DC Comics has reportedly experienced a major shake-up, with editor-in-chief Bob Harras and several other editors among the employees who were fired and Jim Lee removed from his publishing role. ComicBook.com has learned that several contributors including Harras, editors Mark Doyle, Brian Cunningham, and Andy Khouri, VP of marketing Jonah Weiland, senior VP of Hank Kanalz, and VP of global publishing initiatives and digital strategy Bobbie Chase are all from the publisher. Lee remains with the company as Chief Creative Officer of DC, but ComicBook.com has learned that he no longer holds the title of publisher. Lee’s new role will be to act as a liaison between DC and other Warner Media brands. ComicBook.com has also learned that Warner Bros. is in talks to bring in a new general manager “from the world of esports” to lead the division, but talks have not yet been finalized. More cuts are also expected. ComicBook.com has reached out to DC Comics for comment, but has not received a response from the press release.
The layoffs are part of a broader restructuring at parent company Warner Bros., caused by the entertainment company experiencing huge dips in profits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Warner Bros. has reportedly laid off about 600 employees, including CFO Kim Williams. As part of this restructuring, Warner Bros. is expected to close. HBO Max “increases” and expands its scope worldwide, which is expected to lead to a closure of the DC streaming service. ComicBook.com has learned that most of DC Universe’s staff were also fired as part of today’s cuts.
The news comes as Warner Bros. prepares to launch its DC FanDome event, a massive online event meant to replace some of the buzz and excitement typically found at conventions such as San Diego Comic-Con. However, DC FanDome also represents some of the challenges that Warner Bros. faces. have faced in recent months – the company had to expect its zeal Wonder Woman 1984 film due to cascading theater shutdowns, and it has also seen production of several TV projects delayed due to the pandemic. DC Comics was immediately affected by the pandemic when comics in the US were forced to close for almost a month after Diamond Comics announced that it was closing due to security concerns. DC ended the forced industry-wide shutdown when it announced it was working with newly formed alternative distributors. DC later terminated its exclusive distribution contract with Diamond in favor of these new distributors.
While DC has announced several high profile projects such as Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ Rohrshach, other long-term plans for the company have apparently been months, even before the pandemic temporarily shuts down the direct market of strip transport.
DC has faced several challenges in recent years, ranging from the unsuccessful launch of a plan Generation event intended to unite the various eras of the DC Universe in a more coherent continuity to the bad PR related to the company Black Label, a “mature” line of comic books with a mix of stories of continuity and out of continuity. When the company lost market share to rival Marvel Comics, Warner Bros. fired. longtime DC Comics publisher Dan DiDio earlier this year. DC has also suffered from mixed appearances in the office, with underperforming films leading up to Geoff Johns, whose career was built on the success of his comic books, and ended as executive of DC Entertainment. Johns remains a producer for Warner Bros. and co-wrote the play for Wonder Woman 1984. Warner Bros. also shook publication of MAD magazine in 2019.
However, despite his craving in the film and direct comics market, DC has found success in bookstores thanks to a line of graphic novels aimed at young readers. ComicBook.com has yet to hear a word about future plans for those publishing plans.
ComicBook.com will continue to report on these releases as more news becomes available.
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