§ Nice Art: Richard Piers Rayner posted some art on Twixxer. There’s a name you don’t hear too often but he’s so good. He drew Road to Perdition, the basis of the film…which doesn’t seem to actually be in print. Huh.
§ OMG It’s a super rare THURSDAY edition Kibbles and Bits! I shoulda made an NFT out of it it is so rare and collectible. I am working on a very special piece for tomorrow morning so this had to go here!
§ Every night I sit down to write and I want to warm up by reading comic book news/analysis. There isn’t any. I go back to BlueSky and doomscroll for 15 minutes then feel sick to my stomach. How to continue? I checked in on LInkedIn and that’s where ALLLLLLL the action is taking place.
§ The one you’ve been waiting for: Art Spiegleman writes about Jules Feiffer for The Atlantic. (Paywall.)
§ The Sophie Castille Awards – named after the late French publisher – now honor the best translators in SEVERAL languages. The Spanish edition of the award was given out at the recent Barcelona con.
The winner of the 2025 Spanish/Catalan Sophie Castille Award:
Carlos Mayor for Obra hermética, de Moebius. Edita Reservoir y traduce
Other nominees:
Irene Oliva Luque for Deep me, de Marc-Antoine Mathieu. Edita Salamandra Graphic y traduce.
Montse Meneses Vilar for Lo que más me gusta son los monstruos 2, de Emil Ferris. Edita Reservoir.
Óscar Palmer for Raíces de ginseng, de Craig Thompson. Edita Astiberri y traduce .
Daniel Cortés, Philippe July y Purificación Meseguer for Si los hombres tuvieran la regla, de Éric le Blanche y Camille Besse. Edita Hachette Graphic.
The awards are now given for six languages: English, Greek, Italian, Polish, Slovenian and Spanish/Catalan. Big shout out to Ivanka Hahnenberger for keeping Siphie’s memory alive with a tribute to some of the unsung heroes of comics.
§ Galaxycon has hired a bunch of folks, most prominently industry veteran *Jann Jones. Galaxycon plans 18 shows this year and is definitely a leader in the resurgence of comics-themed events.
Jann Jones joins as Sr. Director of Creator Talent and Publishing. With over two decades of publishing experience at industry giants like DC Entertainment, Disney Publishing, Viz Media, and Legendary Entertainment to her recent roles at video game publishers Krafton and Bungie, she lives and breathes pop culture.
Ansley Newland joins as Programming Manager. She is an award-winning event producer with over 10 years of experience including the City of Toronto, Fan Expo, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, and most recently, the Toronto International Festival of Authors.
Danielle Garbett joins as Live Event Manager. She has been working in events since 2014, most recently working in operations and promotions for both WasabiCon and Fan Expo events.
Chris Carruthers joins as Business Development & Sponsorship Manager. He has been working in fandom events since he was 16 years old, most recently serving as Programming Coordinator at Fan Expo.
Danielle Vandeluyster joins as Marketing Manager. With over a decade of experience in pop culture events, marketing, social media, and event programming coordination, she most recently worked as a Marketing and Programming Coordinator at Green Mustard Entertainment, Inc., managing marketing campaigns, social media, and programming logistics for Wasabi Anime and Fan Expo.
Zane Riley joins as Merchandise Manager. He has managed conventions for over 10 years including WrestleCon, WrestleCade, and Starrcast. Zane also currently serves as All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) Merchandise and Live Event Manager, a position he’s held for the past 2 years.
Shawn Pierre joins as Junior Graphic Designer. He has spent over a decade in music and nightlife creating illustrations, VFX, and promo materials. Shawn joins GalaxyCon from Coyo Taco.
Alexandra Stellrecht joins as Executive Assistant. She is a recently returned Peace Corps Volunteer, where she taught English and led community projects focused on education and public health in Cambodia.
* Sometimes when I say “veteran” I really mean “legend.” Jann is a legend and this is a great position for her!
§ Jim Demonakos, founder of ECCC and currently showrunner of Lightbox Expo, is helping to start up Comic Con Nebraska!
Alongside some of my fellow convention-organizing pals, including my brother George Demonakos (ECCC), Kandrix Foong (Calgary Expo), Ron Brister (Rose City Comic Con), and Brant LeClercq (Epic Photo Ops), we’re bringing this comics-focused event to the Midwest this August!
I’m still working full-time on LightBox Expo, of course, but this has been a lot of fun to help put together alongside this great group of people! Anyway, comics are awesome, if you’re in the Midwest and want to be part of these shenanigans, just let me know! Exhibitor and Artist Alley applications are open now too! Okay!!
§ Y’all saw the recent exciting Boom! Studios hires, but Stephen Christy was also recently upped to President, Development, BOOM! Studios/Penguin Random House.
§ Despite the economic chaos out there, there are open jobs in comics and related industries!
§ Dark Horse is hiring a Director of Sales for the DM.
Dark Horse Comics is seeking an experienced sales leader to drive our Direct Market strategy and shape the future of comic book retail sales. As our new Director of Sales (Direct Market) you will drive initiatives that expand our reach in comic shops worldwide and serve as the vital link between Dark Horse, our distributors, and thousands of comic book retailers. Do you envision yourself as the catalyst who elevates our market presence through innovative sales strategies? If you are driven by results and are eager to shape the future of comic sales, this role offers you the platform to a lasting impact. We need someone who will manage the company’s retailer-exclusive variant comics program, working closely with retailers. Ideal candidates will bring a proven track record in leadership, strategic sales management, and a deep passion for the comic book industry.
Job pays $80-90K but it is not remote, sorry kids.
§ LibraryPass, which offers digital comics to libraries via ComicsPlus, is hiring a Collection Development Associate:
We are looking for a Collection Development Associate to join our growing team. This role is responsible for trafficking and managing content and metadata files from LibraryPass’ content partners, including the creation and maintenance of high-quality metadata for all content types. Working within a collaborative and service-oriented environment, they will engage directly in metadata work, implement metadata standards and best practices, and collaborate on cross-functional projects, in support of business goals and objectives. This position works closely with the Directors of Collection Development and Content Management.
§ Square Enix is hiring an assistant manager, marketing:
We are seeking a proactive, driven, and passionate individual who is looking to combine their current professional marketing experience with their existing love of manga, anime, and gaming to join our team as an Assistant Marketing Manager.
This role would be primarily responsible for developing and executing deliverables for a variety of marketing programs and operational levers to drive sales, readership growth, customer and sales retention, and engagement for the company’s imprint Square Enix Manga & Books alongside the Marketing Manager.
§ ReedPop is hiring an Event Sales Executive, Publishing Focused
We are seeking a dynamic and experienced salesperson to join our team and drive the growth of a pop culture event. This role is ideal for someone with strong relationships in the publishing industry, a passion for books, and a proven track record of sales success. You will be responsible for managing a portfolio of publishing accounts, selling exhibit floor space, and developing sponsorship opportunities that meet client goals and enhance attendee experiences.
§ On the flip side, Skybound now has only 134 employees: David Welch, formerly Vice President of Digital Content and Channel Growth, has also left his position, reasons unknown. He has some pretty impressive accomplishments on his page like this:
Led the Invincible Season 3 merchandise campaign, selling more shirts in one week than the previous 10 years in the store’s history. 6x in total sales, 3x in total items sold, 18x in conversion rate season over season. (Case study here: https://lnkd.in/gv6TyGQc)
Dude has a solid website with lots of case studies. I’m sure he will soon be hired.
§ I usually end K’n’B with some absurd headline from a click baity website but I have a new computer and Chrome ate all my links.
§ OH it was SDCC Hoteloween/Hotelpocalypse yesterday. The SDCC Unofficial Blog already has a terrifyingly long list of things going on, and a guide to the now passed hotel sale. If you got in you could only pick TWO rooms max this time, and it was only for downtown hotels, which realistically is all you need the lottery for. I got in fast like a often do but so did many other people.A general hotel sale, with non-downtown rooms and a few remainders, will be held in the future. Monday will be the kiss and cry day: if you get an email you got a room. If you didn’t….start working it. My takeaway from Hotelpocalypse: It was harrowing but the people who need rooms will most likely get them somehow.
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