TMNT X Stranger Things Brings Best Of Both Worlds In New Crossover

How did this project come to be? What makes “Stranger Things” and “TMNT” the perfect crossover?

Cameron Chittock: There’s a long list of commonalities between the two, but both of these properties masterfully blend genre with genuine heart. I think that’s why they resonate with fans so deeply and why they make so much sense together. 

Fero Pe: That’s what makes them perfect, although at first, it seems like an unlikely union. They both have the ability to deal with the unknown and strange in a way that works and is very entertaining.

Why was it important to bring the Mirage version of the Turtles into this story? The timeline fits nicely.

Pe: Although at first I thought of the version of the first film because it is live-action, comparing the dates with my editors, it seemed more logical to go with the Mirage version.

Chittock: Given how intertwined “Stranger Things” is with ’80s pop culture, it almost made too much sense to use the Mirage era as our inspiration for the Turtles. They have a bit of a grittier aesthetic too, which fits with the horror elements of the Upside Down. I adore [Kevin] Eastman and [Peter] Laird’s original run of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” so I couldn’t pass up a chance to pay homage to their work.

What were some of your favorite interactions to write/draw? 

Pe: I love the double pages with fights that Cameron has put in each issue. I love these pages so much.

Chittock: It shows! Fero knocks those spreads out every time. When I first saw what he did for the one coming in Issue #2, I literally gasped. I love finding the little character moments. The Hawkins kids meeting Splinter might be my favorite from the first issue.

We’ve seen some big players in the TMNT universe appear in Issue #1, such as Baxter Stockman and Master Splinter — can we expect more big characters to show up? What about on the “Stranger Things” side of things?

Pe: There are definitely more strange beings to appear from each world.

Chittock: All I’ll say is that the cliffhanger in Issue #3 has been in my head since the beginning, and I can’t wait for people to see it.

Did you have stricter guidelines on what you could do with this story? 

Chittock: The “Stranger Things” and “Turtles” teams have been incredibly supportive. All the feedback, especially early on as I got settled into writing the characters for the first time, was really helpful. 

Pe: I have loved the freedom when working with the characters of [“Stranger Things”] without having to get so attached to the exact resemblance to the actors and more to their most important characteristics. I feel that I can give them more expressiveness.

Would you like to see more “Stranger Things”https://www.looper.com/”TMNT” crossovers? Who would you like to see cross over?

Chittock: I can’t help but have all sorts of ideas for taking the Turtles to Indiana. As many characters as we get in this series, some of my favorites from both properties had to stay on the sidelines, so I’d love the chance to do more. 

Pe: I would definitely like the Turtles to take a road trip to Hawkins. I would love most the anticipated crossover of “Daredevil” with “TMNT.”

How did this project come to be? What makes “Stranger Things” and “TMNT” the perfect crossover?

Cameron Chittock: There’s a long list of commonalities between the two, but both of these properties masterfully blend genre with genuine heart. I think that’s why they resonate with fans so deeply and why they make so much sense together. 

Fero Pe: That’s what makes them perfect, although at first, it seems like an unlikely union. They both have the ability to deal with the unknown and strange in a way that works and is very entertaining.

Why was it important to bring the Mirage version of the Turtles into this story? The timeline fits nicely.

Pe: Although at first I thought of the version of the first film because it is live-action, comparing the dates with my editors, it seemed more logical to go with the Mirage version.

Chittock: Given how intertwined “Stranger Things” is with ’80s pop culture, it almost made too much sense to use the Mirage era as our inspiration for the Turtles. They have a bit of a grittier aesthetic too, which fits with the horror elements of the Upside Down. I adore [Kevin] Eastman and [Peter] Laird’s original run of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” so I couldn’t pass up a chance to pay homage to their work.

What were some of your favorite interactions to write/draw? 

Pe: I love the double pages with fights that Cameron has put in each issue. I love these pages so much.

Chittock: It shows! Fero knocks those spreads out every time. When I first saw what he did for the one coming in Issue #2, I literally gasped. I love finding the little character moments. The Hawkins kids meeting Splinter might be my favorite from the first issue.

We’ve seen some big players in the TMNT universe appear in Issue #1, such as Baxter Stockman and Master Splinter — can we expect more big characters to show up? What about on the “Stranger Things” side of things?

Pe: There are definitely more strange beings to appear from each world.

Chittock: All I’ll say is that the cliffhanger in Issue #3 has been in my head since the beginning, and I can’t wait for people to see it.

Did you have stricter guidelines on what you could do with this story? 

Chittock: The “Stranger Things” and “Turtles” teams have been incredibly supportive. All the feedback, especially early on as I got settled into writing the characters for the first time, was really helpful. 

Pe: I have loved the freedom when working with the characters of [“Stranger Things”] without having to get so attached to the exact resemblance to the actors and more to their most important characteristics. I feel that I can give them more expressiveness.

Would you like to see more “Stranger Things”https://www.looper.com/”TMNT” crossovers? Who would you like to see cross over?

Chittock: I can’t help but have all sorts of ideas for taking the Turtles to Indiana. As many characters as we get in this series, some of my favorites from both properties had to stay on the sidelines, so I’d love the chance to do more. 

Pe: I would definitely like the Turtles to take a road trip to Hawkins. I would love most the anticipated crossover of “Daredevil” with “TMNT.”