TMNT Creator Confirm Interest in Reviving Ray Filet in New Comic

The creative team behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Saturday Morning Adventures revealed that they’re itching to use the character Ray Fillet, also known as Man Ray. As an ally of the Turtles, Ray Fillet has made memorable appearances in the comics, and in animated form in film and TV, and he’s a natural fit for Saturday Morning Adventures.

In conversation with AIPT, writer Erik Burnham answered “Ray Fillet” when asked which classic TMNT characters he and artist Sarah Meyer want to integrate into their ongoing series, which is done in the style of the late ’80s Turtles animated series.

Now that Burnham has spoken it into existence, it feels like Fillet’s return has to happen sooner rather than later.

Ray Fillet Is At The Top Of The List For A Revival In TMNT’s “Saturday Morning Adventures” Animated Series Continuity

Author Erik Burnham: “We Want To Get Him In There”

Man Ray, bettter known as Ray Fillet, is an underrated part of TMNT canon, and a role in Saturday Morning Adventures could be precisely what he needs for a big comeback. The comic has been a hit for IDW Publishing since it debuted with a four-issue miniseries in 2022 and then returning with an ongoing series.

It has also played a vital role in IDW’s overall Turtles publishing scheme. While the main Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic, along with series such as The Last Ronin, have explored darker territory over the last few years, Saturday Morning Adventures revels in its lighter tone. Which is exactly the atmosphere Ray Fillet fits into.

As Saturday Morning Adventures approaches its thirtieth issue, Erik Burnham and Sarah Meyer have a lot they still want to accomplish with the series, but Fillet is at the top of the list. As Burnham stated:

Erik Burnham: Ray Filet. We want to get him in there. I like to do some more stuff with the future, with Renet, and there are things, original concepts we peppered in, I’d really like to sneak back in. There’s just so much, there’s too much! We get 20 pages a month, and there’s always more to do. And then I think to myself, “Why haven’t I worked on this or worked this character in for a year and a half? I’d love to get back to him!” There’s no space!

Now, the clock is ticking on a Ray Fillet appearance in a future Saturday Morning Adventures storyline.

Ray Fillet’s Role In The Latest Cinematic Turtles Adventure Shows He Still Has Great Potential As A Franchise Star

Saturday Morning Adventures Is The Perfect Turtles Series For Fillet

Ray Fillet is often forgotten, or at least overlooked, as a supporting character in Turtles lore, but he hasn’t been entirely absent from the franchise. Notably, Fillet appeared in the 2023 animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, voiced by Post Malone. Still, the character is arguably waiting for his defining contemporary arc.

That could come in Saturday Morning Adventures; the fan-favorite series would be the best platform for giving Ray Fillet his time to shine as a star in the extended TMNT universe. That said, Fillet is just one of many characters that the creators of Saturday Morning Adventures have on their minds.

“We get 20 pages a month,” Erik Burnham reminded readers, and clearly the Saturday Morning Adventure is brimming with ideas. Should the series continue in perpetuity, though, readers shouldn’t be surprised when Ray Fillet evendually does show up and reminds everyone why he is a classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character.