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A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

By David Hyde

Change is in the air.

It can sound a little bit scary, but really, what is change? It’s about reinvention. It’s about redefining. It’s about re-energizing.

And when you think about it, change is and always has been the vital life force that has made DC Comics the premiere publishing powerhouse that it is today. From DC Comics ushering in the Golden Age of Superheroes in the late 1930’s, then boldly reinventing them for a new audience in the Silver Age in the 1960’s, to the launch of the critically acclaimed Vertigo imprint and the acquisition of WildStorm three decades later and now, the creation of DC Entertainment, this enterprise has always been about building the very best home for creators to come together to tell the most diverse, enduring and entertaining stories possible.

But you can’t just change everything, simply for the sake of change.

And that’s where we come in. With our respective experiences and history with DC and our relationships with the world’s best writers and artists, our mission is to reinvent DC Comics to prepare it for the challenges and opportunities in this quickly changing world. With the Co-Publisher structure, it’s going to allow us to be in many places at once, both literally and metaphorically; to better position DC as one of the great creative engines which fuels and defines so much of our world’s Pop Culture while making sure we continue to address and redefine what makes DC’s characters so great. Thankfully, we already have between all the talented, hardworking staffers that comprise DC, Vertigo, WildStorm and Mad—one of the greatest, most experienced editorial teams one could hope for to do just that, and we look forward to working with everyone to propel DC to new heights.

Given how long we have known each other and how well we know our individual strengths and skill sets, there’s going to be some easygoing but frank, healthy discussion about how we can accomplish these goals, especially as we get into the specifics of what reinvention means. We look forward to sharing the results of that dialogue with you going forward into the future. Till then, we would like to pause at this moment in DC Comics’ tremendously rich and storied history to simply state not only how honored we are to be chosen to carry forth its legacy but how excited we feel about the prospect of adding to it. Former DC President/Publisher Paul Levitz has been the driving force behind much of that legacy, and we owe much to his prescient guidance and steadfast professionalism. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants–thank you, Paul.

We are equally as beholden to new DCE President Diane Nelson for her faith in the all-star team she has assembled. In very short time, Diane has demonstrated to each of us through her intellect, her insight and her leadership that she is the right person to take DC to the next level. She has a tremendous vision for what DC Entertainment can be and her passion and enthusiasm have been truly inspirational; we couldn’t be any prouder to be leading the charge with her. And while DC will continue to grow, evolve and change–at the end of the day, it will always be about the words and pictures, no matter the medium, and the incredible people who craft them into art. Given our passion for this unique and wonderful art form, know that that much will always remain a constant.

Jim and Dan

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This entry was posted on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 10:20 am 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.

16 Responses to “A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio”

  1. vinniebartilucci says on February 18th, 2010 at 10:31 am :

    Jim and Dan are both savvy businessmen and have a love for comics. As opposed to someone brought in from outside who would see the books as product, they’ll have the same knowledge of them that Paul had, and will do what needs be done to protect them and the induustry as a whole.

  2. Kamandi2 says on February 18th, 2010 at 10:35 am :

    I think this is great news. I hope it also opens the door to allow some of the Vertigo characters who originated in the DCU to again be used in the DCU.

  3. jorel1983 says on February 18th, 2010 at 10:56 am :

    All I can say is the inmates are running the asylum

  4. Comics Creators Gain New Executive Super-Powers - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com says on February 18th, 2010 at 10:58 am :

    [...] a news release, DC Entertainment said that it had named Jim Lee and Dan DiDio to serve as co-publishers of its DC Comics imprint. Mr. Lee is a fan-favorite artist who got his [...]

  5. Gorbunov says on February 18th, 2010 at 11:23 am :

    Mr. Lee, since everybody is saying about new era for DC, can you please to reach for Aaron, Hickman, Fraction (i.e. people who creates new voice of new era of comics) and prevent Dan from hiring his talentless TV friends and washed-out veterans.

  6. captobtuse says on February 18th, 2010 at 11:39 am :

    So now who has day-to-day responsibility for publishing comics? Does DiDio retain “Executive Editor” responsibilities? Or will there be a new “Editor in Chief” type?

  7. meisterlegion says on February 18th, 2010 at 11:46 am :

    Being able to bounce ideas off one another is always a good synergetic approach to some of the big decisions you two fellows will be making - very excited for you both!

    And, Jim - REALLY looking forward to the online world you’ve created. I’ve seen some of the previews and I’m just in awe that you’ve brought the DC Universe to life online. I can’t wait for the release and any news you can share. I’ve missed seeing you in the books - especially Superman. But, I know you have been really busy.

  8. uberVU - social comments says on February 18th, 2010 at 12:06 pm :

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by DC_NATION: DCU: The Source - A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/02/18/a-note-from-jim-lee-and-dan-didio/...

  9. DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio : Tales from the Longbox says on February 18th, 2010 at 12:23 pm :

    [...] DC Universe: The Source » Blog Archive » A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio A note from Jim Lee and Dan DiDio [...]

  10. cdemink says on February 18th, 2010 at 12:42 pm :

    I don’t know what this all means exactly. But I hope this doesn’t mean Dan won’t be leading the panels at Cons. That guy is like Billy Mays on PCP. Talk about infectious excitement.

  11. Kooster says on February 18th, 2010 at 1:21 pm :

    Congratulations, Jim, on your new DC Comics position!

    Dan, I personally thank you staying at DC Comics!

    On a selfish note, I have to ask: Who gets to do the 20 Questions at Newsarama.com? Do each of you, Dan and Jim, have split up the questions 50-50?

    And to the very talented Mr. Lee: Can we please, please, pretty please see a finished All-Star Batman and Robin series before the end this year!?!

  12. Nod Nolan says on February 18th, 2010 at 1:35 pm :

    @ Kooster

    I’m sure 20 Questions was done under Didio’s role as Executive Editor and seeing as the press release says “DiDio most recently served as Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Universe” then the real question is who will be taking over that role.

  13. Some thoughts on DC’s new ‘executive management team’ | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment says on February 18th, 2010 at 3:16 pm :

    [...] of co-publishers just begs for comparisons to The Office, doesn’t it? (DiDio and Lee even co-wrote their first statement.) Jokes aside, the decision to shift from a single publisher to a five-person executive team is [...]

  14. Nuevos jefes para DC Comics « art nueve says on February 19th, 2010 at 5:41 am :

    [...] Lee y Dan Didio publicaron el siguiente comunicado donde dicen: Con nuestras respectivas experiencias e historia con DC y nuestra relación con los mejores [...]

  15. DC Entertainment Announces New Executive Team | Comics says on February 19th, 2010 at 3:30 pm :

    [...] Jim Lee & Dan DiDio [...]

  16. It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Innovative Comic Writing « Voices of Inquiry says on March 1st, 2010 at 12:39 am :

    [...] in comics.  DC Comics, home to such popular mainstream heroes as Batman and Superman, released a statement on February 18 announcing its new co-publishers—Jim Lee and Dan DiDio—and new creative officer [...]

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