As the old adage goes “Everything changes and nothing stands still.” And nothing is more true in the world of comic books and comic book companies. Action Lab Entertainment is moving into its fifth official year of publication coinciding with the launch of their new ongoing superhero universe, Actionverse, as well as a bevy of new titles. The company has also announced new information about their leadership changes.
Announced on his Facebook page, Kevin Freeman, the current President of Action Lab Entertainment announced he will be stepping down from his position. Freeman will assume a smaller, more specialized role with the company.
“Before rumors start flying, it has nothing to do with my relationship with the company or anything else related thereto. The people who run ALE are my treasured brothers and sisters and I have a fabulous rapport with all of them,” Freeman said on his page. “I am simply wanting to take a step back from the industry in general and pursue other things, including spending more time with my family and perhaps dipping my toes in the creative side of things again.”
Freeman, an 18-year industry veteran, came to ALE as the former managing editor of Ape Entertainment. Kevin then succeeded former Action Lab Entertainment President, Shawn Pryor, in 2013. Freeman is also a professor and serves as chair of the political science and public administration department at University of North Carolina, Pembroke.
Current Action Lab Entertainment Creative Director, Dave Dwonch, will succeed Freeman as President. Dwonch is also one of the founders of Action Lab and writer of several series including Vamplets and Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi.
“I’m excited and energized at the prospect of leading the team,” Dave said from his home base in California. “Thanks to the hard work of Kevin and everyone at ALE, we’ve established Action Lab as the best independent comics company on the market. And while Kev and I may be shifting positions a bit, our mission statement will remain. We will continue to publish the most creative, most diverse, boundary pushing Creators and Comics in the world. Expect even bigger things from Action Lab in 2016 and beyond.”
Action Lab Entertainment Publisher Bryan Seaton added “Kevin, thank you for all that you have done to help shape Action Lab over the past years, enjoy your well deserved break. Just don’t take to long, We still have a lot of work to do together in your new roll as Editor. Dave, you and I have been here from day one and I look forward to see how much higher ALE can go with you as President.”
ABOUT ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT– Formed in 2010 with the purpose of pooling their collective talents into a single, powerful entity, the members of Action Lab Entertainment have countless years in multimedia publishing, design, and business. Their first release, Fracture, was successfully funded through Kickstarter and since then they have continued their mission to produce high quality, genre-spanning entertainment. Since its formation, the accolades for A.L.E continue to build on a daily basis. Among its more popular titles are all ages material like the Eisner, Glyph, Shel Dorf Award nominated series PRINCELESS, NFL RUSHZONE (based on the Nickelodeon Television series), Jamal Igle’s MOLLY DANGER, Artist/ Writer Jeremy Dale’s hit series SKYWARD, and Gayle Middleton’s (My Little Pony, The Littlest Pet Shop) monstrously adorable VAMPLETS. Action Lab’s Mature Readers imprint ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE continues to push the envelope of comics entertainment with titles as varied as Charles Band’s PUPPET MASTER and Dan Mendoza’s over the top horror-comedy ZOMBIE TRAMP, THE FINAL PLAGUE and BO, PLUSHY GANGSTA.
