A Room with a View!

Speeding into the next great era of DC Entertainment!

A Congrats to Dan, Jim and Geoff!

When I began seriously collecting comic books about 20 years ago (around 1989, when the first Batman movie was coming out), I knew I wanted to work in the industry.  The first comic books I opened, I knew that my career needed to be in something that dealt with the art and creation of comics.  They fascinated me to no end.  The combination of art and stories just blew my mind, and I was forever changed.  I grew up collecting comics in the nineties and now in the 2000′s.  A lot of people have very mixed reactions about the positives and negatives from those years because of the booms and busts that the industry went through during those times.  Marvel’s bankruptcy, the formation of Image Comics, the rise and fall of retail shops around the country to name a few.  The industry really went through a lot to get back to the respectability it is now finally enjoying once again.  The comic industry is one that is constantly changing and evolving, even though, comics in a sense haven’t changed at all.  Now that I have that actual career in comics, I have both the pleasure and misfortune of seeing things change and stay the same from both sides.  I have and will always be a fan and collector of comics, as well as continuing my career in this industry, as I’ve done for my entire adult life so far.

So with that brings us to yesterdays news about the changes at DC Comics, where I currently reside.  I thought I would take today’s column and write a little bit from an insiders perspective of things.  The funny thing is, though, that you the reader, and anyone who has gone to all the other comic book news sites, probably know as much if not more then I do about everything.  Sometimes I learn more about where I work online then I do actually working at DC.  I think when you work for an entertainment company, that tends to happen.  Because of fan interests and media outlets, we tend to learn the biggest news about our company as they are released to the public.  We then actually have to play catch up, as the rumors and speculations fly around the water cooler until our meetings about said announcements commence.  It’s actually quiet comical when days like yesterday happen, because we scramble to read all the news online before we have our corporate meetings and department meetings about what big announcements were made and what it actually means to us as employees first, and then as fans.  Talking with coworkers and getting their opinions as employees and fans as well makes for a really interesting day at the office.

Pretty much every article about the announcements online cover everything we went over in our meetings.  There really is no insider info I can give you that you probably don’t already know already.  This is all still very, very new to all of us too.  We just have to make sure that we know what it means about our immediate jobs more so then saying, “oh COOL, look who is our new bosses.”  I think that’s very important to realize, when you actually work somewhere that you are a also have a stake in as a fan of the material you produce.  That being said, my opinion of the announcement that Dan Didio, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, and John Rood are now in charge is one of sheer joy.  I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with all three just being a lowly production/ pre-press artist, and I can tell you flat out, that all three are amazing to work with.  I’ve never once had a bad meeting or conversation with Dan, Jim, or Geoff, and find them to be the nicest, most interesting people I have ever meet.  Now that those kind of people are now in charge of the company that pays my bills and that I still enjoy as a paying customer at times, is really something special.  The same could actually be said of the old administration, and having Paul Levitz in charge, but with this news yesterday, I think is different in the sense that all three of these people are basically the pioneers of my childhood.  Paul did so much for this company, and I feel mostly all of it was wonderful stuff.  Now we have in charge people who shaped my life in the 90′s and 00′s.  How cool is that?  Being able to relate to your bosses has always been a key to success in business, and I think that could be one of the coolest things about this change.

Not to mention the fact that all three are creators in their own right.  Jim and Geoff have been the BEST in this entire field for a long time now as am artist and writer, respectively.  Dan has been a great writer and boss, as well.  And now the three of them combined to shape the industry that I love so much, sounds too good to be true.  The possibilities seem endless.  To continue to make amazing movies like Dark Knight, top notch toys and statues, wonderful new comic book ideas and directions, just to name a few.  Most of the times, change is NOT a good thing, but for us, right now, I think change must happen.  This is definitely a step in the right direction.  I personally hope they are able to take our industry to new heights.  I dream of the day we can go to the iTunes COMIC STORE, and download the newest Wednesday comics straight to our new iPad for example.  Or that we push new writers and artists into the field to create new and interesting takes of the plethora of characters we have, as well as create a ton of new ones.  And finally, get more and more people into comics and into DC hen ever before.  We needs to get the new generation into to comics just like they did to me in the 90′s!

Personally, as far as Pre-Press goes, I hope to be able to help our new bosses learn more about what we do then ever.  Before it was a little more corporate.  There was a little disconnect to our executives.  With this change to people who know exactly how important Pre-Press is to at least the publishing arm of things, I think can only be HUGE!  I do hope that we as a department or able to work more closely with the new crew, mainly because they know a little bit more about what it is we actually do and how we can help and also improve.  To work with people who appreciate the hard work and dedication of your department is nothing but a blessing.  I think we could see a complete influx of new and cool ways of making comics, and helping with bringing comics and everything we love so much into the digital age.  I hate to sound like a corporate shrew here, but I have to admit, I am excited about the possibilities for Production and the bullpen.  Excited as a fan, and more importantly as an employee in the department.  I would not still be here after ten years if I did NOT love this business and the specific job that I do.  And the fact that people are now in charge who I’ve worked closely with and who can possibly be people who we work with that can actually make changes for the better by working closely with, excites me to no end.

I hope everyone keeps and open mind, and wishes this change lots of luck.  If you truly are a fan and collector of comics and it’s characters, you want and NEED this change to work.  We all need to wish them well, and always keep suggesting new ideas, and how to make this place better.  It can only help us if you do, and we, DC Comics, will try and be the biggest and BEST we can be.  That I can promise you!

Congrats to Dan, Jim, John, and Geoff…

This is one artist who looks forward to winds of change!  Let’s kick it up a notch, or TEN!

Corey Breen

Hope you enjoy the Flash pin-up!