IDW Publishing Hires New Editor-in-Chief, TMNT Editor

IDW Publishing has announced the hiring of a new Editor-in-Chief and a Senior Editor of its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles line of comics. Bobby Curnow is returning to IDW as Editor-in-Chief, after leaving the publisher in 2022 to take on the Editor-in-Chief position at Magma Comix. Curnow was at IDW for 12 years (2010-2022), where he worked his way up from an intern to Group Editor. Titles under Curnow’s purview included Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its spinoff titles such as The Last Ronin, Godzilla, My Little Pony, and more.

Andy Khouri is joining IDW as TMNT Senior Editor. He was previously an editor at DC for five years (2015-2020), where he edited DC Universe and DC Vertigo titles that won Eisners, Hugo Awards, and New York Times bestsellers such as Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Far Sector, Omega Men: The End Is Here, Batman ‘89, Harleen, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, and more. Khouri co-founded DC’s Black Label and was also influential on DC’s Young Animal imprint with Gerard Way and DC’s Wonder Comics with Brian Michael Bendis.

“Ancient wisdom informs us that ‘you can’t go home again,’ but I have recently uncovered newer, better, ancient wisdom that says ‘actually, wait… yes, you can’,” joked Curnow. “As such, I’m extremely excited to return to IDW Publishing as Editor-in-Chief. IDW is where I learned the art of making comics and the joy of helping creators realize their visions. Today, the company is full of some of the most dynamic and creative people in the industry, placing us in a position to produce top-notch licensed and creator-owned comics. It’s my ardent belief that making comics should be fun and when that happens the fun translates directly to the reader. I look forward to helping our fantastic team make the best comics possible all while having a great time doing so.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better boss than Bobby Curnow,” added Khouri. “Extremely few comics editors have done what Bobby and his collaborators did, which is execute more than a decade of continuous storytelling across a myriad of titles, all under one unified vision. It’s an accomplishment practically unheard of in this century of American comics, and to have done it while maintaining such a consistently high level of quality? Simply awesome. I’m grateful to have Bobby to guide me in this new role.”

IDW’s new TMNT editor reveals his love of the franchise

“I’m from the original generation of Turtles fans. Forty years ago, I was among those first kids to read the comics, those first kids to watch the cartoon, those first kids to play with the toys, and those first kids to see the Turtles in live action,” remarked the new Senior Editor of the TMNT line. “ I’ve read every single issue of the marvelous IDW canon, up to and including the excellent new work by Jason Aaron and his collaborators that has seen the TMNT soar to new heights in the market. This is the most exciting moment in Turtles comics since their debut, so I’m thrilled to step into the role of senior editor and contribute to the next 40 years of TMNT storytelling.”

“I’ve followed Andy’s path in comics for about a decade now. I’ve always known him to be extremely intelligent, creative and a clear communicator, all vital qualities for a good editor,” stated Curnow. “When I found out that he was also a huge TMNT fan who’d read the entire IDW TMNT line, suddenly all became very clear: we had found the person to lead our Turtles on their perilous path forward. I can’t wait to work with Andy to bring fans years of more thrilling storylines.”

“I am excited for Andy and Bobby to be joining IDW,” said Davidi Jonas, CEO & Publisher. “Already in his first weeks at IDW, Andy has demonstrated a dynamic ability to think big and also be attentive to detail. Andy has a calm and friendly nature that invites creativity and partnership,” commented Jonas. “Bobby has everything I could wish for in a partner. First and foremost, he is a person of integrity. He also has superb communication and organizational skills. Plus, he has comprehensive knowledge of our core licenses and extensive experience with original stories. Bobby also knows what it takes to manage efficiently in a collaborative spirit.”