Mirage Studios
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Comic book publishing |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird |
| Fate | Became inactive in 2009; dissolved in 2021 |
| Headquarters | Northampton, Massachusetts , United States |
| Products | Comic books, including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles |
| Website | miragestudios |
Mirage Studios was a U.S.-based comic book publisher established in 1983 by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird in Dover, New Hampshire. The company gained widespread recognition for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) comic book series and the expansive franchise it inspired.
History
Founded in 1983 in Dover, New Hampshire, Mirage Studios derived its name from the founders’ intention to emphasize its informal business structure. Prior to releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 in May 1984, Eastman and Laird experimented with several other titles. The company later moved to Sharon, Connecticut for a two-year period before establishing its base in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Capitalizing on TMNT’s popularity, Eastman and Laird grew their creative team to address increasing workload. Early additions included Eastman’s longtime friend Steve Lavigne, who began as a letterer in 1984, and artist Ryan Brown, who joined as an inker in 1985. By 1986, penciler Jim Lawson and cover artist Michael Dooney became part of Mirage’s expanding creative roster. This group was responsible for developing various spin-off series as well as the companion title Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. From 1989 until his departure to freelance work in 2004, illustrator A.C. Farley contributed cover artwork.
In 1991, Mirage secured an interlocutory injunction against Counter-Feat Clothing due to unauthorized use of their designs.
The studio operated out of a refurbished factory located in Florence, Massachusetts, where significant creative projects were developed, including designs for Playmates Toys and the Archie TMNT comic series. This facility was eventually taken over by Tundra Publishing.
Eastman, Laird, and their primary artists actively promoted TMNT by touring across the country at various comic conventions. Later team members included artist Eric Talbot, writer Stephen Murphy, and inker Dan Berger. In 1988, Mirage took part in creating the Creator's Bill of Rights, advocating for comic creators' protections.
On October 21, 2009, most TMNT rights were acquired by Viacom, while Mirage retained limited publishing privileges. The studio became inactive by the end of 2009; completed works continued to be released into 2010 before subsequent cancellations. The final publication from Mirage was TMNT volume 4, issue 32, issued in May 2014.
Since August 2011, licensed TMNT comic publishing rights have been held by IDW under agreement with Viacom.
On September 9, 2021, Mirage announced it would fully dissolve all divisions and close its e-commerce platform by September 19. However, its website remains online as an archive preserving information on TMNT publications predating IDW’s involvement.
Staff
Prominent writers and artists associated with Mirage Studios included:
- Dan Berger
- Jake Black
- Ryan Brown
- Michael Dooney
- Kevin Eastman
- A.C. Farley
- Tristan Huw Jones
- Mary Kelleher
- Peter Laird
- Steve Lavigne
- Jim Lawson
- Ross May
- Stephen Murphy
- Stan Sakai
- Eric Talbot
Titles
Mirage released a wide array of titles, many of which had brief runs. Among the more prominent comic series were:
- Bade Biker & Orson, created by Jim Lawson
- Barabbas, authored by Dan Vado with artwork by Gino Atanasio
- Bioneers, written by A.C. Farley
- Commandosaurs, developed by Peter Laird
- Dino Island, another work by Jim Lawson
- Fugitoid, crafted by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
- Gizmo, by Michael Dooney
- Gutwallow, penned by Dan Berger
- Hallowieners: Invasion of the Halloween Hot Dogs, from Ryan Brown
- Melting Pot, a collaboration between Kevin Eastman and Eric Talbot
- Paleo, also by Jim Lawson
- Planet Racers, co-created by Peter Laird and Jim Lawson
- The Puma Blues, written by Stephen Murphy with illustrations from Michael Zulli
- Rockola, another title from Ryan Brown
- Stupid Heroes, produced by Peter Laird
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles along with its related series, developed by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird
- Usagi Yojimbo (volume 2) and associated titles, authored by Stan Sakai