Publishers

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...

Via the Source, DC Editor-in-chief Bob Harras has announced the new structure of the DCU, with long time editor Eddie Berganza getting promoted from group editor to Executive Editor. Group Editors Matt Idelson and Mike Marts will oversee the Superman and Batman groups, respectively, while Ian Sattler has been promoted to Director--Editorial, Special Projects & Archival Editions. The post doesn't go into details of what that will cover, but since Harras left running the recently downsized reprint department, it sounds like Sattler will be taking that over. The editorial team is rounded out by Vertigo's Karen Berger and MAD's John Ficarra-- it isn't clear if they are reporting to Harras or not, nut in any event they will be working closely.

The cycle of "the new things is awesome!" to "we are so over it!" has accelerated to mere minutes. Case in point: The Walking Dead. Only last week it was on the cover of EW with a triumphant story:

One of Dan Clowes' most admired works -- EIGHTBALL #23, aka "The Death Ray" has been out of print for a while, but rumors of a new edition have been confirmed with the announcement that a hardcover edition is forthcoming from Drawn & Quarterly in fall 2011. The story of a misfit with a dangerous weapon, it represents, perhaps, Clowes' most complete statement on the tradition of fantasy comics from which his earliest works emerged. Unsurprisingly, it's under development by Jack Black's production company, with video director Chris Milk attached to direct.