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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a new leader — and we’re not talking about a replacement for Master Splinter. IDW Publishing, which has been responsible for the Turtles’ comic book adventures since 2011, has placed new hire Jake Thomas in charge of the franchise in his new position as group editor, replacing the outgoing Andy Khouri, who quietly left the company in September after a very public, trumpeted hire in 2024.

Thomas is one of a number of new hires for IDW as the company seeks to rebuild itself after a turbulent few years that saw it go through a “reset” that included significant layoffs, followed by the departure of key figures including its editor-in-chief and publisher. Formerly at Humanoids and Marvel Comics, Thomas won’t just be overseeing the Turtles; he’ll also be responsible for the Sonic the Hedgehog and Godzilla titles as well, taking them on just as everyone's favorite kaiju faces an imminent demise and rebirth in 2026.

In a statement, current IDW editor-in-chief Bobby Curnow said of Thomas, “I've been extremely impressed by Jake's creativity, organization and dedication to working with artists and business partners alike to find the best path forward in any given situation.”

Thomas takes over the editorial chair from former DC editor Andy Khouri, who oversaw the relaunch of the core Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series with writer Jason Aaron (Absolute Superman, Thor) and artist Juan Ferreya as the creative team. Before his departure, Khouri also assembled the new creative team for the series, Eisner Award-winning writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Freddie E. Williams II. That creative team debuts in December’s upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13. Khouri had only been with IDW since September 2024; he continues to work on independent comic book titles as a freelance editor.

Everyone's favorite Heroes in a Half-Shell turn 40 years old in 2024, and the Turtles are arguably bigger than ever, thanks to the hit Last Ronin comic book series, and a hit movie in 2023's Mutant Mayhem. If you want more, we're here with a watch guide, the chance to see co-creator Kevin Eastman tell all, information about their summer 2024 comic book relaunch, and... well, more! Cowabunga, dudes.