In a curious coincidence Ira Rubenstein, Marvels Executive Vice President of Global Digital has resigned to take a job as Executive VP of Digital Marketing at Fox, just a week or two after DC’s Vice President, Online Ron Perazza decided to resign his post rather than move from New York to Burbank.  While the digital revolution has yet to affect comic publishing with the same force that it has used to transform conventional publishing (see “E-Books Outsell All Print Books at Amazon”), it still appears that comic book publishing is approaching several key milestones when it comes to digital distribution, which means that the top two publishers will have to act quickly to replace the departing talent or face the possibility of falling substantially behind the competition.
 
Variety reports that Rubenstein is returning to Fox after three years at Marvel where he launched the “House of Ideas'” digital subscription service, which now offers over 8,000 comics. Rubenstein also oversaw Marvel’s various digital sales download initiatives and launched digital video channels on Netflix, YouTube, iTunes, Hulu, Xbox Live, and Sony’s Playstation Network.
 
Ron Perazza was the driving force behind the launch of DC’s Zuda Comics Webcomics platform (see “DC Plans Webcomics Site”), and he has been on the DC task force working to forge the company’s approach to digital comics.  He had originally decided to move to Burbank where DC's digital comics unit has relocated, but decided a few weeks ago to remain in New York.