In 2023, brilliant storyteller Stan Sakai will once again weave together two of the most beloved concepts in history with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen. This five-issue comic book miniseries, published by IDW in partnership with Dogu Publishing and Paramount Consumer Products features colors by Hi-Fi and will launch in March 2023
In 1984, the indie comics scene erupted with the creation of two enduring phenomena: Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Given the two series’ anthropomorphic heroes, reverence for Japanese culture, and mutual respect among their highly skilled creators, it was no wonder that the two properties would crossover in comics, multiple animated series, and toy lines over the next four decades.
“I am so pleased with the story and art for WhereWhen,” says Sakai. “There is a lot of emotion and, of course, lots of action. I actually wrote this story about five years ago and had been anxious to get to it. In the past, the Turtles have met just a few of Usagi’s friends. This time, everyone is thrown in—Gen, Tomoe, Jotaro, Yukichi, Kitsune, Chizu, and more! This one is epic!”
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pursue the evil cyborg genius Dr. WhereWhen through a time portal…and emerge in feudal Japan! There, they encounter Miyamoto Usagi, 20 years into the samurai’s future but decades after the arrival of Dr. WhereWhen—who has already carved himself a fiefdom using mechanized clockwork samurai robots, with the intention of conquering both the past and current timelines!
Each and every issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo: WhereWhen will feature a glorious wraparound cover by Stan Sakai, plus alternate covers by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, Sarah Myer (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures), and David Petersen (Mouse Guard). Issue #1 will also include a blank cover variant, perfect for artists or even convention commissions.
“Usagi Yojimbo arrived in the world of comics the very same year as TMNT, and our lifelong personal and creative relationships with the characters and each other were built on mutual love and respect for the medium. Anytime Stan Sakai wants to bring them together for a tale, I’m one-hundred-percent front row center,” says Eastman.
“Stan Sakai, aside from being a genius storyteller, is a kind and gracious person. It’s always a pleasure to work with him. WhereWhen is a truly epic story, filled with excitement and all-out action, and we at IDW could not be prouder to publish it,” says editor Scott Dunbier.
