Stephen Murphyis an American comic book writer and editor known for his work on theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesseries. With Michael Zulli, he was co-creator of the critically acclaimed 1980s independent comicThe Puma Blues. Alongside fellow Mirage staffer Ryan Brown, the two men revamped theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventurestitle 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. It also introduced several new characters of various races and backgrounds, including humans, mutants, aliens, and other anthropomorphic creatures. The stories were often seen as "deeper" and more "serious" than the cartoon. During that period, Murphy co-created the characters Jagwar, Nova Posse, Snake-Eyes, and Sarnath; he united several of the series' recurring characters as a separate team, theMighty Mutanimals. Murphy wrote the majority of his work onTMNT Adventuresunder the name "Dean Clarrain."