund and a loan. The most successful independent comic ever launched, and the definitive example of a small-press book becoming a global franchise.

First appearance (cover) of Leonardo - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Raphael - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Donatello - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Michelangelo - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance of Splinter - the earliest non-flashback appearance on record for this character.

First appearance (cover) of Shredder - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

First appearance (cover) of Oroku Saki - the earliest appearance on record is a cover, not an interior story.

Origin story on record for: Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Shredder.

Death on record for: Hamato Yoshi, Oroku Saki, Shredder.

The evidence

Claims here come from the story records for this issue, listed under Sources at the bottom of the file. Character hubs with full evidence tables are coming to this site.

Contents

SeqStoryTypePagesCreditsCharacters
0-cover2pencils: Kevin Eastman; inks: Kevin Eastman; colors: Kevin EastmanDonatello First, Leonardo First, Michelangelo First, Raphael First, Oroku Saki First, Shredder First
1-credits, title page1pencils: Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman; inks: Peter Laird, Kevin EastmanLeonardo First
2-comic story40script: Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman; pencils: Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman; inks: Peter Laird, Kevin Eastman; letters: Kevin EastmanDonatello First, Leonardo First, Michelangelo First, Raphael First, Splinter First, Hamato Yoshi Death, Oroku Saki First, Shredder First

Printings and variants

EditionHow to tell
Second PrintingSee the GCD record for identification notes.
Third PrintingSee the GCD record for identification notes.

Where to read it

CollectionYear
The Collected Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11990On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #[1]
ISBN 0-915419-09-2		1986On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 FCBD Edition #[nn]
ISBN 978-0-9801875-9-5		2009On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11988On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collected Book #12009On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #12012On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection #1
ISBN 978-1-61377-007-8		2011On eBay ›
Amazing Heroes #1071986On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection #1
ISBN 9781631409905		2017On eBay ›
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness Revised Edition #[nn]
ISBN 0-916211-14-2		1990On eBay ›

Reading the story costs a fraction of owning the issue. Both routes are on every file.

Before you buy

  • Multiple printings exist and look extremely similar. First printings are identified in the indicia; second and third printings are common and trade for a fraction. Verify before paying.
  • Canadian and Whitman editions exist for many bronze books; match the barcode area to the plate.
  • Look for Mark Jewelers inserts and date stamps - they affect collector preference, not authenticity.

Series context

1 of 72#1 [Fourth Printing] ›

Sources

Found an error in this file? corrections@comicrecord.com