AHOY Comics Launches TOXIC CRUSADERS

An All-New Limited Series from Acclaimed Writer Matt Bors and Debut Talent Tristan Wright, Featuring A Special Retroware Game Art Variant Cover From The Highly Anticipated Toxic Crusaders Video Game

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 the Crusaders are saying about AHOY’s revival of THE TOXIC AVENGER:

“[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

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.

Author Profile

Al Mega: I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!