BOOM! Studios has hired five new editors, each in charge of a different area of the publisher's product line, as the sales and marketing team thins out, according to a company announcement and recent LinkedIn posts.
The new editors, along with their areas of responsibility are:
Editorial Director Sara Miller, who spent 13 years at DC Comics, most recently as Editor, Books for Young Readers, will manage the BOOM! Box and KaBOOM! Imprints, for young adult and middle grade readers.
Special Projects Editor Kiara Valdez, who comes to BOOM! Studios after a nine-year stint at First Second Productions, most recently as Editor, will handle Kickstarter campaigns, retailer exclusive programs, and other projects directed at fans and readers.
Executive Editor Tea Fougner, who spent 16 years at King Features Syndicate, including 7 as Editorial Director, will split leadership of the BOOM! Studios imprint with Sebastian Birner.
Executive Editor Kwanza Osajyefo, who created BLACK for Black Mask Studios and spent time at DC Comics (Digital Editor) and Humanoids (creative architect), will lead the Archaia Entertainment imprint.
Executive Editor Sebastian Girner had stints at TKO Studios (Editor-in-Chief), Image Comics (Editor), and Marvel Comics (Editor) before joining BOOM! Studios, where he will co-lead the BOOM! imprint with Fougner.
All five will report to Andy Schmidt, who was hired as BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief in April (see "Andy Schmidt New EIC"). All of the five except Miller are based in New York, the home of BOOM!’s new parent, Penguin Random House.
As editorial staff is built up, sales and marketing management is thinning out, with two departures over the last few months, based on LinkedIn posts. Ryan Matsunaga, who was Director of Marketing from August 2021 until earlier this year, and Rosalind Morehead, Retail Sales Manager for the last three years, are both no longer with the company.
