214 — Dave Wachter: IDW TMNT Artist

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with artist Dave Wachter, who has been a major part of IDW's run of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. Wachter was the artist during IDW's City at War storyline, including issue #100. He also talks about why he likes drawing Splinter so much. Sound engineeting by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRCKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Brandon Gash, a prolific toy scultpor for a wide array of TMNT toys. Here Brandon discusses his work for companies like Mondo and Super 7, including Mondo's Super Shredder figure and their 1/6 scale Donatello figure. He also sculpted the 2003 TMNT figures for Super 7. Brandon discusses the artistry of that work as well as the difficulties behind it. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Francisco Paredes and Maxwell Beaudry, the co-executive producers of the new Nick Jr. series, Teeny Mutant Ninja Turtles. Here, the co-creators of the series discuss where the concept came from, the challenges of aging down the TMNT and how several classic iterations of the franchise informed their choices for the preschool-age cartoon. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by writer Erik Burnham, artist Sarah Myer & colorist Luis Antonio Delgado. They discuss the upcoming conclusion of IDW's long-running series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures and celebreate the best moments of the series. The continuation of the 1987 cartoon series, Saturday Morning Adventures has been running since 2022 and the final issue will release on September 23, 2026. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this very special episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with the four actors who played the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 2023 film TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. Nicolas Cantu, Micah Abbey, Brady Noon & Shamon Brown Jr. talk about getting cast in their respective roles, improvising in the film and that it was like working with Ice Cube. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with writer PAtrick Ehlers and artists MAteus Santolouco about the release of their upcoming book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Anatomy of a Mutant, releasing August 4, 2026 from Insight Editions. Featuring new art from IDW comics veteran Mateus Santolouco, and a scientific look at the characters the characters from the IDW TMNT run, the book is a beautiful new look at the longest running TMNT comic universe. Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FCDD9G2Y?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Folow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with Julio Galvez, owner of WE CAN BE HEROES COMICS in Chatsworth, California and founder of COMICS & COCKTAILS, a quarterly event in Burbank, CA. On July 25, 2026, Comics & Cocktails will be throwing an event right near San Diego Comic Con called Turtles By the Beach featuring TMNT artists like Ben Bishop, Luis Antonio Delgado, Raymond Gay, Chris Johnson, Ciro Nieli, Fero Pe, Felipe Smith, Tom Waltz, Aaron Hazouri, Ken Mitchroney, Gavin Smith, and Mateus Santolouco. Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

Get your tickets now for Granite Con 2026, which runs from September 19 to 20, 2026 at the Doubletree by Hilton and the SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH ( https://www.granitecon.com/ ). In this Turtle Tracks episode, host Brian VanHooker is joined by Chris Proulx, one of the co-founders of Granite State Comic Con, a must-see destination for fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as it takes place near where the TMNT originated (Dover, NH) and features a wide array of TMNT-related artists. This year, special TMNT-related guests include Kevin Eastman, Ken Mitchroney, Beth Mitchroney, Steve Lavigne, Ben Bishop, Jim Lawson, Eric Talbot, Tom Waltz, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Mateus Santolouco, Freddie Williams II, Fero Pe, The Escorza Brothers, Kevin Siembieda, Ciro Nieli, Kevin Clash, James Saito, Chris Vance, and many more! Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

On the day of the grand opening of the TMNT Pizzeria in Los Angeles, founder Andy Nguyen joins host Brian VanHooker to talk about the origins of the restaurant. An old-school Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan, the TMNT Pizzeria has been the dream project for Nguyen for an entire decade and its now finally happening! Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow TURTLE TRACKS PODCAST on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast/

In this episode, host Brian VanHooker chats with the guys at Frothy Beard Brewing Company about their TMNT-inspired beers they've offered over the years, including "Shadow Sessions" which is now available for preorder. Owner Michael Biondi and in-house artist Chris Miller chat about the history of the brewery and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-inspired beers they've offered since 2020, as well as their own love for the Turtles. Preorder here: https://frothybeardbrewing.square.site/ Sound engineering by Ian Williams. Follow Turtle Tracks Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtle_tracks_podcast