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Based on the phenomenally popular animated TV show by Nickelodeon, Panini’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic launched in 2013. Printed in the UK and translated all over Europe, it’s gone on to become one of the UK’s best-selling originated comics for children.
Creating stories for children is no different from creating stories for adults. What many adults don’t realise is that children’s media has come a long, long way since the 1980s. Thanks to the sophistication of movies by Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks (every one of them a masterclass in visual storytelling) and TV shows like Turtles and Star Wars Rebels, it’s no longer enough to just fill the page with lasers, monsters and characters punching each other because it’s ‘just for the kids’ (there shouldn’t be a ‘just’ in that phrase, IMO).
Comics for children have to be as rigorous in terms of drama as any adult story. The gags have to work, the characters have to have some kind of arc and the story has to make logical sense (even when it’s completely crazy). With Turtles, the emphasis is on humour and physical comedy, cool inventive action, and the brotherly dynamic of the four main characters, all of which gives plenty of scope for stories. The main challenge is having to write within the strict guidelines laid down by Nickelodeon (what you can and can’t do with Mutagen, when the story takes place within the continuity of the series, etc), but I’ve found the TV show is so well constructed and its characters so well defined that once an original premise is in place the stories pretty much write themselves. 
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BIBLIOGRAPHYTag TroubleTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Iain Buchanan, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #33, October 2015.
The Purple Dragons have got their hands on an experimental spray-paint. Suddenly their graffiti can take on a life of its own, as the turtles find out.
Robo RumbleTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Ryan James Neal, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #34, November 2015.
During a battle with bug-headed scientist Baxter Stockman, the turtles unwittingly unleash a techno-chip that can turn humble machines into war-bots - anything from an ice-cream truck to a porta-potty.
Terror TaleSix-page one-shot, with art by Walter Carzon, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #35, December 2015.
The turtles take it in turns to tell a creepy campfire tale that ends in the biggest scare of all.
King StinkbeakTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Bob Molesworth, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan and James Stayte, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #36, January 2016.
Recuperating in the countryside following the Kraang invasion of New York (at the end of season two), the turtles must rescue Mikey from the clutches of a mutant owl with spectacularly gross powers.
The Mighty Multi-MutantTwelve-page one-shot, based on an idea by Krystal Cheung, art by Ryan James Neal, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan and J. Stayte, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #38, March 2016.
In the summer of 2015, the TMNT comic teamed up with Tesco and ran a competition for readers to design their own ‘Ultimate Baddie’. The winning creation starred in this strip in which Shredder concocts the ultimate mutant. His creation runs amok until Mikey finds an unlikely way of defeating it (with a little help from the competition winner who makes a guest appearance in the strip).
Night of the Scare-Bros!Twelve-page one-shot, with art by Ryan James Neal, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by J. Stayte and R. Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #39, April 2016.
Mikey accidentally infects a pumpkin patch with mutagen, creating an army of terrifying ‘Scare-bros’ intent upon the turtles’ destruction.
Cloud PiratesTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Ryan Neal Neal, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by Randy Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #42, June 2016.
Obsessed with pirates following an all-night movie marathon, Mikey is overjoyed when the turtles uncover a Kraang plot to gather human test subjects in a sky-ship!
Behold, Crab-Beard!Twelve-page one-shot, with art by Iain Buchanan, colours by Kat and Jason Cardy, colour assist by Randy Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #44, August 2016.
The turtles befriend a crustaceous fellow mutant who helps them investigate rumours of monstrous sea creatures, which have been threatening the local fishermen.
Steam TeamTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Cosmo White, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #46, October 2016.
Now on a mission throughout time and space (following the apocalyptic finale of season three), the turtles join a pair of eccentric steampunk adventurers on a mission to destroy the nefarious Cogfather and his clockwork battle station.
The Life AquaticaTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Ryan James Neal, colours by Jason Cardy and Kat Nicholson, colour assist by J. Stayte and R. Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #47, November 2016.
The turtles enjoy a much-needed vacation when they are invited to attend the opening of the galaxy’s greatest water park, only to learn the park is not all that it seems.
Burping Alien Viking BikersTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Bob Molesworth, colours by Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, colour assist by Rob Smyth and R. Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #48, December 2016.
The turtles receive a distress signal from a gang of strange alien creatures pursued by a fearsome monster, only to find they what they believed to be a distress signal was actually something else.
Let It Grow!Twelve-page one-shot, with art by Lee Sweeney, colours by Jason Cardy, colour assist by Randy Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #53, May 2017.
Having returned to earth (in the middle of season four), the turtles reluctantly join forces with Rocksteady and Bebop when they all become infected by a mutagenic shampoo, and a creature that can only be described as ‘Hairnado’ threatens the city!
The Freak SeekerTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Iain Buchanan, colours by Jason Cardy, colour assist by Randy Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #54, June 2017.
Mikey falls foul of an interdimensional travelling circus and its evil leader, the Ringmistress.
Game Over!Twelve-page one-shot, with art by Bob Molesworth, colours by Jason Cardy, colour assist by Randy Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #56, August 2017.
When a sinister video game zombifies the turtles, it’s up to newly qualified ninja April O’Neil to save to the city from zomebiedom.
The DuelTwelve-page one-shot, with art by Lee Sweeney, colours by Kat and Jason Cardy, colour assist by R. Hogan, and letters by Alex Foot, in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #58, September 2017.
Hothead Raph must learn to control his temper after letting super-cool criminal Hun goad him into a duel at an unexpectedly dangerous location.
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