IDW Publishing has announced two new hires: Former Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Group Editor Bobby Curnow is returning after a two-year absence to a new role as Editor-in-Chief, and Andy Khouri is joining the company as the Senior Editor for TMNT titles.

Curnow started at IDW as Assistant Editor in 2010, and in his 12 years with the company he edited the first 125 issues of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and supplementary titles, including the best-selling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, as well as Godzilla, Usagi Yojimbo, Star Wars Adventures, and G.I. Joe, among others.  He also wrote both creator-owned and licensed comics for IDW and Top Shelf Books, and his Ghost Tree (with artist Simon Gane) was nominated for a 2020 Eisner Award.  More recently, Curnow was Editor in Chief of Magma Comix when it relaunched in 2023 with a roster heavy on former IDW staffers (see “Magma Comix Returns as Independent Publisher”).

“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,’” Curnow said in a statement accompanying the announcement.  “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 put out top-notch licensed and creator-owned comics.”

Khouri was an editor at DC for five years, where he co-founded the Black Label imprint and worked on the Eisner Award-winning Wonder Woman Historia as well as Far Sector, Harleen, The Omega Men: The End Is Here, and the Young Animal and Wonder Comics imprints.  Prior to that, he was Editor-in-Chief of Comics Alliance, which won a 2015 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism.

Khouri is also a longtime TMNT fan.  “I’m from the original generation of Turtles fans,” said.  “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.”

"I’ve followed Andy’s path in comics for about a decade now,” Curnow said.  “I’ve always known him to be extremely intelligent, creative and a clear communicator, all vital qualities for a good editor.  When I found out that he was also a huge TMNT fan who'd read our entire IDW line of TMNT comics, suddenly all became very clear: we had found the person to lead our Turtles on their perilous path forward.”

“Already in his first weeks at IDW, Andy has demonstrated a dynamic ability to think big and also be attentive to detail,” said IDW CEO and Publisher Davidi Jonas.  “Andy has a calm and friendly nature that invites creativity and partnership. 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.”