Matt Bors, Pulitzer Prize Finalist for his political cartoons and The Nib founder, will write a new The Toxic Avenger comic series for Ahoy Comics, with art by Fred Harper, the company announced.  Harper has a background in comics (Animal Man) games (Magic: The Gathering, White Wolf), and magazine illustration.

The Toxic Avenger, a property that first appeared in a 1984 film from Troma Entertainment, has had  a long life since, including five films, an animated series, action figures, a musical, a 1991 Marvel comic series that ran 11 issues, and a Devil’s Due OGN in 2007 (see “Devil’s Due’s Troma OGN”).  The character’s origin flows from a train derailment of toxic waste that gives a teenager superhuman size and strength.  A new film starring Peter Dinklage, Johnny Coyne, Sarah Niles, Jacob Tremblay, Taylor Paige, Elijah Wood, Julia Davis, and Kevin Bacon is due out this year (see “’The Toxic Avenger’ Teaser”).

"This series will combine elements of the original films with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and characters in familiar ways, updated to tell a story of environmental devastation, corporate control, and social media mutation,” Bors said in a statement accompanying the announcement.  "The story Fred Harper and I are telling is about people frustrated by authorities telling them not to worry about their life, that things are fine, even as their dog mutates in front of their eyes.  And at its core it is about a powerless boy, Melvin, who finds out he can be incredibly strong, hideously mutated, well-admired, and incredibly heroic... but still ultimately powerless over human behavior."

Ahoy will launch the new series on October 9, 2024.