Origin:

Eastman and Laird, using money from a tax refund, printed a limited edition of 3,000 copies of TMNT that was distributed at the comic convention at Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1984. This led to more comics as well as a video game, and then more comics. Laird bought out Eastman's share of the TMNT in 2000 and continues with his own company Migage Studios.

Synopsis:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie is the live-action, feature film adaptation of the cult comic book and the popular animated television show. After prolonged exposure to radiation, four teenage turtles--Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Donatello--have mutated into ninjas and have begun living in the sewers of a large city. Under the guidance of a ninja master Splinter the Rat and television reporter April, the Turtles embark on a mission to run crime out of the city and battle the warlord Shredder. The Turtles have been designed by Jim Henson Productions and effortlessly fit into the live-action surroundings.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Prequels, Sequels and Follow-ons:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) Director: Michael Pressman. Starring: Francois Chau, Ernie Reyes, Jr., Michelan Sisti, Leif Tilden, Kenn Troum, Paige Turco, David Warner

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) Director: Stuart Gillard. Starring: Elias Koteas, Sab Shimono, Paige Turco, Stuart Wilson, Vivian Wu