Humanoids has announced two new additions to their Directorial staff, as well as a promotion from within. Holly Aitchison has joined the publisher as their new Director of Sales, while Esther Kim has come aboard as their new Director of Marketing. The publisher has also promoted Amanda Lucido to Director of U.S. Publishing Operations.

Aitchison comes to Humanoids from Oni Press, where they managed the publisher’s Consumer Marketing team, including development of eCommerce and Merchandising for the publisher. Kim joins Humanoids after a stint as Marketing Manager at BOOM! Studios, a company that recently added a few new faces to their team as well. Lucido has been with Humanoids since 2018, and has held positions including Assistant Editor, Office Manager, and Operations Coordinator.

At a time when many publishers are slimming down their staffs, it’s interesting to see Humanoids beefing theirs up. Coming off of highly-touted growth last year and leading into their 50th anniversary next year, though, it’s clear the publisher is optimistic about the direction things are heading, and the talent they’ve brought in to shepherd that journey is more than capable. The full release from Humanoids on the hirings and promotion is below.

humanoids

According to the pr, 

2022 was a banner year for Humanoids as they continued to achieve historic sales—over 3 million copies and counting— of the beloved creation from famed creator Alejandro Jodorowsky and artist Mœbius, The Incal, cementing its place as the bestselling science-fiction graphic novel of all time. The universe of The Incal also expanded with brand new material The Incal: Psychoverse from visionary storytellers GLAAD and Eisner Award-winning writer Mark Russell (Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles) and star artist Yanick Paquette (Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing) with colorist Dave McCaig and letterer Troy Peteri. The Incal: Psychoverse was Humanoids’ best selling new graphic novel release of the year and launched to wide acclaim.

As Humanoids’ growth continued on a global scale in 2022, the company welcomed Marie-Christine Conchon, one of the French publishing industry’s most seasoned executives, as CEO of its French and European publishing operations. The company also expanded its film and television global studio operations, now reaching over 40 projects in various stages of development.

Full bios of the hires below:

Holly Aitchison brings nearly a decade of experience in the comic book publishing industry. With their extensive background in Operations, Sales, Retail, Marketing, and Client Relations, they have been referred to as “Comics’ Swiss Army Knife.” Beginning in 2015, they were a key member of the BOOM! Studios Sales team, assisting with the growth of the company within the book market and library spaces, as well as spearheading digital sales expansion. Most recently, they were a part of the Oni Press team, managing Consumer Marketing, while developing eCommerce and Merchandising. In their time in the industry, they have worked on marketing and selling award-winning titles like Chef’s Kiss by Jarrett Melendez and Danica Brine, the Scott Pilgrim series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora, Sacrifice of Darkness by Roxane Gay, and many more.

Esther Kim began her comic book career in 2012 as a retail assistant then expanded the role to manager and co-owner of the nationally recognized Fantom Comics in Washington, D.C. In 2017, she joined Image Comics in Portland, Oregon as a member of the Sales team. Most recently, she was Marketing Manager at BOOM! Studios, where she worked on publicity and marketing for a diverse array of highly acclaimed record-breaking series including Keanu Reeves’ BRZRKR, Something Is Killing The Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera, and R.L. Stine’s Just Beyond which inspired a TV series now streaming on Disney+.

Amanda Lucido is a writer, filmmaker, and creative coordinator who joined Humanoids in 2018 as they fortified their Los Angeles headquarters. She supported multiple initiatives including the development of the Life Drawn and U.S. Originals imprints, expanding their foothold from the European to the American market and into the film and television space. Amanda began in Editorial but quickly evolved to support each department in various capacities. She now oversees all day-to-day operations of the U.S. Publishing Branch and looks forward to leaning into and expanding Humanoids’ rich history and catalog.