EXCLUSIVE: Jim Lawson on the Release of TMNT: The Mirage Years (1993-1995)

Tomorrow, IDW will be releasing the latest volume in its collection of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics that were produced by Mirage Studios (Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's original publishing company), specifically the second volume of the series that launched in 1993, and CBR has an exclusive statement from the writer/artist of that series, Jim Lawson, about the new release.

Lawson, of course, had become the regular artist (and co-writer) on the original series for the last dozen issues or so (after previously working on a number of earlier issues in the series), so this new series was a way to transition to Lawson as the main writer/artist on the series in the wkae of the epic "City At War" event.

What is the solicitation for the collection?

TMNT: The Mirage Years (1993-1995) HC

Jim Lawson (w/a/ca)

Discover a lost piece of TMNT history in this collection of 13 issues from Mirage Studios, previously out of print!

After the original 62-issue run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mirage continued the series with a new #1 in 1993 and it ran for 13 issues in total. This 13-issue run by TMNT veteran Jim Lawson is now known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Vol. 2.

Picking up after the events of “City At War” (collected in TMNT Compendium Vol. 3), Donatello and Splinter recuperate in Northampton while the rest of the Turtles are in New York City with April. Meanwhile, Baxter Stockman wreaks havoc in the desert at a top secret facility known as D.A.R.P.A. As the family drifts apart a killer robot controlled by Stockman has April in its sights and the boys have to come together to fight it off!

HC • FC • $59.99 • 360 pages • ISBN 979-8-88724-274-3

What does Jim Lawson have to say about this new collection of his classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles work?

IDW shared the following exclusive commentary from Lawson on the collection (Lawson, by the way, also wrote a really cool introduction to the collection):

“Mirage Studios in the early/mid ‘90s - that was the pinnacle of the crazy bananas period and the height of the boom times. Everything was happening almost too fast.

Everyone, it seemed, wanted the Turtles. Because of all the toys, movies, cartoons and all the other stuff, Kevin and Pete left the black and white book, understandably. The fact is, comics are just too much work.

So I was brought on to do the regular TMNT title. And that’s what I did, pretty much solo for the 13 issue run of volume 2. During that time I don’t recall much, if any, editorial oversight- it was kind of amazing, if you think about it.

I was damn lucky. Certainly the allure of licensing work was strong, and there was a ton of it. And the money was undeniably better. But- what I got to do was to write stories, and hang out with and go on adventures with these characters. I knew then and I know now that I was doing exactly what I was meant to do.

I consider those years my favorite among all the times I spent at Mirage. I hope the stories reflect that.”

TMNT: The Mirage Years (1993-1995) is on sale tomorrow

Source: IDW Publishing