Editing Troma Entertainment (section)

==History==
In the mid-1970s, Kaufman and Herz began producing, directing, and distributing raunchy sex comedies such as ''[[The First Turn-On!]]'' and ''[[Squeeze Play!]]''. Troma provided production support for [[Louis Malle]]'s ''[[My Dinner with Andre]]'', for which Kaufman served as a production manager.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8IIwGgReVGIC&q=lloyd+kaufman+my+dinner+with+andre&pg=PA196 |title=Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director|first1= Lloyd|last1= Kaufman|first2= Adam|last2= Jahnke |first3= Trent|last3= Haaga |publisher=L.A. Weekly Books |page=196 |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-312-28864-8 |access-date=2012-09-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RHZyAQDhfsMC&q=lloyd+kaufman+my+dinner+with+andre&pg=PA118 |title=Fifty Filmmakers: Conversations With Directors from Roger Avary to Steven Zaillian| first= Andrew J.|last= Rausch |editor-first= Michael |editor-last= Dequina |publisher= McFarland |page=118|year= 2008 |isbn= 978-0-7864-3149-6 |access-date=2012-09-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=-eDfuEXUHp8C&q=lloyd+kaufman+my+dinner+with+andre&pg=PA70 |title= Kings of the B's| journal= [[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]| volume= 3| number= 6|page=70|date=September 1987 |access-date=2012-09-03}}</ref>

In 1984, Troma had a hit with the violent [[comedy horror]] [[superhero film]] ''[[The Toxic Avenger (1984 film)|The Toxic Avenger]]''. The film went on to become Troma's most popular, spawning sequels and an animated television program. However, following the financial demise of the company Troma itself, the sequels to the film were [[box office bombs]], and the cartoon adaptation quickly ended. The Toxic Avenger character is now Troma's official [[mascot]].

Kaufman's follow-up film to ''The Toxic Avenger'' was ''[[Class of Nuke 'Em High]]'', co-directed with Richard W. Haines. The film was a hit nearly as successful, though it inspired two unsuccessful sequels, both following the financial demise of Troma. At one time, it was the highest-selling VHS release for Troma.

''The Toxic Avenger'' was turned into a musical which debuted at the [[George Street Playhouse]] in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], and opened in New York in the fall of 2008. ''The Toxic Avenger Musical'' book by Joe DiPietro, the author of the long-running ''I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change'' and ''All Shook Up'', was released the same year. The music is by [[David Bryan]], keyboardist of the rock band [[Bon Jovi]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/theatre/article/734739--toxic-avenger-found-his-bard-in-bon-jovi | title=Toxic Avenger found his bard in Bon Jovi | first=Richard | last=Ouzounian | author-link=Richard Ouzounian | newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] | date=2009-12-06 | access-date=2010-10-28 }}</ref>

Soon after ''Class of Nuke 'Em High'' was completed and distributed, Kaufman directed ''[[Troma's War]]''. Intended as a criticism of what it saw as [[Ronald Reagan]]'s attempt to glamorize war, the story concerns a group of everyday people who crash land on a remote island, only to find it populated by an isolationist militia that intends to overthrow the US government. ''Troma's War'' was a box office bomb. In the aftermath of the film's poor performance, despite another stab at the superhero genre with ''[[Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.]]'', Troma experienced financial hardship and tried to reestablish itself as a smaller company mostly out of necessity.