Here’s the latest profile! I’m still looking for more fans to profile so please contact me (click my name in the “Contact Us” section) to see yourself profiled. Thanks!
Rich (rich@tmnt-ninjaturtles.com)
1) Please tell us a little about your self.
I’m really just a “normal” guy. I live in the great state of Colorado and am a Colorado native. I work in the Technical Publications field for a mid/large-sized company. In addition to the TMNT, my interests include watching sports of all kinds (especially soccer, football, and hockey), mountain biking, playing golf and softball, computers and tech stuff, and spending time with my beautiful family. I like intelligent, witty, and sharp (sometimes dry) material that makes me laugh and/or ponder (e.g., shows like Arrested Development, Seinfeld, and Breaking Bad; movies by the Coen Brothers). I’ve been known to get into trouble on occasion with my sense of humor. This mostly occurs when I mistakenly determine a situation to be one that is ideal for the interjection of humor when, in actuality, it is not.
2) How long have you been collecting TMNT and what prompted you to start?
It has been about 23 years since I started my TMNT collection. I bought my first TMNT comic book sometime around 1986 but the actual conscious decision to collect the TMNT was something that didn’t come until a few years later. At the time I purchased my first comic the TMNT were gaining in popularity within the comic book community but they were still fairly obscure elsewhere. I wasn’t even really that big into comic books at that time. I just liked to browse the comic book store when I was at the mall. I can remember seeing TMNT #1-4 (Vol. I) displaying on the wall at that shop and how unique they were in size, color, and cover art (not to mention that weird title). After a few weeks of admiring them I just had to check them out in greater detail. I was surprised to find out that the #1 was a 3rd printing and the #2 was a 2nd printing considering the price they were asking for them. I was fairly young at the time and, even had I actually intended to buy them, the prices they were asking definitely put them well out of my reach. A few weeks later those oversized books had disappeared from the wall and in their place was a 4th printing of #1, an autographed 3rd printing of #2, and all the TMNT one-shots. Eventually what prompted me to acquire my first issue was this curiosity I had about what a “Ninja Turtle” even was (or did). Unfortunately, I don’t remember what TMNT issue was my very first but it could very likely be issue #7 given that I have a few copies of this issue but one in particular shows a significant amount of wear. Issue #7 would have been brand new around the time of my first purchase and I wouldn’t have needed to settle for a second-hand copy in that condition. Although I’m not a TMNT “elitist” I definitely wouldn’t purchase a #7 in this condition today and so it was likely one of the first ones (if not the first) I bought and read and then carelessly left lying around my room. I do remember, however, that it only took that one issue (whichever number it was) for me to determine that the TMNT were really cool (and violent!). So, I began purchasing the new issues as they came out and then gathered all the back issues I could find. I also saved up so I could buy that autographed copy of the 3rd printing of #2 (which was one of my first 5 TMNT comics). As the rest of the mainstream populace was becoming familiar with what a Ninja Turtle was (and did), I was already well underway with my new lifelong pursuit.
As an aside, although that mall and comic shop are long gone I can still see that shop in my mind today just as vividly as when I was actually standing in the doorway gazing at that display wall. I’m sure that’s not solely due to those first TMNT issues but I’m betting they have a lot to do with it.
3) What specifically do you collect (toys, comics, etc.) and how large is your collection?
I am primarily a collector of the comic books that contain TMNT appearances. I’ve always had a special passion for the comic books and so I focus most of my collecting efforts (and dollars) there. My goal is to acquire at least one copy of every comic book that contains a TMNT appearance. This is no easy task but it is definitely a labor of love. My collection also contains a large assortment of unopened TMNT action figures (many from the original 1980’s Playmates line) and miscellaneous other TMNT collectibles (some very rare) that I’ve found over the years.
As to the size of my TMNT collection, the best word I can think of to describe it would be “extensive.” The comic books alone total somewhere near 1,000 copies. I am currently in the process of building a website to display my entire collection (http://www.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com) and I’m hoping for a launch this summer. In the meantime, you can find a bit more information about me as well as some interesting previews of my collection at my blog (http://blog.tmnt-ninjaturtles.com/).
4) What is your favorite piece in your collection and why?
Wow. That’s a good question. I’m not sure I have one single piece that is my favorite. However, in the interest of providing a better answer than that, I do have two pieces that always come to mind when I think of “favorite.” These pieces would have to be the ultra-rare and elusive Gobbledygook #1 and #2. Of course, the main answer to “why” these are my favorite is already known to you fellow TMNT collectors: rarity. However, there are additional reasons why I might consider these to be my favorites.
One of those reasons is that the story behind my acquisition of these is quite interesting. While I’ll save the actual story for the debut of my website I will tell you that it is quite unique. That acquisition story actually concludes with an even greater reason these could be considered my favorite pieces but, in the interest of providing a great “teaser,” that’s all I’m going to say for now.
5) How do you store/display your collection at home?
I store the entire collection (with one exception) in a climate-controlled and ultra-secret location. Really. It would be great to have everything out and available for public viewing but, due to the sheer size of my collection, I would need a small museum to do that. In fact, that’s the reason I’m in the process of building the website. I want to ensure that my collection retains its integrity while still providing TMNT fans all over the world the opportunity to enjoy it.
The one exception to this is a framed NY Comic Con print signed by Michael Dooney that I have hanging in my office. I rarely buy prints or original art for a number of reasons but I thought it was a really cool print that depicted the TMNT (and Splinter) in a very distinctive way. It also marked the TMNT 25th Anniversary without actually noting it as such. Cool print Mike!
As for “how” I store my collection, it is really quite an intricate process and a ton of work. I can’t reveal too many details of my archive process since it was developed to set my collection apart from other collections. I can, however, provide a basic overview of the process.
For comics, every issue gets sealed in its own bag with a backing board, the cover is scanned, and the image is saved to my database. For action figures (and all other non-comic collectibles), each one gets photographed and the image is also saved to my database. After that, everything is sent to the aforementioned ultra-secret location. I take great precautions to safeguard every single item because, regardless of its rarity or value on the open market, if any one of them is damaged or misplaced, my collection would be incomplete.
6) What are your top five most wanted TMNT collectibles?
I’m sure most of this list will come as no surprise to anyone and that these would also appear at the top of most TMNT wish lists. However, if you are in possession of any of these I’d love to hear from you (even if you aren’t interested in selling them). Here goes.
- Turtlemania Silver & Gold – I’ve never even seen a Gold copy but I did just recently see my first ever Silver. In fact, there’s a story behind that Silver copy but since it doesn’t end with me owning one it’s not that fun to tell. L
- Any and all Counterfeit TMNT comics (specifically TMNT Vol. I #1 and #2 counterfeits) – It’s funny how everyone (even the Mirage Studios site) warns you about how many counterfeits there are of #1 but damned if I can ever find one.
- The original TMNT Iron-Ons (advertised in the oversized re-printings of TMNT Vol. I #1) – ‘nuf said
- Challenges Hardcover Edition (by Michael Dooney) – For whatever reason this baby has eluded me for years.
- Creed/TMNT Crossover (Hybrid Edition and Signed & Numbered Edition w/ COA) – The Creed/TMNT issue has to win the title of “TMNT comic with the most cover variants”
