1. How did you encounter TMNT for the first time?It was October 1989, I was 11 years old and hanging out with my brother, we went to a friend's house and the friend brought out a tin that had a Michaelangelo toy in it. It was the first time I've seen anything like that, so I played with the toy, the next week while watching TV my brother changed the channel on me from Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers to Ninja Turtles, at firsts I was upset. Though I became a fan fast, loving that first episode I saw which was "A Thing about Rats" after that I would race home for Turtles everyday.
2. Was it love at first sight?Yes, the first toy I saw still has that memory imprinted there that it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I had no clue the little toy was going to change my life as much as it has.
3. Could you directly identify yourself with the turtles?Yes, each of the Turtles hold a spot in my heart because of how much I identify to them. Most of all I find myself like Michaelangelo, someone who enjoys making others happy, pizza and just over all caring. His personality really sums up to me. Donatello is next, with loving gadgets and his favorite weapon... until I got into Karate myself I didn't realize I was going to love the bo staff as much as I do. The Leonardo personality shows through when I'm put in charge of events or when I was teaching Karate. He inspired me to be a good leader when I need to be, oh and my favorite color is blue. And Raphael... yes I can have an attitude.... as long as people stay off my bad side they never see it.. but if I really do get upset it's not pretty. There's many other ways I find myself identifying to each of the Turtles but to write that would be a novel.
4. Why did you start collecting this first comic volume?I heard about them a year after I became a fan, a friend of mine told me about them at a convention. When I got home from that trip the friend started to send me the comics in the mail. He was sending me the recent comics at the time which was in the 30's, as this was back in 1991. I really got more into the Archie Comics at the time, because the Mirage Comics were being done by different writers and artist... the stories didn't connect and that was not holding me. In 1992 I started to back collect on the comics because I was going to have a chance to meet Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird and I wanted to know more about the original Turtles.
5. Were you the target where the early TMNT comics focussed on?I was not the target for the early comics, I was a child at the time. The first comics were more adult comic books. Which is why I didn't even hear about them till the cartoon was out. I was not even a comic book fan, as I have a reading disability. I learned to read through Ninja Turtle comics and books.
6. Has the comic the same value for you after all these years?Everything in my collection of Ninja Turtles has value to me. Issue 3 is kept safe with the rest of my Volume 1 collection, it's been autographed by both Eastman and Laird. I would never be able to part with it or the rest of my collection.
7. How did you purchase the comic?I bought issue 3 from a local comic shop called "Time Travelers". The owner there would get his hands on the early comic and wave them in front of my mom and I, till we bought them from him. He was one of those guys who liked to charge book vaule, so I had to save up for all of the early comics. I got mine in 1992.
8. How much has the comic changed your live?Because of Ninja Turtles my life is a lot different than it would have been. I learned to defend myself, I learned to read, and I got tons of friends all around the world. This year I traveled cross country following the TMNT Tour bus from city to city meeting fans, seeing old friends and taking part in each of the Turtle events. In the past I've been back stage at the concert, on the set of the live action TV show, and have found myself in the press because of my collection. I am not sure if I would of gotten into anything else as deep as I've gotten in with the Turtles. Though I am very happy that they're in my life.
9. How much historical value do you think the comic still has?I think that the first volume of Turtles holds a great deal of historical history, a comic book created by two guys who were broke... just from the love of comics... they self published these books and within a few years their names were known all around the world. Their characters loved by millions. It was one of the biggest booms of entertainment history as they caused the black and white comic market crash, broke records in box office independent film sales, and their toys even topped the market in sales. They grew so fast that even in this short amount of time they're placed up there with Superman, The X-Men, and Batman. They'll never truly fade into the past as there will always be a fan of one media of Turtles or another.
10. How do you preserve your comic in your collection? I have my collection stored either on display or in plastic wraps in boxes. My collection rotates so that none of it is just left hidden away in a box. When the comics are on display they're on a table with their plastic wrap still around them. Of course these are the copies that are meant to be kept mint... I also have second copies of most of the comics for reading and sharing with people, that are kept in a desk easy to get to.
I hope this helps!
