PRESS RELEASE
BOOM! Studios announced that it has promoted seven key members of its Editorial staff, following a historic year for the company that has seen it earn four GLAAD Media Award Nominations, seven Eisner Award Nominations, become a Premiere Publisher with Diamond Distributors and announce numerous projects in development for film & television.
These promotions include the following:
Bryce Carlson has been promoted to Vice President, Editorial & Creative Strategy. Joining BOOM! Studios in 2008 as an Executive Assistant, Carlson has also enjoyed success as an Editor at the company. In 2010, Carlson was promoted to Managing Editor, a job which saw him running the day-to-day operations of BOOM!’s Editorial department, where he managed numerous high level relationships. During this time, Carlson also wrote and co-created the Harvey Award-nominated Hit series with artist Vanesa R. Del Rey. This new role for Carlson reflects an increased focus on higher-level editorial and creative strategy as BOOM! Studios continues to expand its diverse offerings.
Sierra Hahn has been promoted to Executive Editor. Beginning her career in comics in 2005 as Publicity Representative at DC Comics/Vertigo, Hahn soon joined Dark Horse Comics in 2007 as an editor where she worked with creators that included Neil Gaiman, Eric Powell, Joss Whedon, Guillermo del Toro, Gerard Way, and Brian Wood. Since joining BOOM! Studios in 2015 as Senior Editor, she has overseen the Archaia imprint and numerous successes within the line, including originals like Bolivar, Jane (both nominated for 2018 Eisner Awards), and the recent instant sellout A Girl in the Himalayas alongside landmark projects with the Jim Henson Company like Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation.
Dafna Pleban has been promoted to Senior Editor. Joining BOOM! Studios in 2009 as an Assistant Editor, Pleban was subsequently promoted to Editor in 2010. Pleban was further promoted in 2016 to Editor, Talent Development. This role saw her responsibilities expand to recruiting and developing talent for BOOM! Studios, while also spearheading new successful publishing programs including Power Rangers alongside the company’s long running publishing relationship with 20th Century Fox, which includes Planet of The Apes. Pleban has also played a key role in developing new original properties including Lumberjanes and Fence for the BOOM! Box imprint.
Shannon Watters has been promoted to Senior Editor. Since joining BOOM! Studios in 2009 as an Editorial Assistant under Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon, Watters was promoted to Editor where she spearheaded the launch of comics inspired by numerous hit Cartoon Network series, including the Harvey and Eisner Award winning Adventure Time, and co-created the Eisner and GLAAD Award winning series Lumberjanes. In 2013, she launched the BOOM! Box imprint which has reshaped the face of the comic industry with progressive young adult series like Lumberjanes, Giant Days, Goldie Vance and more. This promotion comes on the heels of successful new BOOM! Box series launches including The Backstagers, SLAM!, Misfit City and Fence.
Eric Harburn has been promoted to Senior Editor. Joining BOOM! Studios in 2010 as an Assistant Editor, Harburn was promoted to Editor in 2012 where he worked on the multi-Harvey Award-nominated and Eisner Award-winning all-ages series Snarked by renowned cartoonist Roger Langridge. Harburn has continually delivered numerous acclaimed original series such as Klaus, The Spire, Abbott, Coda, the GLAAD Media Award-winning The Woods, and the Eisner Award-nominated Grass Kings.
Chris Rosa has been promoted to Editor. Rosa joined BOOM! Studios in 2012 as an Assistant Editor and was promoted to Associate Editor in 2015. He has been pivotal in launching and developing BOOM! Studios’ WWE publishing program along with being the longtime Garfield editor. Rosa has also been a champion for numerous, diverse original titles including Ladycastle, Victor LaValle’s Destroyer, and Abbott.
Matthew Levine has been promoted to Editor. Levine joined BOOM! Studios in 2015 as an Assistant Editor and was promoted in Fall 2017 to Associate Editor. Levine has been instrumental in the success of BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers publishing program, most recently with the “Shattered Grid” event, and the launch of KaBOOM!’s Nickelodeon program.
“These promotions reflect not only the continued growth and success of BOOM! Studios, but also the incredible depth of talent in our Editorial team,” said Matt Gagnon, Editor in Chief, BOOM! Studios. “Each of these Editors has been involved with series that have driven historic sales, earned critical acclaim and, most importantly, brought new fans to the world of comics with new, original series. I’m extremely proud to see them recognized for their accomplishments and look forward to their future successes.”
This new hire follows other recent key personnel moves, including the addition of Jeanine Schaefer as Executive Editor, for BOOM! Studios in a historic year which has seen the launch of acclaimed original new series like Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä in January; the top-selling Labyrinth: Coronation #1 by Si Spurrier and Daniel Bayliss, a prequel to the titular film in February; the first ever Power Rangers comic book event in March’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #25, which garnered worldwide media attention; and the announcement of seven prestigious Eisner Award nominations in April, highlighting series from all four of the company’s diverse imprints.
