IDW Publishing has announced the return of Bobby Curnow as its new Editor-in-Chief. The publisher has also appointed Andy Khouri as Senior Editor for its Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics line.

As reported by ICv2, Curnow spent 12 years at IDW from 2010-2022 before leaving for Magma Comix to serve as Editor-in-Chief. The books under the then Group Editor’s purview at IDW included TMNT,Godzilla, and My Little Pony. Khouri, who served as an editor at DC for five years between 2015-2020, arrives at IDW as TMNT Senior Editor. Khouri, who co-founded DC’s Black Label, edited several award-winning DC Universe and DC Vertigo titles, including Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons, Far Sector, Omega Men: The End Is Here, Batman ‘89, Harleen, and Wonder Woman: Dead Earth.

Curnow expressed his happiness about being back at IDW. “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,'” he joked. “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,” Curnow said.

The new IDW Editor-in-Chief continued, “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.”

The new TMNT Senior Editor is happy about his imminent collaboration with Curnow. “I couldn’t ask for a better boss than Bobby Curnow,” Khouri said. “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.”

Khouri also discussed his love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “I’m from the original generation of Turtles fans. Forty years ago, I was among those first kids to read the comics, watch the cartoons, play with the toys, and see the Turtles in live-action,’ he said. “I’ve read every single issue of the marvelous IDW canon, 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.”

Curnow believes Khouri’s skillset and passion for the Turtles make him the ideal candidate to lead the TMNT line. “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,” he said. “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.”

IDW CEO Davidi Jonas is excited to have Curnow and Khouri onboard. “I am excited for Andy and Bobby to be joining IDW. 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,” he said.

Jonas continued, “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.”

Source: ICv2