Kaufman's follow-up film to The Toxic Avenger was Class of Nuke 'Em High, co-directed with Richard W. The Toxic Avenger character is now Troma's official mascot.
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 film went on to become Troma's most popular, spawning sequels and an animated television program. In 1985, Troma had a hit with the violent comedy horror superhero film The Toxic Avenger. Troma provided production support for Louis Malle's My Dinner With Andre, for which Kaufman served as a production manager. In the mid-1970s, Kaufman and Herz began producing, directing, and distributing raunchy sex comedies such as The First Turn-On! and Squeeze Play!. Their latest productions, Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 and its sequel Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High AKA Volume 2, were released in 20, respectively. Another Academy Award-winning director, Oliver Stone, made his debut as an actor in The Battle of Love's Return. Jackson ( Def by Temptation), Marisa Tomei ( The Toxic Avenger), Michael Jai White ( The Toxic Avenger Part II), Vincent D'Onofrio ( The First Turn-On!), David Boreanaz ( Macabre Pair of Shorts), Paul Sorvino ( Cry Uncle!), James Gunn ( Tromeo and Juliet), Trey Parker and Matt Stone ( Cannibal! The Musical), before they were discovered. Troma produced or acquired early films featuring several rising talents, such as Carmen Electra ( The Chosen One), Billy Bob Thornton ( Chopper Chicks in Zombietown), Vanna White ( Graduation Day), Kevin Costner ( Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.), J. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D., which is used in place of any other car that needs to crash and explode.
Examples include a severed leg, a penis monster, and the flipping and exploding car filmed for the movie Sgt. At a certain point, however, this became another hallmark of Troma. Troma reuses the same props, actors, and scenes repeatedly, sometimes to save money.
They typically contain overt sexuality, nudity, and intentionally sadistic, gory, and blatant graphic violence, so much that Troma film has become a term synonymous with these characteristics.
Troma films are B-movies known for their surrealistic or automatistic nature, along with their use of shocking imagery some would categorize them as "shock exploitation films".