For the past year, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise has been as exciting and essential as DC’s Absolute Universe or Skybound’s Energon Universe. Writer Jason Aaron and artist Juan Ferreyra have built an unmissable monthly comic, not to forget the numerous other splinter titles and crossover minis. Shortly before San Diego Comic-Con International, The Hollywood Reporter announced Aaron and Ferreyra’s departure, and we were a little heartbroken. Their time on the book was too brief, but if they must go, the news that cartoonist extraordinaire Gene Luen Yang and lifelong Turtle maniac Freddie E. Williams II eased the pain some.

One of our missions for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was to return with more news regarding the TMNT baton pass between Aaron and Ferreyra and Yang and Williams. After moderating IDW Publishing’s “The New Era of Turtle Power” panel, we retreated to the Hilton Bayfront, where we had a lengthy conversation with Gene Luen Yang about his passion for the Turtles and how he would apply it to the series, starting with issue thirteen.

Also discussed at San Diego Comic-Con, Andrew Joustra, the script coordinator for the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, will write an arc for the newly announced Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, bringing the iconic Fugitoid character to the latest iteration of the TMNT universe. As passionate fans of Fugitoid ourselves, we had to trap Joustra in a media room for a deep dive into his take on the character and why he put so much of himself into the troubled fugitive android.

Today, you get two podcasts for the price of one. With Gene Luen Yang, we discuss where we find the Turtles when his story begins, how they’ve grown throughout the Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra run, and why a certain new antagonist was necessary for his story. With Andrew Joustra, we explore the Fugitoid concept, his relationship with the Turtles through the various franchise incarnations, and why this story is so deeply personal.

Be sure to follow Gene Luen Yang on his website, Blue Sky, Instagram, and TikTok. Also, follow Andrew Joustra on his website, Blue Sky, and Instagram.

Our SDCC Coverage:

Eric Powell and Harold Schechter on "Dr. Werthless"

Alex Segura on Star Wars

Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing on Thunderbolts

Learn Oni Press SDCC Battle Plans

Chip Zdarsky on Zdarsky Comic News

Daniel Warren Johnson Live at Now Or Never Comics

This Week's Sponsors

We're sponsored by 2000 AD, the greatest comic you're not reading! Within its pages is a whole universe of characters, from Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog to Rogue Trooper, Shakara, Halo Jones, and the poor sods slogging across the Cursed Earth in The Helltrekkers. Get a print subscription at your door every week - and the first issue is free! Or subscribe digitally, get free back issues, and download DRM-free copies of each issue for just $9 a month. That's 128 pages of incredible monthly comics for less than $10.

Do you want in on the biggest secret in comics today? IDW Publishing’s Godzilla line of books is comics' greatest secret weapon. They’re constantly snagging rockstar creators like James Stokoe, Tom Scioli, Andrew MacLean, Louie Joyce, Jake Smith, Eric Powell, Rosie Knight, and Oliver Ono to unleash their talents on cinema’s most significant kaiju universe. And this July, IDW is taking their Godzilla books to the next level by introducing the Kei-Sei era. This new shared universe line begins with Godzilla #1 by Tim Seeley and Nikola Čižmešija. There’s a new Godzilla design, a mess load of Kaiju antagonists…and protagonists - plus, superpowered human characters. Thanks to IDW Publishing, it’s a good time to be a fan of the Big G and quality comics.

Other Relevant Links to This Week's Episode:

Subscribe to the CBCC YouTube Channel and Prepare for The Stacks

Brad and Lisa Gullickson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics

Sanford Greene in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics

Philip Kennedy Johnson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics

Steve Anderson in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics

David Brothers and Chip Zdarsky in The Stacks at Third Eye Comics

Benjamin Percy in the Stacks at Third Eye Comics

Join Comic Book Club in Person

Final Round of Plugs (PHEW):

Support the Podcast by Joining OUR PATREON COMMUNITY.

The Comic Book Couples Counseling TeePublic Merch Page.

And, of course, follow Comic Book Couples Counseling on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Bluesky @CBCCPodcast, and you can follow hosts Brad Gullickson @MouthDork & Lisa Gullickson @sidewalksiren.

Send us your Words of Affirmation by leaving us a 5-star Review on Apple Podcasts.

Continue your conversation with CBCC by hopping over to our website, where we have reviews, essays, and numerous interviews with comic book creators.

Podcast logo by Jesse Lonergan and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.