Ahoy Comics sent out the following
……………………………………………………….
Join in the rebirth of the greatest and grossest animated-series sensation of all time: TOXIC CRUSADERS, an all-new limited comic book series coming this September featuring the Toxic Avenger of Troma Entertainment fame alongside fellow mutants No-Zone, Junkyard, Major Disaster, and the all-new character Fungirl. The five-issue series from acclaimed Syracuse-based comic book publisher AHOY Comics will be written by THE NIB founder and two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Matt Bors — whose recent revival of the Toxic Avenger in comics received widespread acclaim — and feature art by debut talent Tristan Wright.
“In the aftermath of the chemical spill that created Toxie, other mutants arose — and they have united to wage war against an alien conspiracy,” said writer Matt Bors. “We are taking everything from the original Toxic Crusaders cartoon —gross mutations, evil aliens, and over-the-top ecological action — to bring readers a must-read mutant monthly.”
In addition to a main cover by series artist Tristan Wright, TOXIC CRUSADERS will feature an exclusive trading card variant, a variant cover by AR Sullivan, and a special Retroware game art variant cover by Xander Arnot, celebrating the all-new, highly anticipated upcoming Toxic Crusaders game. Issue #1 of TOXIC CRUSADERS will land in stores on September 10, hot on the heels of the all-new Toxic Avenger movie starring Peter Dinklage, which hits theaters on Labor Day Weekend.
“Watch the movie. Read the comic. Play the game. It’s like the ’90s never ended!” said variant cover artist and Retroware Art Director Xander Arnot. “If there was ever (another) time to love the Toxic Avenger, or his colorful crew of superhuman Crusaders, it’s now!”
AHOY Comics’ plans for a Toxic Mess Summer are in full swing following the publication of THE TOXIC AVENGER (tpb) in bookstores in April and the TOXIC AVENGER PINUP SPECIAL in May. An ambitious mini-series, TOXIE TEAM-UP, launches in June that finds Toxie rubbing elbows with characters from a number of other fan-favorite AHOY titles — followed by THE TOXIC AVENGER COMICS #1, the first of an all-new ongoing series in comic shops, in July. It’s all leading up to the action-packed Toxic Crusaders beat ’em up videogame from Retroware, the highly anticipated Cineverse theatrical release of The Toxic Avenger film starring Peter Dinklage as Toxie on Labor Day weekend, and the launch of TOXIC CRUSADERS in September.
The Toxic Avenger first appeared in the 1984 cult classic film about a mutated weakling mopping up a corporate mess, directed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz and starring Mitchell Cohen. Having already spawned five films, a cartoon, action figures, a musical, and a Marvel comic book series, the Toxic Avenger is a pop culture icon — and he is also perfect for AHOY Comics, a Syracuse-based publisher dedicated to satirizing horror, space opera, social satire, sword & sorcery, and superhero stories.
“Everyone at AHOY Comics is delighted to publish a world-famous group of characters who are as well-meaning, violent, and frankly disgusting as we ourselves wish we could be,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “We’re also delighted to debut the work of talented artist Tristan Wright. Matt found some of Tristan’s work online and shared it with me — and we both thought, where has he been all our lives? It’s solid, imaginative, amusing work, and we intend to extract as much as we can, like the cold-blooded capitalists we are.”
Here’s what folks are saying about AHOY’s revival of THE TOXIC AVENGER:
“An absolute delight… Matt Bors[‘s] unique style of earnestly sardonic sociopolitical commentary sets the perfect tone for artist Fred Harper’s grotesquely cartoonish line work.”
—BOING BOING
“A towering achievement, as important as it is entertaining!! Tear up your lame Superman and Spider-Man comics, the definitive hero for the 21st Century has arrived! Fun, funny, and cleverly told, a worthy successor to the film series, and another winner from AHOY.”
— John Layman, The Scorched, Titans
“An explosion of mighty storytelling…
Fred Harper’s art is gross, vivid, stylized, and always capable of robust world-building. Matt Bors’ story is a testament to how you do an adaptation with respect, power, and humanity.”—AIPT
“The art is the star of this show from page one…. Don’t miss it.”
—COMICS BEAT
“Perfectly captures the perverse indie vibes of the original. Reminds me of how I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing when I saw the films for the first time.”
— Mark Russell, Second Coming, Batman: Dark Age
“[A] smash-hit… It’s Tromaville at its most Tromaville-y… Fred Harper’s artwork is a grotesque tour de force, perfectly aligning with the story’s over-the-top ambiance…
This radioactive revival is operating at full throttle.”
—COMIC CRUSADERS
“I’m so happy Melvin is back and more relevant than ever.
Is it just me or does Fred draw him kinda hot, too? What a hunk.”
— Sophie Campbell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
“A version that amps up the grotesque and slaps on the ‘certified: fun’ sticker… The result is evolving The Toxic Crusader into more of a three-dimensional radioactive dispenser of justice.”
—MY KIND OF WEIRD
“Matt Bors and Fred Harper bring the irradiated, insectoid action and sharp political satire.”
—GRAPHIC POLICY
“An old favorite gets the toxic reboot it deserves!
Thank you Matt Bors and Fred Harper! Consider me Tromatized!”
— Keith Knight, The K Chronicles, Woke
“Each panel feels like an adventure of its own…
This is one of the most fun series in all of comics today.”—NERD INITIATIVE
……………………………………………………….
TOXIC CRUSADERS #1 will land in comic shops on September 10, 2025. Meanwhile, issue #1 of the TOXIE TEAM-UP series will be published on June 11, 2025, followed by THE TOXIC AVENGER COMICS #1 on July 9, 2025.
For more updates on AHOY Comics, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram.
For more updates on the Toxic Crusaders video game, visit Retroware’s website.
