Some moves at Archie and Oni-Lion Forge this morning. Alex Segura, who has served in numerous roles off and on at Archie Comics over the past fifteen-odd years, including as the co-president since 2017, has departed the publisher for Oni-Lion Forge, where he will act as their new Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. Meanwhile, Archie has promoted two longtime employees, Jamie Lee Rotante and Ron Cacace. Rotante becomes Archie’s new Senior Director of Editorial, while Cacace will hold the title of Director of Publicity and Social Media.

During his three non-consecutive stints at Archie, Segura has worn several hats on the publisher’s marketing team, from publicity coordinator, to VP of publicity and marketing, to senior VP of publicity and marketing. Segura also edited the Dark Circle line of titles, and has worked on initiatives including the 2015 revamp of the publisher’s line of core titles, the expansion of the Archie Horror line, and the debut of Archie’s first original graphic novels.

In an official statement announcing the move, which was publicized this morning by Publishers Weekly, Segura expressed his excitement at the move:

“While it’s been an amazing honor and privilege to call Riverdale my professional and creative home for over a decade, when Oni-Lion Forge approached me with this opportunity, I couldn’t say no,” said Segura. “Getting the chance to help amplify the ever-expanding, talented, and diverse voices at Oni is a great fit, and I’m so excited to be part of the team behind some of my favorite comics ever. Looking forward to diving in and spreading the word on all things Oni.”

James Lucas Jones and Charlie Chu of Oni-Lion Forge praised Segura, and likened him to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson because why not:

“Not unlike what Dwayne Johnson delivers to blockbuster movies, Alex brings experience, talent, and charisma unmatched in comics publishing,” added James Lucas Jones, Publisher of Oni-Lion Forge. “His track record of smart decision-making is a matter of public record and his many long relationships across virtually all vectors of our business gives him a uniquely advantageous position in our industry. He brings so much to the team that it’s impossible to list. We’d be here all day.”

“Alex joining Oni-Lion Forge leadership is my favorite injection of excitement to any team since they added The Rock to FAST 5,” commented Executive Vice President, Creative & Business Development, Charlie Chu.

Archie’s new Senior Director of Editorial Jamie Lee Rotante has been with the publisher since 2011, where she has served as an Editorial Assistant/Proofreader and as an Assistant Editor/Proofreader. She has also written a number of series for the publisher, including Betty & Veronica: Vixens and Betty & Veronica: Senior Year. She also wrote the first of Archie’s aforementioned original graphic novels, Betty & Veronica: The Bond of Friendship.

In a statement on the promotion, Rotante expressed her enthusiasm at bringing Archie to a new generation of readers:

“I’ve spent not only the last eleven years at Archie working with these characters, but the better part of my life as a fan,” said Rotante. “I’m so grateful to Jon Goldwater for giving me countless opportunities to share my ideas and help usher these characters into a new era, and that’s exactly what I plan on continuing. We’re currently in Archie’s landmark 80th year, and while we’re celebrating its history, we’re also looking to its future. I’m honored to help keep these comics current and forward-moving, hoping to reach even more generations of fans to come.”

Ron Cacace, Archie’s new Director of Social Media and Publicity, has been the publisher’s Publicity Manager since 2017. As the manager of Archie’s social media accounts, Cacace is perhaps best known for this viral banger from 2019, which coincided with then-current events:

(Happy belated two-year birthday, tweet!)

Cacace also writes Archie’s first webcomic, the weekly Bite-Sized Archie with artist Vincent Lovallo, which he then posts on Archie’s social media accounts.

In the statement, Cacace described his philosophy when it comes to marketing and social media:

“Comics are my life-long passion and I’m incredibly lucky to be able to share my enthusiasm for the medium and everything Archie Comics has to offer through ridiculous tweets, overwritten press releases, rambling quotes and more,” said Cacace. “Our goal is to find fun and exciting ways to welcome new Archie Comics readers to the fold while continuing to put smiles on the faces of our dedicated fans. When we engage openly and honestly with our community, it creates a lasting connection that is invaluable. That’s something I’m excited to double-down on as we move forward with new projects in all areas of the company.”

Congratulations to Alex, Jamie, and Ron on their new roles. The Beat wishes all three of them continued success.