Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Comics License Renewed at IDW for 40th Anniversary
Paramount and IDW Publishing have renewed their deal for more TMNT comics.
IDW Publishing will shell-ebrate 40 years of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2024. The publisher announced Monday (via The Hollywood Reporter) that it has renewed its licensing deal with Paramount for future TMNT comics, including the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by writer Sophie Campbell and artist Gavin Smith, and multiple titles to mark the brand's 40th anniversary this year. Paramount's Nickelodeon acquired the franchise rights from co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Mirage Studios and 4Kids Entertainment in 2009 to bring the IP — and heroes in a half-shell Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo — under the Nick banner.
"We are delighted to continue our relationship with IDW Publishing for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and graphic novels," said Lourdes Arocho, SVP, licensing & publishing, consumer products, Paramount. "After 40 years, there are still so many more stories to be told, and we can't wait for everyone to see what's next."
IDW has published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics since 2011, collecting classic material by Eastman and Laird and launching the ongoing TMNT reboot. That book, already the Turtles' longest-running title, will publish its milestone 150th issue later this year.
"The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are iconic. They are part of the tapestry of comic book history and I'm honored to be publishing their continuing adventures during this milestone year," said IDW Co-Publisher Mark Doyle. "Our editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich and the editorial team have put together an incredible publishing plan that will thrill long-time fans, excite new readers and show why the Turtles stand shoulder to shoulder with the biggest heroes in comic shops all over the world. It's a great time to be a fan of TMNT!"
The renewed deal will see the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin II – Re-Evolution, the sequel to the "final" TMNT story set in an alternate future about the last-surviving Turtle. Now on the road to 150, IDW's upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 will conclude Campbell's 49-issue run on the title.