DC Comics Bloodbath

[Apparition]

DC Comics as we know it, and the DC Universe streaming service were both effectively killed yesterday by AT&T.  There's a lot of rumors and articles floating around, but:

 

Much of the DC Comics editorial staff is gone.  DC Direct (their statue and toys line), is dead.  Word is that they've been ordered to effectively phase out of comic book shops entirely and focus on digital (Comixology, etc.), and bookstores.  It's extremely ugly.

 

 

From Hollywood Reporter:

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The majority of staff of the streaming service DC Universe has been laid off, as has editor-in-chief Bob Harras and multiple other executives on the publishing side.

 

Monday's WarnerMedia layoffs have affected a significant number of high-level figures at comic book powerhouse DC, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

 

Among those said to be losing their positions are editor-in-chief Bob Harris, senior VP of publishing strategy and support services Hank Kanalz, VP of marketing and creative services Jonah Weiland, VP global publishing initiatives and digital strategy Bobbie Chase, senior story editor Brian Cunningham, and executive editor Mark Doyle, who oversaw the rollout of the Black Label graphic novels. Jim Lee remains the CCO.

 

Roughly one third of DC's editorial ranks are being laid off, according to sources.

 

Insiders also say the majority of the staff of the streaming service DC Universe has been laid off, a move that had been widely expected as WarnerMedia shifts its focus to new streaming service HBO Max.

 

"DC Universe was DOA as soon as the AT&T merger happened,” said one source.

 

 

 

From Bleeding Cool:

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Earlier today, Bleeding Cool posted the news that DC Comics staffers, along with the rest of Warner Bros were undergoing a downsizing of staff. At the time, we were lead to believe that the brunt would be felt by DC Universe, as part of an alignment of streaming services being offered. But instead, it became rapidly clear that DC Comics editorial was being targeted in a major way for such changes. With everyone describing this as the DC Bloodbath – or New DC Implosion – and on a Monday as well.

 

This New DC Implosion seems to have all-but-confirmed the departure of Mark Doyle, Executive Editor at DC Black Label. Other named, repeatedly now, include DC Editor-In-Chief Bob Harras. Vice President, Global Publishing Initiatives & Digital Strategy Bobbie Chase. DC Editor Andy Khouri, DC Senior Story Editor Brian Cunningham, and SVP Publishing Strategy & Support Services at DC, Hank Kanalz. That DC Collectibles will be wound up as a line of statues and toys, with the rights licensed elsewhere to the like of Mattel or Hasbro.

 

But we are now getting a better shape as to what DC Comics will be looking like going forward. Because, as to whether Jim Lee remains as COO and Publisher, I am told that he will be transitioning out of that role, with current Executive Editor of Global Publishing Initiatives & Digital Strategy at DC Comics Marie Javins and Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Children's/Young Adult Michele Wells promoted, effectively running publishing, and reporting to Jim. For now.

 

But I have also been told that Eddy Choi, Executive Assistant to Jim Lee, Sandy Resnick, International Publishing, Ad Sales & Custom Creative Studio and Sara Haskell, Marketing Director are out. As are Michael Shelling, Director of Publicity (Publishing) at DC. Jonah Weiland, VP of Marketing & Creative Services and Jim Sokolowski, VP, Comic Book Specialty & Newsstand Sales, have also been laid off.

 

[...]

But I am told that these layoffs will have an immediate effect on the publication of DC Comics monthly titles, and I am to expect a rapid reduction of titles. If you thought DC Comics published an unhealthy percentage of Batman books, you ain't seen nothing yet. The Batbooks, most of the Justice League books and some of the Superman books will stay safe, as will the digital line, the original graphic novel line. But a lot of comics will have to disappear as there simply aren't enough people to work on them. Scott Snyder will be very grateful for Marie Javins' elevated role…

 

Because the plan is for publishing to definitely continue, but I am to expect a greater emphasis on digital and bookstore rather than the comic book shop, for now at least.

 

 

 

From Comics Beat:

 

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The end of DC Collectibles, if true, is also huge and telling. While I’m not going to run any more names until I have more concrete information, from everything I’m hearing this is a huge and significant downsizing of DC’s publishing operations that will have huge ripple effects across the entire COVID-scarred comics industry landscape. It’s impossible to see this as anything but a huge sign of disinterest in the comics publishing business by AT&T, WarnerMedia and the Global Brands division. While other WB divisions also faced severe layoffs, losing such a huge swath of the executive leadership at DC is a lot more than just more layoffs.

 

 

[ShardWarrior]

Wow!  I wonder what this means for the film franchises going forward?  Sad news.

[Apparition]

Rumor is that the DC Comics collections department (i.e. those who make and publish the hardcover and trade paperback collections), has been severely cut as well. The supposed plan for DC Comics now is no more collections of old material like the Silver Age omnibuses and to phase out of the monthly floppy market, and to now focus on digital serial comic books which will then be eventually collected into hardcover and sold at bookstores, and original graphic novels. The DC Comics collection department was severely cut because they no longer need to painstakingly restore old material (who reads old comic books am I right?), and just easily collect and package the new digital comic books for bookstores.

[Heraclea]

Still rather sad, or rather wistful. but DC has been flushing itself down the tubes for years.  Twaddle like Batman v. Superman, current event boks like Death Metal and DCeased (notice a common thread?  I thought you could) are simply at odds with the way their flagship characters ought to be written.  Sacking the people who dragged them in this direction like DiDio and Harras might have been a good fresh start. 

 

FWIW I have enjoyed some of the digital first titles they've been making.  Stuff like Superman: Man of Tomorrow has remarkable virtues: stories told in a single issue (a lost art!) and clean and attractive DC style art gave me the luxury of thinking that things were turning around.  May have been too little, too late.

[Grindingsucks]

Disney sends their chief negotiator, Mickey Mouse, to the DC Corporate office...

 

"Say, pal, I heard you guys were going through a rough time.  Have we got a deal for you! Huh-huh!"

 

 

[DougGraves]

There is no way that the main characters will just go away.  They are too valuable as IP. 

 

But as someone who loathed the main DC characters and loved the fringe characters (from Blue Beetle to Blue Demon) I am sad if they go away.

[Techwright]

On 8/11/2020 at 9:07 AM, Apparition said:

DC Comics as we know it, and the DC Universe streaming service were both effectively killed yesterday by AT&T.  There's a lot of rumors and articles floating around,...

 

We're about 5-6 months down the road from the original announcement.  What's the latest on this?

Edited February 3, 2021 by Techwright

[RufusPentecost]

Almost a year later, after the original post:

 

DC Comics never stopped publishing and doesn't appear to be doing so in the immediate future.

I buy new DC Comics every week.  The solicitations for the upcoming months keep coming.  New mini-series and new series keep getting announced.  

 

DC Comics didn't die.  This thread was a sky-is-falling situation.  Some things did shake up.  People did get fired.  The line of comics did shrink.  DC Comics, though, did NOT die.

 

Here is a link to their September 2021 solicitations....

https://comicbookdispatch.com/september-2021-dc-comic-solicitations/

 

Here is a link to their October 2021 solicitations....

https://www.cbr.com/dc-comics-solicitations-october-2021/

[Techwright]

Some of the water cooler talk at work about this last month suggested the situation was resolved around shutting down the printing operation and converting everything to digital.  So did that not happen?  Or is it still going to happen?

[RufusPentecost]

35 minutes ago, Techwright said:

Some of the water cooler talk at work about this last month suggested the situation was resolved around shutting down the printing operation and converting everything to digital.  So did that not happen?  Or is it still going to happen?

 

I suppose anything could happen, but there isn't really any indication something like that is in the works.  Everything appears to be business as usual.  For an entire year after the sky was supposedly falling, DC kept making physical comics, just like they've always been doing.  They sell less than Marvel, which is normal, but they still made up almost a third of comic shop sales in the first quarter of 2021.  

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/438242/comic-direct-market-share/

 

In May 2021, they had half of the top ten sellers, including the number one title. 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2021 by RufusPentecost