Stephen Murphy is an American comic book writer and editor known for his work on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
Murphy's relationship with Mirage (operated by TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird) led to him coming on as a staff member at the studio, where he eventually became Managing Editor and Creative Director.
[2] Alongside fellow Mirage staffer Ryan Brown, the two men revamped the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures title for Archie Comics, beginning in 1989 with issue #5.
In their hands the comic immediately diverged from the cartoon series into unique new story arcs, often incorporating social, environmentalist, and animal rights themes.
Established by TMNT co-founder Peter Laird, the Xeric Foundation awarded self-publishing grants to comic book creators for 20 years until it shifted its mission.