“Final First Edition” tells the story of lifelong Turtles fanatic Rich Horn in his Colorado home. Photo by True Life Media

Even if comic books (or cartoons, superheroes, toys, or tie-in pudding pies) aren’t your thing, you’ve heard of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Created by Mainer Kevin Eastman and New Hampshire’s Peter Laird in the mid-’80s as a scrappy, black-and-white newsprint comic about four teenage martial arts masters who happen to be anthropomorphic turtles, the comic became a worldwide phenomenon, spawning major movies, video games, and more merch than you can shake a nunchaku at.

But in “First Final Edition,” a new short film from Portland-based filmmakers Wes Sterrs (director), Christoph Gelfand (producer) and Jeff Griecci (cinematographer), the Turtles return home to Maine.

Following the lonely quest of lifelong Turtles fanatic Rich Horn from his Colorado home (with its meticulously curated basement collection of every TMNT comic ever produced) to the busy newsrooms of two separate Maine newspapers, “Final First Edition” is a brisk, stylish, cheeky-but-reverent portrait of fandom as organizing life principle.

As Horn, with the Maine filmmakers of Portland’s True Life Media in tow, embarks on a quest to reprint the very first, Maine-printed issue of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” in the land of its birth, the film examines the lengths enthusiasts will travel to slot that one elusive final piece into their precious collections.

‘Everyone has a collection of something’

“I have a robust collection of T-shirts,” says Wes Sterrs. “Jeff has records, Chris, puppets. There’s always this question: Is that passion ever satisfied?”

For the filmmakers, Horn’s plan to reproduce, warts and all, that long-ago “TMNT” No. 1 from the delicate photo negatives right here in Maine was irresistible, especially for cinematographer Griecci, the filmmaking team’s own Turtles expert.

Jeff Griecci, left, and Wes Sterrs shooting “Final First Edition.” Photo by True Life Media

“I grew up with the cartoons, the action figures,” says Griecci (“Nice People”), and while I knew the comic was New England-based, I had no idea the original run was printed right down the street from where I am now. When Chris approached me to work on the film, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m not doing this.’”

Griecci notes of the deep connections between the Turtles and his home state, “It’s mind-blowing learning that something from your childhood that’s so familiar is so close to you.”

Sock! Whip! Zoom!

“Final First Edition” is at heart a simple tale of one middle-aged fan’s journey to reprint an old comic book. It moves along with the verve and style of a thriller — or a superhero comic.

“For me, the launchpad was seeing how we can visually complement Rich’s work,” Sterrs says. Citing the filmmakers’ love of gritty 1970s filmmaking as well as the comic source material, “Final First Edition” is packed with Robert Altman-esque zooms, zip pans, and the fast-paced energy of a period thriller.

“1970s cinema has such a gritty vibe to it,” Griecci says. “Rewatching ‘All the President’s Men’ and having the Press Herald (where Horn carefully scanned the precious negatives before they were printed on The Ellsworth’s American’s old-school printing presses) be so intertwined made that sort of cinematic language just make sense.”

Adds Sterrs, “We wanted to mimic the comic’s style. So we used the cinematic language to heighten the comparison to the comic panels’ imagery.”

One of the striking aspects of Horn’s unique quest was his insistence that readers of his exquisitely reproduced issue No. 1 would see all the original imperfections alongside the artistry. The film lays out how the rough-and-ready, low-budget printing of that first issue included missing lines and minuscule printing mistakes that only a true obsessive would notice.

The comic in its final form. Photo by True Life Media

“The best part about nonfiction is working with people who are passionate about what they do,” says Sterrs, adding, “It’s not unkind to call what Rich is doing obsession.” For Turtles aficionado Griecci, the simple act of handling Horn’s lovingly conjured replica of one of those rare and long-scattered first printings was a thrill.

“I get excited by every 4k Blu-ray release that cleans up original movie prints and presents the ideal viewing experience. What Rich is doing is basically the opposite of that. He’s creating an opportunity for fans to see a tactile piece of history, to feel the ink on their hands. It’s like a time machine.”

You can watch “Final First Edition” on YouTube and the True Life Media website.