Originally Posted by
Angilasman
Eastman and Laird worked on the initial issues of TMNT, but after a few years (and when movies and cartoons and other business stuff occupied their time) they stopped being the regular creators of the comic book and only came back sporadically, doing the big, important storylines. When they weren't doing that, a rotating series of guest artists and writers delivered one-shot stories and the occasional short arc. Some of these are in continuity, some are not, and some are really wildly different reinterpretations of the TMNT.
It's all very confusing.
The Ultimate Collection hardcovers collect only the Eastman and Laird issues. This is pretty much the essential stuff. The other classic material is being collected in a series of tbs.