A couple of retarded replies:
Unrelated, but it's so frustrating that many people think Mirage was extremely grounded and gritty when in reality it was very out there with sci-fi and magic.
Nobody ever says it was "grounded."
And the sci-fi and "magic" portions were "gritty" as well. When the turtles were fighting with the Triceratons, was that not gritty? Give me a fucking break.
"Gritty" is a term that applies to the content AND style/art, as much as I think the term "gritty" is overused.
Exactly. The comic was a parody. It was ironic. It was supposed to be a one and done issue, but it became a massive sucess.
That's why when someone tells you, "Ewwww! TMNT is stupid!" You say, "Yes it is. It was MADE to be."
No, it wasn't a "one and done." Here's what Eastman said in April 1984, before issue #1 was even published:
"If there’s enough response, we’ll continue and we’ve already worked up some new ideas for two other books."
And while it was a "parody" of sorts, it wasn't a derivative work like a true parody. It was more of an amalgamation of various comic book trends at the time. Sure, "parody" can be used describe it, but that word needs to be contextualized when you just throw it around like that.
Here is what Laird said in May 1984:
"It’s a blend of seriousness and humor. Tongue in cheek, I guess. The humor is secondary. We art trying to tell an interesting story first."