Mark Waid Named Publisher of Humanoids
Los Angeles based comics publisher Humanoids has named Eisner award winner Mark Waid as Publisher. In that role, Waid will be in charge of content strategy for the company. He will report to CEO Fabrice Giger and work to expand Humanoids’ relationships within the creative community, according to the press release.
“Humanoids is internationally renowned for its history of publishing prestigious, groundbreaking graphic novels,” said 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 had previously been serving as the company’s Director of Creative Development. Over the past few months, he and co-writer Kwanza Osajefyo have worked with artist Phil Briones on Ignited, which follows a number of students whose powers manifest following a school shooting crisis. The book has met mixed reviews, with some calling out Waid and Osajefyo for promoting terrorists as “activists”. According to Comichron, comic book shops ordered just over 1,400 copies of issue number six to sell at the retail level.
Waid has been involved in the comics industry since the mid-1980s. His first story was published in Action Comics #572. He has served as an editor at DC Comics, as well as Boom! Studios. He’s written for DC, Marvel — including the Eisner Award winning run on Daredevil — Boom!, and Humanoids. Notable titles in his run include Doctor Strange, The Champions, Kingdom Come, and Superman: Birthright.
Waid is also the target of a lawsuit from Richard C. Meyer, who is accusing Waid of tortious interference and defamation in relation to a publishing contract with Antarctic Press. Meyer alleges that Antarctic dropped the contract after a threatening phone call from Waid. The case has been slowly moving through the court system in Texas.
[photo of Mark Waid by Jerry Frissen]
