Publishers

A lot of changes have been announced over the last month at DC. Here's what we know or can guess.

Alex Toth fans rejoice. Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell's long-awaited book on Toth, including a biography and little seen art -- has expanded to a three volume, slip-cased edition, to be published by IDW. Toth's children, Dana and Eric, were consulted in the writing process and it promises to be a comprehensive, lavishly illustrated affair. The first volume, Genius Isolated, ships in March 2011 and spotlights his early work and life until the 60s. Genius, Illustrated follows his life in Animation, and Genius Animated includes little seen animation models and drawings. A slipcase will ship with the third volume.

Last night the mini first season of AMC’s smash insta-hit, The Walking Dead went out with a great big zombie plague origin story bang. Among the casualties were a couple of non-comic book canon characters who won’t be missed and lots of precious plot cohesion, plausibility or originality. I love the sheer, unadulterated page turn-ability of the Walking Dead comics and the first two episodes of the television show were incredibly good with the promise of even more great things to come. So it is with great regret that one of the only nice things I have to say about how the first chapter of the TV adaptation wrapped up is that new survivor Daryl and his crossbow will be around next season.

The Walking Dead wrapped up its brief 6-episode "first season" last night, and while we haven't seen the ratings yet, it's safe to say that AMC can't get the second season on fast enough. Meanwhile, the creative team has been out in force. Producer Gale Ann Hurd went to EW to pooh-pooh talk of writer firings, saying that folks were just moving on to other projects. The surviving cast has been resigned for season two. Even Hurd is surprised by how well the show has done.

With Smallville wrapping up, the WB is firing up the oven to cook up another DC-themed TV show. Now in development, rather surprisingly, Raven, the demon-spawned empath created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for the Teen Titans. Diego Gutierrez (V) is developing the concept for the CW. Raven previously appeared on TV as a Goth-type character on the Teen Titans cartoon.

This is not comics, barely animation, but it does involve The Beat's favorite handbag designer, Hayden-Harnett, which has a deal with Disney to make limited edition handbags and accessories.

On Friday, Alex Segura announced he was leaving DC Comics as Publicity Manager, and strongly hinted he'd be staying in comics. Today, it's been announced that he'll be joining Archie Comics as Executive Director of Publicity and Marketing. Segura previously freelanced as a Publicity Coordinator for Archie prior to working at Wizard and DC. Archie has recently revitalized their publishing program under the leadership of co-CEO Jon Goldwater, with news grabbing events such as showing Archie's marriage, and adding an openly gay character to Riverdale's cast of characters. They've also updated their product list with such things as an Archie Magazine and digital comics.

Just to wrap things up, Drawn and Quarterly has a blog post on their BCGF activities. Sadly Peggy BUrns will not be able to...

While an earlier Deadline report set tongues twittering, you've got to like how Robert Kirkman has deflected some of the freak-outs over changes at The Walking Dead's writing staff by frankly addressing them. In an interview with TV Guide he explains that things aren't how they look. "It's kind of unfortunate that it's being reported that our writing staff has been fired because that's not the case." Writer Chic Eglee left of his own volition, Kirkman explains:

Clark, we are not in Metropolis anymore. In the continuing evolution of DC Entertainment into a pillar of the Warner Brothers library, Amit Desai...

Popular Publicity Manager Alex Segura Jr. has announced today is his last day at DC Comics.

More PR as DC continues to restructure. Longtime employees Alison Gill and Nick Napolitano have been promoted to SVP, Manufacturing & Operations and VP, Manufacturing Administration, respectively. More recent hire Jeff Boison has been promoted to VP, Publishing Operations. Gill is an industry veteran whose promotion reflects her in-depth knowledge of all things concerned printing and production.
Much of the job duties mentioned for the trio includes working with the new bi-coastal set-up of the company.