ORIGINAL 1988 TMNT TOY RUN UNEARTHED: EASTMAN AND LAIRD’S FIRST STORE-BOUGHT ACTION FIGURES FOUND IN DEEP STORAGE
NORTHAMPTON, MA — Decades after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first conquered global toy aisles, a legendary piece of pop-culture history has reemerged from the vaults. The original, store-bought TMNT action figures purchased by co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird on the very day of their 1988 release have been discovered intact within deep-storage archival boxes.
The original 1988 action figures were discovered during an inventory to determine what from the joint collection should be sent to the Action Figure Authority (AFA) for condition grading and archiving in museum quality acrylic cases.
Long before promotional “comps” or corporate manufacturer packages from Playmates Toys could arrive at their studio door, Eastman and Laird took matters into their own hands. Eager to see their indie comic book creations transformed into three-dimensional plastic heroes, the creators headed to a local shopping mall to experience the launch as regular fans.
It was at a local KB Toys that the duo found the first wave of figures hanging from the pegs. While standing in the aisle to pull their own creations from the shelves, Eastman and Laird witnessed a now-ironic slice of retail reality. According to Eastman, “A mother rushed into the aisle, grabbed her son’s hand, and pulled him away from the display while firmly declaring, “I’m not buying you those stupid turtle toys!””
Undeterred by the mother’s review, the creators bought the figures right off the shelves. Rather than opening them, these specific day-one retail purchases were packed away into the massive archives of Mirage Studios, alongside early sketches and historical production artwork.
Over the years, the store-bought figures vanished into the depths of warehouse storage. Having spent nearly forty years untouched, these time capsules stand as a unique testament to the humble beginnings of a franchise that would go on to define a generation of toy history.
Many items from the collection will be available here at KevinEastmanStudios.com. Some of the proceeds will go to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.
Asked why release the highly collectible toys now, Laird said, “I want to let the world know that Kevin and I are still friends.”
