TMNT #25 from IDW.  ”City Fall, Part 4.”  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 21, 2013.

1. Cover A (Mateus Santolouco) - regular cover
2. Cover B (Kevin Eastman) - regular cover
3. Cover RI A (Mark Buckingham) - 10 copy Retailer Incentive cover
4. Cover RI B (Kevin Eastman) - 25 copy Retailer Incentive cover; “Prototype” variant cover

Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (w) • Mateus Santolouco, Eastman (a) • Santolouco, Eastman (c)

“CITY FALL” part 4: City Fall continues as Shredder reveals his new second-in-command: Leonardo! While the underworld readies their armies, the Turtles must come together if they have any hope of saving their brother. Don’t miss this landmark 25th issue that sees the launch of a full-scale war on New York City! The Savate, Foot Clan, and Slash are all back — along with a couple of shocking special guests!

*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:

variant Mark Buckingham cover!

Kevin Eastman prototype variant cover!

Layouts from co-creator Kevin Eastman!

The action heats up as the Foot attack!

TMNT Villain Micro Series #5 Karai from IDW.  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 28, 2013.

1. Regular (Tyler Walpole) - regular cover
2. Cover RI (Cory Smith) – 10 copy Retailer Incentive cover

Erik Burnham (w) • Cory Smith (a) • Tyler Walpole (c)

Karai, a deadly assassin, is the embodiment of the Foot Clan. But it was not always that way! Explore the shadowy history of this complicated character and see exactly how far her ambition takes her! Secrets from the past and present revealed!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:

Cory Smith variant cover!

Ties directly into mega-event “City Fall”!

Fan-favorite team of TMNT Micro-Series #5: Splinter returns!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 100-Penny Press from IDW.  A low-cost ($1) reprinting of TMNT #1 from IDW.  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 14, 2013.

1. Regular (Dan Duncan) - regular cover

Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz (w) • Dan Duncan (a & c)

Witness the return of the original heroes in a half-shell to comics, for only one dollar! Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael bring their ninja aptitude and teenage attitude to IDW Publishing in this ongoing, action-packed series. Featuring a cast of familiar characters—Master Splinter, April O’Neill, Casey Jones, and more—and true to the spirit of the original comics created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES are bigger and badder than ever, and here’s where it all began!

FC • 32 pages • $1.00

TMNT Classics, Vol. 6 TPB from IDW.  Collects TMNT Vol. I (Mirage) issues #41-44.  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 14, 2013.

1. Regular (Michael Dooney) - regular cover

Rick McCollum, Bill Anderson, Paul Jenkins & Rick Arthur (w) • McCollum, Anderson, Arthur & A.C. Farley (a) • Michael Dooney (c)

TMNT Classics Continues! Volume 6 collects issues #42–44, which includes “Turtle Dreams,” “Juliet’s Revenge,” and “Halls of Lost Legends.”

TPB • FC • $19.99 • 132 pages • ISBN 978-1-61377-712-1

• All in beautiful new color!

TMNT Animated, Vol. 2: New Friend, Old Enemy TPB from IDW.  Adapts and collects “Never Say Xever” and “The Gauntlet” episodes of the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon series.  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 07, 2013.

1. Regular (various) - regular cover

Various (w & a & c)

Read along and re-live the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon action with Leo, Donnie, Mikey, Raph, April, and Shredder in these young reader volumes, bringing this top-rated cartoon straight from the screen to the comic page! Adapts the television episodes “Never Say Never” and “The Gauntlet.”

TPB • FC • $7.99 • 112 pages • 5″ x 7″ • ISBN 978-1-61377-753-4

• Great For Kids!

TMNT New Animated Adventures #2 from IDW.  Original IDW solicitation details below.  Available August 14, 2013.

1. Cover Regular (Dario Brizuela) - regular cover
2. Cover RI (Ben Bates) - 25 copy retailer incentive cover

Kenny Byerly (w) • Dario Brizuela (a & c)

The plant-astic villain SNAKEWEED returns! With the entire city in jeopardy, the Turtles will have to split up and race against the clock! Only some quick thinking from our favorite brothers will save the day this time!

FC • 32 pages • $3.99

*Variant Covers:

variant Ben Bates cover!

More animated-style awesomeness than you can handle!

Hey everyone.  Although TMNT #22 hasn’t even been released yet, demand has been so overwhelming that a re-print has already been announced.  The 2nd printing of #22 will be out some time in June, limited to 2,000 copies.  Check out the cover below by Kevin Eastman.

Don’t forget, TMNT #22 1st printing will be released on May 29, 2013…the beginning of “City Fall.”

TMNT #22 – 2nd printing

Hey everyone,

I recently did an interview for teenagemutantninjaturtles.com.  They just posted the interview so check it out when you have a few minutes.  Take some time to peruse the site as well…lots of cool stuff there.

Interview with Rich from TMNT…a collection 

I’ve been going to Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) at local comic shops every year since it began about 10 years ago.  After my weekend at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, NH for FCBD 2013, I can now confirm that…

NO ONE DOES FREE COMIC BOOK DAY LIKE JETPACK COMICS DOES FREE COMIC BOOK DAY !!!

Ralph & Kevin

Ralph and his entire crew at Jetpack Comics are the best in the world at what they do…and what they do is quite amazing.  For one day a year, Ralph turns this small NH town (with a population of 30K) into the place where everyone wants to hang out.  It’s the center of the comic book universe and that’s a well-deserved title.  You haven’t experienced FCBD until you’ve experienced how Jetpack Comics does FCBD.

I’m not sure really what else to say other than Ralph gave me the honor of spending the entire day at the signing table with Kevin Eastman and Fiona (his amazing assistant).  Kevin signed for 5 1/2 hours straight with no break.  He signed everything…a Turtles Thermos, t-shirts (while being worn), TMNT #1, Gobbledygook #1 (and this one wasn’t even mine)…he signed everything.  Most notable, though, was that I watched Kevin personally interact with each one of his fans.  EVERY.  SINGLE.  PERSON.  He talked with them, he took pictures with them, he signed their shirts, he joked with them, and he signed their stuff (and when I say signed, I mean he made a turtle head sketch with signature on nearly everything).  He made them feel special…as if every one of them was one of his friends.  He did all this without one single break in 5 1/2 hours.

As you can imagine, though, Kevin’s personal interaction with people and the time he takes with each of them results in a very long and slow-moving line.

Me & Kevin (& GGs)

However, this line and the resulting long wait for Kevin’s fans provided, perhaps, the most incredible thing I got to witness the entire weekend…Kevin’s fans didn’t care.  My station at Kevin’s table meant that I personally got to meet and chat with every single person that was in line to meet with Kevin.  As we got into the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th, the 5th and finally the 6th hours of the line, these fans were weary (for sure) but not annoyed in the slightest.  They were excited to meet with Kevin.  They knew that they’d get the same Kevin experience in hour 6 that the fans in hour 1 got.

Highlights of the stuff I got signed

Then, after 6 hours, the line ended.  There were no more fans.  This amazing event was coming to a close.  But then…the call was made for all the FCBD volunteers to meet and spend time with Kevin.  Many of the volunteers came to meet with Kevin and get a few items signed and some pictures

taken…and then it was my turn.  I can’t find the words for this part of my experience so I’ll let the pictures I’ve posted provide you the rest of the details…a truly amazing Free Comic Book Day @ Jetpack Comics w/ Kevin Eastman, the co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  The first time I’ve ever met Kevin in over 25 years of TMNT collecting…it won’t be the last.

Thank you Ralph, Fiona, Kevin, Peter, Steve, and the countless others (volunteers, fans, EVERYONE) whose names are too numerous to list but whose generosity, kindness, and hospitality this weekend have forever branded this weekend as one I’ll remember forever.  A truly unforgettable experience !!

Me & Peter Laird

Me & Steve Lavigne

Greetings everyone.  I arrived in New Hampshire late Thursday night and then first thing on Friday I went to visit Ralph at Jetpack Comics.  I toured through the shop and looked around for a while…what an awesome shop !!  After a while I decided to head up to Shellback Artworks in Wells, ME to check things out and visit with Steve Lavigne.  Steve and I visited for a little while and then the shop door opened…and in walked Peter Laird !!  It was truly

Shellback Artworks sign

unbelievable.  Steve, Pete, and I talked for nearly 3 hours and Pete was kind enough to sign my copies of Gobbledygook #1 & #2 along with a few other things.   I also picked up some super-cool and rare stuff from Steve…check the pictures out and see if you recognize any of it.

Tomorrow Free Comic Book Day 2013 is finally here and I’ll be hanging with the Jetpack Comics crew and Kevin Eastman all day.  Ralph informed me that he has a special assignment for me…assisting Kevin at his table all day on Saturday !!

Jetpack Comics Storefront

Over 25 years of collecting TMNT and I’ve never met Peter or Kevin before.   Day 1 of FCBD weekend is over and I’ve now met Peter.  Day 2, I get to hang out all day with Kevin.  Somebody pinch me.