Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #16
TMNT Vol. 1 #16 — titled 'A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Story' — holds a unique place in the Mirage run as the earliest issue of the main series to be formally declared non-canon by co-creator Peter Laird, making it a clear editorial boundary marker in the series' history. It is widely regarded as the first true 'guest issue' of the main title: the first story in the core TMNT Vol. 1 run written and drawn entirely outside the Mirage Studios creative staff, opening the door to the extended Guest Era that would define the book's middle years. The issue also introduced the character of Dale, a time-traveling girl whose dimension was later acknowledged in the 2009 crossover film Turtles Forever as part of the Turtle Multiverse, giving this offbeat standalone story a small but permanent footnote in the broader TMNT franchise mythology. Its release sequence — published before the in-story-chronological issue #15 due to scheduling difficulties — further illustrates the famously loose production rhythms of the early Mirage operation.
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The issue was written and illustrated by guest cartoonist Mark Martin, known outside TMNT circles as the creator of Gnatrat and contributor to titles such as Magic Whistle and Ralph Snart Adventures. It was published in July 1988, though a production error caused the indicia to incorrectly list the date as September 1988; the cover date of July is considered correct. Due to scheduling problems at Mirage, issue #16 actually shipped to stores before issue #15, a sequencing anomaly consistent with what Peter Laird himself described as the studio's habitually late publishing schedule. The inside front cover of the first printing featured a photo comic strip starring Martin himself, a self-promotional flourish that underscored the issue's character as a personal creative showcase grafted onto the TMNT universe.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Titled 'A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Story,' this is issue #16 of Eastman and Laird's TMNT Volume 1, published by Mirage Studios in July 1988.
- Written and drawn entirely by guest creator Mark Martin (creator of Gnatrat), making it the first issue of the main TMNT series produced without creative input from Mirage Studios staff.
- Peter Laird has formally declared this issue non-canon, making it the earliest issue of the main Volume 1 series to receive that designation.
- The story introduces Dale, a time-traveling girl who arrives in a box-shaped time machine to thank the Turtles for help they have not yet given her — a time-loop premise that Martin would continue across two sequels (TMNT #22 and #23), collectively known as 'The Time and Time Again' trilogy or the 'Mark Martin TMNT Trilogy.'
- Due to Mirage's scheduling difficulties, issue #16 was released before issue #15 despite having a lower issue number; the cover correctly reads July 1988, but the indicia erroneously states September 1988.
- The Turtles appear in a rooftop pose that partially echoes the cover of TMNT #1, with Leonardo notably occupying Donatello's position — a visual continuity quirk noted by fans and the Turtlepedia wiki.
- The issue was later reprinted in The Collected Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 5 (November 1990) and in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics Vol. 2 (August 2012, IDW Publishing), the latter presenting a colorized version.
- A panel from this issue's cover appears in the 2009 animated film Turtles Forever when the Utrom Shredder displays the TMNT multiverse, canonizing Dale's dimension within the broader franchise mythology.
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Reprints
Reprinted in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Classics #2 (2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #3 (2020), The Collected Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5
Key issues in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
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