Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection, 1981-1998
Collection context
- Creator:
- Wiater, Stan
- Extent:
- 4.5 Linear Feet 1 manuscript box (box 1), 3 record storage cartons (boxes 2-4), one oversize flat box (box 5)
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection belonged to an award-winning horror writer who worked for Mirage Studios (the TMNT studio) in the early 1990s, writing the TMNT newspaper strip. There is original art for never-reprinted newspaper strips (1993) complete with thumbnails, comic book manuscripts with editorial notation, story idea notebooks, minicomics produced by Mirage Studios, and manuscript materials for a host of secondary TMNT materials, including The Official TMNT Treasury. Many of the secondary materials are autographed by TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Wiater's work with the TMNT came at a time when the characters were just beginning to ride the wave of popularity from the animated series (the original comic books, created by Eastman and Laird, were darker, more mature, and parodied a host of contemporaneous comics, including THE NEW MUTANTS, CEREBUS, and RONIN). The collection reflects the beginning of Mirage's capitalization on the characters' enormous popularity, while still trying to maintain some of the original grittiness, but also the beginnings of the TMNT industry that would build up around them. Neither Eastman nor Laird have an archived collection, so this collection represents the only glimpse into the workings behind a global phenomenon, as well as the other materials that the publishers were producing.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Material is unprocessed but can be made available without further review. kws 2022-10-18
This collection is located on site.
- Terms of access:
-
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
- Preferred citation:
-
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Collection; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
- Contact:
- rbml@library.columbia.edu