Erik Burnham

Erik Burnham didn’t set out to become one of comics’ most reliable licensed-property writers. He just wanted to make something cool. After years working in broadcasting and retail in Minnesota, Burnham took a crack at comics in the early 2000s with the Nick Landime feature in the Shooting Star Comics Anthology—and the positive reception kept him going. What started as a creative side project became a career that now spans more than two decades, seven publishers, and some of the most beloved franchises in pop culture.

His defining run came at IDW Publishing, where he and artist Dan Schoening tackled the Ghostbusters comic books for a remarkable ten-year stretch beginning in 2011. The series earned critical acclaim for its faithful yet inventive expansion of the Ghostbusters universe, blending sharp comedy with genuine supernatural horror across over 75 issues. In 2016, Burnham co-wrote the official Tobin’s Spirit Guide with illustrator Kyle Hotz—an in-universe reference book written from the fictional perspective of Dr. Egon Spengler and Dr. Ray Stantz that became a must-have for fans of the franchise.

But Burnham’s range extends far beyond ghostbusting. He’s written extensively for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles across multiple series and formats, including the beloved Saturday Morning Adventures with artist Sarah Myer—a love letter to the 1987 cartoon that captures the gleeful absurdity of Saturday morning TV. He penned Transformers: Beast Wars for IDW, bringing the classic CGI series to comics form with new characters and stories. And in 2026, he’s been writing Archie x Army of Darkness for Dynamite, a comedy-horror crossover that has him grinning about the chance to play in two sandboxes at once.

On the creator-owned side, Burnham’s Downside webcomic explores a darker, more personal creative space, while Potions Inc (Mad Cave Studios, illustrated by Stelladia) presents a fantasy adventure about a reluctant potion-shop heir answering the call of adventure. His first prose novel, The Last Ronin—adapted from the hit TMNT graphic novel—arrived in 2026 with new illustrations by Isaac and Esau Escorza, marking a new chapter in his storytelling career.

He contributed to the A Wave Blue World anthology All We Ever Wanted: Stories of a Better World, a Ringo Award-nominated collection of 24 sci-fi short stories presenting optimistic visions of the future. The anthology was featured by The New York Times as one of the season’s essential comics, and Burnham’s story sits alongside work from dozens of top-tier creators.

When he’s not writing scripts, Burnham posts regular updates on his blog Burnhamania! about upcoming releases and convention appearances, including Twin Cities Con in November 2026. He remains based in Brainerd, Minnesota, where—despite persistent rumors—he has yet to be convinced that the other 49 states are worth the trip.