Publishers

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.

The much-beloved cult strip Barnaby by Crockett Johnson is getting a quality reprint, courtesy of Fantagraphics, The Comics Reporter reports. Eric Reynolds will edit while Dan Clowes supplies the art direction. First volume is due in April 2012. Spurge has all the history and details:

Continuing DC's rollout of promotions and restructuring, Mark Chiarello, the mastermind behind WEDNESDAY COMICS and many other much-admired projects over the years such as BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE, has been promoted to VP Art Direction & Design. Chiarello had been overseeing most of DC's art-related output for some time, and the appointment consolidates functions which had been under several positions that were eliminated in the restructuring.

Well here we are, the final month of the year. Most publishers have already launched their big titles last month, so that titles would be...