“You just have to enjoy weird, gory heroes.” – THE TOXIC AVENGER VS. THE NOXIOUS OFFENDER Comic Book Series Interview with Matt Bors – Daily Dead
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“You just have to enjoy weird, gory heroes.” – THE TOXIC AVENGER VS. THE NOXIOUS OFFENDER Comic Book Series Interview with Matt Bors
2026/08/27 16:56:14 +00:00 | Jonathan James
“This fall the Toxic Avenger will come face to face with his evil duplicate, The Noxious Offender, in a five-part, can’t-miss comic book event extravaganza by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist writer Matt Bors and acclaimed artist Felipe Sobreiro. The series, titled THE TOXIC AVENGER VS. THE NOXIOUS OFFENDER, will mark the first ever appearance of the Noxious Offender in a comic book series. To commemorate this event, AHOY Comics and legendary independent movie studio Troma Entertainment will release a series of collectible variant covers, including a main cover by Bors, a photo cover from Troma Entertainment, and an homage cover to a classic comic by artist Greg Scott (High Heaven). TOXIE VS. NOXIE #1 will ooze its way into a store near you this October 2026!”
Ahead of the release of The Toxic Avenger vs. the Noxious Offender #1 this October, we caught up with Matt Bors to learn all about the upcoming series, his love of Citizen Toxie, his approach to tackling serious topics with humor, and more. We also have a 5-page preview you can read right now!
Bringing The Noxious Offender into the comic book world is a huge deal for fans of the franchise. What made now the perfect time to bring him in to face Toxie?
Matt Bors: Doing the dark universe counterpart of a hero in comic books is almost a right of passage. After establishing the universe we are in and some new adventures like Toxie Goes to Washington, I wanted to circle back to something more character focused and there’s nothing more character focused than yourself, but as an asshole. Our Noxie is an incel school shooter—not typically hilarious stuff. We want to make him a real menace, an obscenely violent twisted version of our character who was broken long before he was melted by toxic waste. We are doing something different with Noxie and as the story goes on, readers will see how it fits within long-running plots we have had going since these comics launched.
Can you talk about what you love aboutCitizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IVand The Noxious Offender that you wanted to translate into the comic book medium?
Matt Bors: That movie is so over-the-top I cannot even try to better it, so I’m not attempting that. It’s got Mad Cowboy, Sgt. Kabukiman, and Dolphin Man before you even get to Noxie. All that violent gonzo energy and character design would translate well to comics, but we are focusing like a laser on Noxie and what makes him tick. I don’t know the exact story behind the creation of the movie, but I have to assume they are playing with the comic book trope—this dark universe version is very common in comics, overdone in many ways, but I think we have an angle that works and lends something new to the mythology. There is even a new use of the concept “Citizen Toxie” in our series.
As for the movie, The Toxic Avenger IV, the Diaper Mafia also cracks me the fuck up. I’m using them down the road…
For this mini-series, what real-world struggles did you want to tackle in this fantastical setting?
Matt Bors: Toxie and Yvonne are going to have a mutant baby, despite the risks of a toxic waste-based pregnancy, as Noxie arrives and violently takes over his life. As I mentioned, our Noxie is a school shooter—that’s how he dealt with his bullies in his universe and that has everything to do with his own upbringing. So we are dealing with some pretty heavy themes and we are leavening that with a lot of humor, action, and body horror. But we’re not being flip about it all either. As with my seriesJustice Warriors, I like to mix the highbrow and lowbrow. Real world issues in a weird mutant comic. The serious and the stupid can coexist. This is the promise of comic books.
Can you talk about your approach to mixing humor, ooze, and serious topics in the world ofThe Toxic Avenger?
Matt Bors: I come from the world of political cartooning, so I like punchy writing and talking about everything that is fucked up in our world—it’s a long list and we’re adding to it every day. I’m also a longtime fan of genre fiction—mutants and gore, please, but make it substantive. Make it about something. I don’t abide by the idea that something is more serious or literary by shedding jokes and genre and the more engaging elements of fiction, particularly movies and comics. These are vehicles for discussing and processing our world, but that doesn’t mean things have to be dour, doomer, or—worse—boring. To hell with that.
What has your experience been with long-time fans of the franchise who are getting all-new adventures through your stories?
Matt Bors: I hear from Troma and Troma fans all the time and everyone seems to love it and be very supportive. Lloyd Kaufman and the fine people in the Troma offices are in touch regularly and give us their blessings. There wasn’t a lot done with the character for a long time and now we have a long-running comic book series, new movie, and a video game on the way. And this isn’t garbage pumped out for fan service—it’s new takes on the original material that fans can appreciate while bringing in new readers. I don’t think you have to have grown up on the movie to enjoy this comic book. You just have to enjoy weird, gory heroes.
Can you give a tease of what awaits readers inThe Toxic Avenger vs. The Noxious Offender?
Matt Bors: The setup is only the setup. I can’t give everything away. But I mentioned a new concept behind the phrase “Citizen Toxie” and there may be some fallout from the previous storylines…
Synopsis: “An evil duplicate of Toxie appears in our dimension… How he came to this main universe, and why, is a mystery—but it seems to relate to Toxie’s long-lost estranged dad, who left him and his mother when he was five, suddenly showing up trying to be involved in his life. Meanwhile Toxie’s girlfriend Yvonne is pregnant with Toxie’s mutant baby and the two are deciding to become young parents. Toxie wants to become a father—and a good one—but first he must confront his dark side, who begins ruling Tromaville in his name and changing the rules. Will Toxie and Yvonne save Tromaville from—er—himself? Will Toxie be a better father than the disastrous Hugh J Payne? Will the real Toxic Avenger please stand up?!”
The first issue of The Toxic Avenger vs. the Noxious Offender will be released on October 7th, with a pre-order (FOC) deadline of September 7th. For more details on The Toxic Avenger vs. the Noxious Offender #1 from Ahoy Comics, visit: https://comicsahoy.com/comics/toxic-avenger-vs-noxious-offender-1
The Toxic Avenger vs. the Noxious Offender #1
Story: Matt Bors
Cover: Matt Bors, Greg Scott
Art: Felipe Sobreiro
- About the Author – Jonathan James
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead’s talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
Read Jonathan’s Articles
-
After more than a decade as a consultant in the entertainment industry, Jonathan James launched Daily Dead in 2010 to share his passion for horror. He takes immense pride in Daily Dead’s talented team of writers, who passionately explore and celebrate horror as a respected art form capable of telling complex, character-driven stories with deep emotional and cultural impact.
Over the course of his career, Jonathan has written more than 10,000 articles and hosted panels at major conventions, including New York Comic Con and San Diego Comic-Con. He is also consulted with as an expert on horror and pop culture, offering insights on horror history and the latest trends through media outlets, film festivals, and conventions.
Read Jonathan’s Articles
