DC Entertainment announced today its new executive team.
But first, some background:
In September 2009, Warner Brothers Entertainment, which owns DC Comics, announced it was restructuring the publishing company to form DC Entertainment. The purpose of the restructuring was to create more synergies (love that word!) between publishing, film, television, video game, and consumer product divisions. Remember that kerfluffle between Warner Brothers and Fox last year over the Watchmen movie? That’s what happens when you don’t synergize your shit.
The restructuring essentially required long-time comic book editor and publisher Paul Levitz, who had been DC Comics’s president since 2002, to step down or be ousted or whatever. Diane Nelson, who oversaw among other projects the Harry Potter marketing campaign, assumed the role of President of DC Entertainment.
Following is DC Entertainment’s new executive team, announced today by Nelson. I’m cribbing their biographies directly from Nelson’s press release.
Jim Lee
One of the top artists and creators in the business. But he is also an astonishingly smart and experienced businessman. He has a calm, confident and reassuring leadership style that will be enormously valuable to every member of the DC Entertainment and DC Comics team. He is fully adept and experienced at building a publishing program on his own, and will partner with Dan in doing so, but he also brings an affinity and passion for digital that will help the DC Comics business move aggressively into the future.
Dan DiDio
One of the most passionate and energetic leaders I have ever seen. He cares deeply about these characters and stories, and equally about the people who bring them to life at and with DC Comics. He knows how to manage the day-in, day-out mechanics of the publishing program, with his own strong creative sense, and he has great experience from prior to DC in adapting stories for other platforms.
Geoff Johns
An unparalleled creative mind and a huge heart. He brings a level of enthusiasm, passion and optimism to every discussion I have with him that is so motivating. He will be instrumental in establishing the tone and culture of creative risk and business growth that we intend for DC Entertainment. And he will ensure the integrity of how we bring these characters and stories to fans across every entertainment platform.
In other words: Lee, DiDio, and Johns are all creators who have established backgrounds in comic publishing. They’ll oversee the creative aspects related to the publishing arm of DC Entertainment. I’m guessing their collective role will be similar to Paul Levitz’s at DC Comics.
John Rood
A long-time colleague and friend. I have been looking for a way to work with him again ever since we met during his first stint at Warner Bros. 10 years ago. John was smart and accomplished then, but he has built and grown his professional experience in his 10 years at ABC Family in a way that makes him uniquely qualified for the job I envisioned. John will be a passionate, innovative marketer of the DC Comics publishing program, while he helps us build DC Entertainment and its library with internal divisions across Time Warner and Warner Bros. He will treat our retail customers and our consumers like the superheroes they are. And we’re lucky to have him on this team.
In other words: Rood will start creating all of that synergy stuff everyone has been anticipating. He’ll oversee all the cross-platform marketing initiatives and branding opportunities Warner Brothers is so excited about. Superman yamakas, Bat-burgers at McDonald’s, Wonder Woman bondage ropes, Green Lantern wedding rings, and the Flash logo on Toyota accelerator pedals. All that good stuff.
Pat Caldon
What can I say about Pat that people don’t already know, particularly inside DC Comics? He is a rock. He is deeply knowledgeable and much more creatively passionate than he lets on. He cares about everyone and everything associated with DC and he will be an instrumental partner to all of us in building the company for the future.
In other words: He’s the money.
The members of the new executive team also released statements that add clarity to their individual roles within DC Entertainment:
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