Image Comics Recruits ComicBook.com Chief Jim Viscardi

Longtime ComicBook.com Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Director Jim Viscardi is moving on from the site he helped build into an industry powerhouse. As of today, our former boss is now Vice President of Business Development at Image Comics. In a statement, Image says Viscardi will oversee Image's audience growth and build new business relationships for the company in the long term. He will work closely with the Sales and Marketing teams, and report directly to Eric Stephenson, Image's Publisher and Chief Creative Officer. 

Viscardi's move comes amid a series of shakeups happening in the comic book industry of late. This week, news broke that former Marvel editor-in-chief Bobbie Chase had quietly retired from comics back in January. Scott Dunbier, best known for his creation of the Artist's Edition format, is reportedly leaving IDW. Yesterday, Image's Skybound Comics imprint, publishers of titles like The Walking Dead and Invincible, announced they had hired DC and Marvel veterans Ben Abernathy and Arune Singh in key editorial and brand management roles.

"Image Comics stands as the vanguard of creator-owned publishing, embodying the spirit of artistic freedom and empowerment. In joining this team, I am excited by the opportunity to contribute to Image's legacy of fostering creative independence while driving strategic business growth that helps our partners in the Direct Market and beyond," Viscardi said in a statement. "Together, we will continue to push boundaries, inspire innovation, and amplify the voices of creators worldwide."

"I first met Jim around ten years ago when he was on the verge of making a major career change," Stephenson added. "Jim's tireless work ethic and all-encompassing passion for comics made him an ideal candidate for a job opening we had at the time. His interests ultimately led him elsewhere -- to great success -- but it's exciting that all these years later, we finally have an opportunity to work together. He has a wealth of experience at his disposal, but more than that, a unique perspective that should serve him well in this new role."

Viscardi began his comics career at Marvel Entertainment, working on the company's marketing, communications, and retailer relations department. It's there that he played a key role in bringing several milestone moments to the public, including Avengers vs X-Men, Marvel NOW!, and the introduction of characters like Miles Morales and the current Captain Marvel.

After a brief period working in marketing outside of comics, Viscardi joined ComicBook.com in 2015. The company, originally founded by Joe Blackmon and Bill King, reorganized in 2015, and Viscardi was named executive editor. The new version of the company, created with Viscardi, quickly became a top-ranked destination for pop culture and entertainment news. ComicBook.com and its sister site PopCulture.com were acquired by CBS Interactive (now Paramount Global) in 2018. In his role at ComicBook, Viscardi oversaw editorial strategy, content generation, video production, and social media growth as the site's popularity exploded.

During his time at ComicBook.com, Viscardi helped guide the site through a rapidly-changing decade of social media-driven trends, and helped chart the course for the site's podcast and video content. He has served as one of the hosts of A Wild Podcast Has Appeared, and been a regular guest on ComicBook Nation and in our convention coverage, making him as much a part of the site for our audience as he has been for our team. He will be greatly missed.

Everyone here at ComicBook.com sends our best wishes to Jim as he moves on to Image, where we are confident he will do excellent work and only slightly less confident that he will finally figure out a way to finish Image United, something he has wanted to see happen for as long as we've known him.