Anyone who has been paying close attention to the comings and goings in the comics industry over the past few months may have noticed some spectacular changes, including two big names seemingly becoming free agents after leaving their respective jobs — which left many people speculating about what might happen next. Now we know, because former Boom! Studios president Filip Sablik and former IDW editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich have joined forces to form a new publishing company… and they have a few surprise names in the running for the company, too.
At the new publisher – whose name has not yet been announced – Sablik will take on the role of publisher, while Rich will serve as editor-in-chief – a role he has held not only at IDW Publishing, but also at Tapas Media and Oni Press. As that suggests, Rich has quite the resume: He was also a group editor at DC, and at various times during his time there he managed both the Batman and Justice League groups, as well as Vertigo/DC’s Young Animal imprints. Sablik is no slouch when it comes to experience, either: In addition to his 12 years at Boom! Studios, he has worked with both Top Cow and Diamond Comic Distributors.
Joining the two executives is Jeremy Haun, known for his work as a creator on projects such as Marvel’s Captain America, DC’s Batman and Constantine, as well as a number of works of his own writing including 40 Seconds, The Beauty and his recent anthology collection Hauntology. Given his 20+ years of experience as a writer and artist, it’s not surprising that he’s taking on a creative role in the new venture; he’ll become the publisher’s creative director.
The man behind the whole project is Eric Gitter, a name that may not be immediately familiar to comic book watchers, but his work is perhaps far more well-known; Gitter is a film and television producer and was one of the people responsible for the film “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” (2010), “Atomic Blonde” (2017) – based on the graphic novel “The Coldest City” by Oni Press – and the Netflix films “Extraction”, the Also is based on a 2014 comic book, Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe and Anthony Russo, and Fernando Leon Gonzalez. Gitter previously ran the film division of Oni Press in addition to his own company, Closed on Mondays. Gitter is the founder of the new publishing company, which is represented by WME and attorneys Fred Goodman and Rich Marin of Marin Goodman, LLP.
More information about the publisher – including its name and initial release list – will be announced at a later date, according to the company.
