Mike Marts is leaving AfterShock Comics after eight years as Editor in Chief. Marts announced his departure on Instagram, saying that he was leaving to pursue “a new initiative I am very passionate about.” While he didn’t specify what that initiative was, Marts said he would remain the company’s “number one cheerleader.”

“My replacement will be someone you all know and are familiar with, and I trust the transition will be seamless,” he said in the post.

Marts helped found AfterShock in 2015 and was its first Editor In Chief (see “New Publisher Formed with Marts, Pruett”). Prior to coming to AfterShock, Marts had worked in the industry for 24 years, including several stints at Marvel and one at DC, where he was the group editor of the Batman titles; his last post before AfterShock was as Executive Editor at Marvel (see "Business 3x3: Mike Marts at AfterShock Comics").

In an e-mail to ICv2, Aftershock’s SVP, Sales & Marketing Steve Rotterdam said the company had no comment “other than to wish Mike well.”

“We’ll have some news next week,” Rotterdam added.