Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 Title pg 1 (TMNT) 1985

With all the art from issues 1 & 2 locked away, this is the earliest published Turtles page you’ll likely see. And in hand, it’s simply stunning; there are so many subtle details and shadows that were lost or washed out in the published image but can now be seen in all its glory.

This issue was created in the early years, before Turtlemania would take the world by storm in the late 80s. Back when it was just Eastman & Laird in the studio, doing everything themselves: writing, art, toning, layouts, and lettering. They used duo-tone art boards that they hand-cut so no two boards are exactly the same. And these boards really allowed them to layer the shadow effects as you can see. I’ve been so fortunate to land several amazing pieces through the years but this one is truly special.