A week after DC Entertainment announced that it was moving all but its print publication side to Burbank and closing its Wildstorm imprint entirely – moves that would, according to paperwork filed by the company itself, result in a loss of a third of its staff – the news comes that three editors from Vertigo, DC’s “mature readers” imprint, have been laid off. The Beat is reporting that Joan Hilty, Jonathan Vankin and Pornsak Pichetshote have all lost their jobs as part of the ongoing DC reshuffle.
The news, so far unconfirmed by DC itself, has surprised many. Rumors of Vertigo layoffs have been circulating for some time, but Hilty – a 15-year DC veteran who has worked on DC’s kids and superhero lines as well as Vertigo titles – and Pichetshote were both thought to be “safe” and potential candidates for promotion within the company. It’s expected that these layoffs will have a great impact on Vertigo’s original graphic novel initiative, which Hilty and Vankin were spearheading, and will undoubtedly mean changes for the imprint’s monthly comics as well, with the loss of Pichetshote, who’d launched new critically-acclaimed titles like The Unwritten, Sweet Tooth, Daytripper and Joe The Barbarian.
Expect some form of official comment from DC on the layoffs and future for the imprint – going on previous experience, likely a statement released on the Vertigo blog – soon.
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