Humanoids Promotes Mark Waid To Publisher
John F. Trent
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Mark Waid has been promoted to publisher at Humanoids. He previously held the role of Director of Creative Development.
In a press release, Waid’s new duty as publisher will see him “lead the content strategy for Humanoids’ LA-based.” He will also take “the reins as day-to-day creative lead for the company.” Other duties include “overseeing editorial, sales and marketing; expanding Humanoids’ relationships within the creative community; and deepening its ties to retailers and librarians.”
Waid will report directly to Humanoids CEO Fabrice Giger, who previously held the role of Publisher and CEO. Giger described Waid’s promotion as “significant passing of the baton.”
“Humanoids is internationally renowned for its history of publishing prestigious, groundbreaking graphic novels,” said Humanoids CEO Fabrice Giger. “With his passion for publishing, respect for the medium’s past, attention to today’s political and cultural landscapes, and keen eye for spotting talent, Mark Waid is perfectly suited to lead the Humanoids publishing team as the new Publisher of Humanoids English-language efforts. We are thrilled with the work that Mark has done and it was time to expand his responsibilities. It’s a significant passing of the baton.”
“Fabrice Giger founded Humanoids in Los Angeles in 1998 with the goal of introducing American readers to the European masterworks by creators like Jodorowsky, Mœbius, Gimenez, and Manara and these classics remain the foundation of Humanoids,” said Waid. “As we look to the future, Humanoids’ publishing slate will honor the legacy of those iconic books, while continuing to innovate and experiment with new publishing initiatives like Life Drawn, BIG and H1.”
Waid’s promotion to Publisher coincides with the company’s plans to return to the world of The Incal by Mœbius and Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Waid will write a brand new story in the world of The Incal titled We Are Humanoids Featuring The Incal alongside artist Stéphane Roux and colorist Hi-Fi. The story will be published as part of Humanoids Free Comic Book Day initiative, which plans to introduce readers to Humanoids, The Incal, and other upcoming projects.
“Forty years ago, Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius redefined the comics medium with their revolutionary storytelling in THE INCAL,” said Mark Waid. “Our Free Comic Book Day story pays tribute to that iconic science fiction epic, while introducing its characters to a new generation of readers everywhere.”
One of those new projects is an oversized hardcover coffee table edition of The Seven Lives of Alejandro Jodorowsky compiled and curated by Vincent Bernière & Nicolas Tellop. The book is described as “an appreciation of the legendary filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky and provides a definitive overview of his many creative ventures, including his comics writing, his passion and contribution to Tarot, his life in the theater, his rebirth as a 70s cinematic cult figure and his legendary work on the unfinished film adaptation of Dune.”
Another project will be two 40th Anniversary Trade Paperback Editions of The Incal by Alejandro Jodorowsky and artist Mœbius. They will feature an introduction by current DC Comics writer Brian Michael Bendis.
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The first of these trade paperbacks will be marketed to comic book stores in time for Free Comic Book Day, while the second edition will be a mass market edition featuring the yellow Difool cover for bookstores.
Humanoids will also publish a trade paperback of Barbarella by Jean-Claude Forest and adapted by Kelly Sue DeConnick. This trade paperback edition includes the original Barbarella story and its sequel The Wrath of the Minute Eater. It is expected to go on sale on June 17, 2020.
Finally, Humanoids will also publish a re-issue of Metal Hurlant: Selected Works Moebius, Druillet, and Dionnet. This will include highlights from Humanoids 2002 13-issue anthology which included stories by Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek, Guy Davis, Jerome Opena, and others.
Waid also provided an update on other projects in the works from Humanoids.
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“Humanoids has a wildly ambitious lineup of releases for 2020,” said Waid. “And it’s not just a celebration of our past. No genre is off-limits, no audience left behind. We’ve got NICNEVIN AND THE BLOODY QUEEN, a haunting and unsettling coming-of-age horror story by Helen Mullane, Dom Reardon, Matthew Dow Smith, Lee Loughridge and Jock. We’ve got MPLS SOUND by writers Hannibal Tabu and Joseph Illidge, with art by Meredith Laxton, colors by Tan Shu, and a cover by Jen Bartel, an aspirational graphic novel about a fictional band inspired, and later guided by, Prince himself that was recently announced at the Apollo Theater. We’ve got some brilliant non-fiction on the slate. We’ve got a wide array of books in progress for young readers and the YA audience that we’ll be announcing soon. That range of storytelling and ambition illustrates where our focus is in 2020–and where Humanoids goes from here.”
What do you make of Mark Waid getting promoted to Publisher? Do any of these Humanoid titles interest you?
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