BEAU SMITH JOINS LIBRARY OF AMERICAN COMICS
Beau Smith, marketing advisor and writer, has joined IDW Publishing’s Library of American Comics imprint (which includes some pulp like comics within its vast amount of material) as its new Director of Marketing.
“We’re thrilled to have Beau onboard,” says LOAC Creative Director Dean Mullaney. “He and I go way back to the 1980s and Eclipse Comics, where I was the publisher and Beau the Marketing Director.”
A graduate of Marshall University in his native West Virginia, Beau has worked in all realms of publishing and marketing in comics. In addition to Eclipse, where he got his start, Beau was the VP of Marketing and Publishing for Image Comics, Todd McFarlane Productions and McFarlane Toys. Beau was with IDW Publishing for many years as their first Vice President of Marketing, and is the former Director of Product Information for toy maker JUN Planning USA.
As a writer, Beau has written Batman/Wildcat, Star Wars, and Wolverine, and his stories have appeared at DC, Image, IDW, Eclipse, Dreamwave, Moonstone, Dark Horse, and many other publishers. He created several well-received series, including Wynonna Earp, Parts Unknown, Maximum Jack, Courting Fate, and Cobb. If that wasn’t enough, he offers his opinion on pop culture in regular columns: “Busted Knuckles” at Comics Bulletin, and “From the Ranch” for Sketch Magazine, and Far From Fragile for Impact Magazine. Beau is also the author of the most common sense business book on the comic book industry- No Guts, No Glory: How To Market Yourself In Comics published by Blue Line Pro.
Beau will be focusing on retailers, and expanding the LOAC’s presence in libraries and universities, so all retailers, librarians, professors, and teachers are encouraged to contact Beau at: beau@loacomics.com 304-453-6565
We, the true believers all have that “home show”. That convention we never miss because it’s in our backyard. We treasure the memories we build there. And for those of us who aspire to become creators (like me and my Unshaven Comics cohorts) the “home show” is also where we first took the plunge and moved to the other side of the aisle to become creators, not just conventioneers. For me, that home show has been the Chicago Comic Con. I, of course, knew it as “Wizard World Chicago” when I first walked in the doors a newly christened comic fan in 1999. Ever since, that show has been a stalwart in my calender. I’ve not missed it, now, for 11 years in a row. Suffice to say, I’ve had a ton of great memories over the years. From catching the first glimpse of The Dark Knight, sitting mere feet away from Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, and David Goyer… to sitting in a jam packed ballroom, sharing a laugh over the secrets of Wonder Woman #219… to that first year I had to give up attending Wizard School panels, in order to sell my first graphic novel.
Angel has been revealed to be the Big Bad in the latter issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight so it makes perfect sense for the comic book adventures of the vampire with a soul to shift from IDW back to Dark Horse.
Yesterday, BOOM! Studios joined the growing number of companies to add the rank of Chief Creative Officer to their mastheads. Mark Waid, the publisher’s Editor-in-Chief was named CCO with Matt Gagnon promoted to Editor-in-Chief. Marvel also formalized C.B. Cebulski’s talent scout role by naming him Senior Vice President, Creator & Content Development of Marvel
The 2009 
