The comics industry has had some comings and goings of late so here’s a big catch-up post on what you might have missed.
§ 20-plus year veteran Gary Sassaman is retiring from his roles at the San Diego Comic-Con and the Comic-Con Museum. Sassaman has been a mainstay at the con, in such roles as Director of Programming, Director of Print and Digital Media (and later Curatorial Director for the Comic-Con Museum, a role he took on last year).
Anyone who has had any dealings with SDCC on the professional level will have worked with Sassaman at some point, and he’s truly one of the most respected and well-liked folks behind the scenes .
“When I first started attending Comic-Con in 1992, I never dreamed I would eventually be a part of the team behind this great event,” said Sassaman in a statement. “It’s been an incredible experience over the past two decades and being involved with Comic-Con and WonderCon is something I will always treasure. While retirement is on the horizon, I will always look forward to attending these wonderful events.”
“Gary has been a key player in so many aspects of our organization,” said David Glanzer, spokesperson for the organization. “His knowledge, expertise, and passion for comics and pop culture will be sorely missed, though we are very happy that he has agreed to stay on for at least a few weeks to make the transition easier for all of us.”
Because of COVID, SDCC’s staff is on a reduced workweek, and Sassaman will not be replaced for now.
§ Industry veteran Arune Singh has joined Skybound Entertainment as their Director of Brand, Editorial, as he announced in a Twitter thread. Singh was formerly VP of Marketing at Boom!, and also worked at Marvel Studios and SyFy. He’s got a lot of friends who are happy he’s staying in comics.
Big News!
I’m thrilled to announce I’ve joined the team at @Skybound, home of The Walking Dead, Invincible and so many other hugely impactful comics.
Today’s my first day as Director of Brand, Editorial & I’m focusing on their awesome comics, books & more. pic.twitter.com/nCYA9hZaCj
— Arune Singh (@arune) January 4, 2021
§ Boom! Studios has announced promotions for two key workers, as Esther Kim has been promoted to Marketing Lead and Morgan Perry to Retail Sales Lead.
Kim joined Boom! in 2018 after running Fantom Comics in Washington DC and working at Image. She’s been running Boom!’s publicity for two years, resulting in many emails in our inboxes and stories on this very site because she’s very good at her job.
Perry has played a key role at Boom! retailer outreach since joining in 2017, including overseeing the Boom! Guarantee program for retailers, and she took lead on helping retailers through 2020’s many trouble spots.
“We’re thrilled to announce the promotions of Esther and Morgan, who have both been instrumental in BOOM! Studios’ continued growth and success through their dedicated efforts in ensuring that BOOM! Studios leads the way in relationships with the press and our retail partners,” said Filip Sablik, President of Publishing & Marketing, BOOM! Studios.
[Have some personnel news to share? Send it to The Beat.]
