I have exhibited dauntless courage in the face of adversity, a tireless commitment to social justice and sent in a check or money order for five dollars. Yes, I am a proud card carrying charter member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtle Force!
While cleaning up/sorting my comic collection over the last few weeks, I was able to find my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Fan Club packet! Not only did you get those sweet membership cards, but you also got a large "Mutant Power" sticker and a note from P.J. Van Egeren! I don't know who he was, but on the note it says "President". I assume of the Fan Club?
According to the letter, my fan club kit was supposed to provide "hours of fun and moral guidance"! I'm not 100% sure it did that, but it did come with this sweet "Chaos Chronicle" newsletter. The newsletter included some great articles including an introductory letter, a section where the turtles themselves answered our letters and a nice shot of the new Turtle products that had recently come out including everything from calendars to Banquet Meat Pies!
But that's not all! The Chaos Chronicles also had a "Pizza Point" catalogue, fun and games and a Sneak Preview behind the set of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie!
The coolest thing, in my opinion, that was included in the Fan Club Kit has to be the exclusive "Street Collector's Edition #1" mini-comic! I love that the art style is in the gritty Mirage fashion and not the cartoony way. The Turtles on the cover even have all their bandanas in red! This is one of the rare TMNT comics that I am glad I have in my collection.
To top it all off you also received this AWESOME Ninja Turtles print bandana! Mine is still in pristine condition and has never been worn. I am waiting for my opportunity to don this fashion icon. Waiting for a time when I must do battle with the forces of evil wherever I may find them!
Everything was only $5 back in 1988. That was an amazing value back then! I wish more properties would have fan club's like this today. The new TMNT Fan Club has been reduced to e-mails every now and then from Nickelodeon. Kids today (puts on old man hat and hikes up pants) will never know the joy of receiving their official kits in the mail and that makes me sad.
