In the weeks building up to the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, it’s clear that Turtle Mania is back with a vengeance. Not only are there several more TV spots coming out every day, but we also recently got a behind the scenes featurette about the movie, including a full scene from the film. Since everyone is talking about the new TMNT movie, we figured it would be a good time to remind the fans of where the Ninja Turtles first got their start — in the comics!

Okay, so most shellheads are well aware that the turtles got their start as an independent comic in 1984, but they might not remember that another popular series started during the same year: Ghostbusters. Being the 30th anniversary of both franchises, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see that they’re both getting some love this year (Ghostbusters 1 & 2 are seeing a blu-ray release in September). However, what might surprise some fans is that both the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Ghostbusters are going to be featured in a crossover comic from IDW!



Yep, that’s right. Our heroes in a half shell are going to be fighting alongside the likes of Venkman, Spengler, Stantz and Zeddmore. Two epic teams of four are combining their efforts to take down a new foe in this four issue run! Here’s the description of the story:

“When a new invention goes haywire, the Turtles are sent to a whole new type of New York City. One with a whole lot more ghosts… and Ghostbusters! The two teams will have to learn to get along quickly, because a new foe from the Turtles past has followed them and aims to conquer NYC!”

Needless to say, that sounds pretty awesome. The first of these crossover comics is set to hit store shelves in October, so be on the lookout for some TMNT/Ghostbusters fun this fall. Until then, if you just can’t get enough of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their roots, check out this awesome interview that Kevin Eastman did with the guys at Retro Cynical on Youtube. In the interview, Kevin talks about the early days and describes what it was like before the TMNT became big. Even if you’re a hardcore fan, you might hear about some things that you never knew about before.

Even if you’re not one of the many people who are getting psyched for the new movie, it’s nice to know that they’ve got some cool things planned for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the comic universe, where they originally got their start. What do you think? Will you be picking up this great new TMNT comic crossover series? If so, let us know in the comments below or sound off in our forums!