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A letter from Paul Levitz

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

By David Hyde

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your efforts, your support, and your contributions to DC Comics over the long years that I’ve had the honor of serving as part of DC’s leadership team. Together, our staff, creative contributors, readers, retailers and business partners have helped bring us to the beginning of what looks to be a new golden age for comics in the United States, and one that will bring more respect for the talent and the medium.

It will come as no surprise to anyone who’s heard me answer a comic convention request, “When are you going to do more Legion stories?” that I’m going to step away from my executive desk in coming months to resume my writing career, in comics and hopefully other forms as well. One of the lessons I learned from my many great teachers, from Frank McCourt through Joe Orlando and Jenette Kahn, is that creative work is more enduring than executive acts, and I look forward to adding to the stories I’ve told. Expect to see my byline at DC, as it has appeared for almost 37 years, adding what I can to a mythology and company that has my enduring affection, and expect to see me around the world of comics, which I hope never to leave. I already hear Karen and Dan sharpening their blue pencils with glee, waiting for my first pages.

DC will remain in the hands of the people who have had ultimate responsibility for its success throughout the past two decades, the management team of Warner Bros., headed by Barry Meyer and Alan Horn. They have encouraged our growth as a creative enterprise, and I have confidence that the people they will select to join the DC team, beginning with Diane Nelson, will do their best to make DC a success. While that transition process is taking place, I’ll continue to run DC until the baton can be carefully passed, and afterwards will have a role in which I can provide my advice and help.

On a personal note, I deeply appreciate the warmth and friendship I have found in these halls since my first visit, as a 13 year old comics fan. The relationships I have made here, including one that began in a DC circulation meeting and developed into the first DC marriage in four decades (thereby rebooting a grand tradition?), have been and will remain central to my life.

And now, if you forgive me, the future is calling.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 12:20 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

13 Responses to “A letter from Paul Levitz”

  1. Ricardo says on September 9th, 2009 at 12:30 pm :

    Levitz back to the Legion? That’s such good news! Hopefully, we’ll see Giffen as contributing artist for a while!

  2. Ricardo says on September 9th, 2009 at 12:31 pm :

    And we don’t have to say how lucky we were (as readers) to have Paul Levitz taking care of DC for so long. I still cherish my personal letter gotten from him when I was 16 years old, asking for tips on how to be an editor… He was that nice.

  3. meisterlegion says on September 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm :

    Best wishes as you continue in your creative profession Paul; looking forward to your work.

  4. talos1 says on September 9th, 2009 at 1:32 pm :

    As am I sir! :)

  5. ljacone says on September 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm :

    Thanks for everything, Paul, and thanks for everything that is still to come!

  6. virtualbri says on September 9th, 2009 at 2:47 pm :

    Thank you Mr. Levitz, for everything.

    Hope you get a full Legion title soon.

  7. dhacker615 says on September 9th, 2009 at 3:29 pm :

    Not many executives change an industry and even fewer change it for the better. Mr. Levitz did both during his tenure.

  8. blamken says on September 9th, 2009 at 4:07 pm :

    Very best wishes, Paul, for wherever the future takes you.

  9. kauffinbauchser says on September 9th, 2009 at 4:58 pm :

    Looking forward to reading Legion

  10. druzhba says on September 9th, 2009 at 6:13 pm :

    Thanks So Much Mr. Levitz !!!!

    The industry change, but the talent that created the industry prevails.

  11. monitorprime says on September 9th, 2009 at 8:02 pm :

    thanx for being an excellent pres. to dc in leading the way as u did for the company,in terms of overall creativity thru your writers and artists, with Crisis on Infinite Earths being one of your best stories ever at dc as vp at the time. although u will be stepping down,at least u will still be around to help guide it into the next 75 yrs. as a consultant after 2010. i will also be waiting very expectantly for your excellent writing,having grown up on your stories over the years,especially on the jsa during the unfortunately short-lived all-star/adventure comics revival during the late 70’s,as well as most of your legion stories of the early 80’s. may the future always be bright for you,like it almost always was in the 30th/31st century for the legion.

  12. supermanfanpodcast says on September 9th, 2009 at 9:01 pm :

    Paul,
    You said creator contributions last longer than executive contributions, but between you and Jeanette Kahn creators are now fairly compensated for their work, a vast improvement over what comic pioneers got. I look forward to reading your stories again, especially on the Legion. I returned to comics after your run on the Legion ended, so I’m not going to miss this second chance. As an executive you left DC Comics better than you found it.

  13. Panels of Awesome! » SCU: Kirby’s Heirs, Levitz Leaving, $1.99 Comics? says on September 22nd, 2009 at 12:14 am :

    [...] to discuss it so what better time than now to talk about Paul Levitz stepping down as DC President (link) as well as the formation of DC Entertainment. (link) I think it’s a welcome change to [...]

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