There are comic book series almost every comic fan knows, there are comic book characters that most everyone knows, there are specific comic books most every comic reader knows, and then there are the more obscure issues that slip through the cracks. What makes obscure comics so interesting and vital is discovering those books that most don't know were ever printed, or that top tier creators worked on "that book" or on "that character." Obscure Comics are fun to find and interesting to know about, but that border between great reads and terrible comics.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Had A Fan Club
During the late eighties, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were everywhere. A popular news story during Christmas 1989 was how parents were fighting each other to get TMNT toys for their kids. Out of that popularity came more and more merchandising. Toys were the things most people saw, but in addition to that, there was the cereal, the cartoon series, the musical tour, and as many other popular series got a fan club. Started in 1987, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Club was created by AJM Marketing Enterprises Inc and originally advertised in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles actions figures. If you sent in the order form and $15.00, you got the following:
The bandanna came in several colors, each a different color for each turtle: red, orange, blue, or purple. Along with one bandanna, the kit contained a welcoming letter, a sticker, and membership cards.
TMNT Club Letter & Sticker
TMNT Club Membership Cards
The club lasted from the end of 1987 until 1992, with the club still being advertised during the 1990's TMNT "The Coming Out of Their Shells Tour."
The Coming Out Of Their Shells Tour Pizza Hut Book Cover
The Coming Out Of Their Shells Tour Pizza Hut Book Page 6
In addition to all the other cool items, the TMNT Fan Club Membership Kit also came with an 8-page black and white comic book.
Obscure Comics: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Street Collector's Edition #1
Back Cover
Front Cover
This short six-page comic shows a slow Monday with the ninja brothers until the Purple Dragon's demolition crew starts to ruin April O'Neil's apartment building.
Page 01
Page 02
Page 03
However, the Ninja Turtles come to the rescue knocking the Purple Dragons out and slicing the wrecking ball loose, destroying the machine. April thanks the Turtles explaining her apartment is now trashed, and as the rain begins to fall, April follows the brothers to the sewers to crash for a bit.
Page 04
Page 05
Page 06
The comic has no clear artist or writer, though around this time, Mirage Studios were cranking out lots of artwork, and there is a chance Kevin Eastman worked on this book, though none of the studio mates have claimed this book as their own work. The comic is also a continuity anomaly. It clearly lists April O'Neil as a reporter like the animated series but uses the Purple Dragon gang from the original Mirage comics and is done in the original series art style, making it a comic clearly trying to appeal to both audiences.
This Comic is Worth Way More Than $15 Now
Rarity is an interesting thing, and for comics, this almost always leads to a great increase in value. Mail-In offers tend to always create a rarity, as previously stated, and comics in the ashcan size are often rarer because of the limited print run. In particular, though this comic's rarity is probably due to many fans not joining the fan club and the thousands of kids who did, did not keep their comics, let alone in good condition. Nostalgia for the 1990s and the Turtles drives up value quickly, and lack of good quality copies drives the value up even more. For this comic, it means that copies costing around $15 disappeared years ago, and the cheapest copies that can be found are at least $50, with most copies costing $100 or more for ungraded copies and costs jumping up far higher for graded copies.
There are three characters Jason Aaron seems to love writing at Marvel. Wolverine was in his first published story, and he's written a lot of Wolverine Prepare to get another Ghost Rider, as Jason Aaron introduces Ghost Ronin in Avengers #58 in July.
Comic anthologies have an interesting history in the United States, as they are often the most common way throughout the world that new comic material is Comics For Ukraine after one week shows off new Bill Sienkiewicz cover, Howard Chaykin page, & adds Doran, Jusko, & Hildebrandt
About 
