IDW Publishing has reportedly placed newfound Publisher Jud Meyers on administrative leave, just five days after he first assumed the role. The news came courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, which did not provide any specifics as to why he was put on leave. Meyers was set to succeed Chris Ryall, who served as President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of the company before stepping down last week. IDW’s current President, Jerry Bennington, will now be taking over the role of Publisher.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“IDW Publishing has decided to put Jud Meyers on administrative leave,” IDW CEO Ezra Rosensaft said in a statement. “President Jerry Bennington will assume his responsibilities as interim publisher at this time.”
Meyers’ role as Publisher was announced last Wednesday, along with confirmation that Bennington would be named President, and Rebekah Cahalin would be serving as General Manager and EVP of operations for both IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment.
Meyers previously served as IDW Publishing’s Sales Director. He began his career at London’s Titan Publishing, which included him launching some of the UK’s most popular comic book stores, including Forbidden Planet, Virgin Megastore, and Meanwhile Comics. He also co-founded several comic book stores in the Los Angeles area, and was honored with the Will Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award. He also served as Director of Sales & Marketing at Humanoids Publishing.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to step into this role and help continue IDW’s legacy of quality storytelling,” Meyers said in a statement at the time. “We have a wealth of talented creators and a brilliant editorial and production staff helping to shape our stories. In the coming months, we’re going to add to our family, and we will continue to deliver the greatest licensed content in comics, expanding and shaping the global reach of all of our licensors and their brands.”
Ryall announced his departure from the company last week, revealing that he would be stepping away to launch a new storytelling venture “focused on the disparate worlds and characters that he brought to life at IDW Publishing“, which will be created in partnership with Ashley Wood and other IDW creators.
“Change is often hard, and I will miss this extended family I have worked with for more than 15 years,” Ryall said in a statement at the time. “In the past year alone, we brought on some amazing hires, expanded the scope of many of the departments, and re-focused the foundation of the business to best support the integrated multi-media company that IDW has become. Our collective success with the entertainment team on Locke & Key has been a crowning moment for the entire company. I’m so proud of this special place and the incredible people who work here. I know that I leave IDW perfectly poised for continued success.”
What do you think of IDW Publishing’s latest shakeup? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
