Marvel Comics to relocate to Burbank; Stephen Wacker named editor
Back when I was a comics journalist for a minute in 2017 (?), I wrote about C.B Cebulski, Marvel's then-new EIC, and his weirdly long history of pretending to be a Japanese man named Akira Yoshida. He is now, many years later, leaving that job to become Editor, Asia Originals, at Marvel in Tokyo.
NTP_Nate6Maybe he’ll pretend to be a German guy once he gets there.
My Name Is Aram1Holy crap, I remember that!
Steenz!203It's absolutely unreal that this man did publishing yellowface and is still employed at said publisher.
🇬🇾🗽Sydette The Dreaded Gorgon🗽🇬🇾20At some point folks will start actual realizing that even the casual racism at certains level is indicative of a lack of any moral compass and sense of
☆ Blu ☆6This man can lie about his identity and keep a job but publishers won't even let me in the door- Bro, my legal name is Akira. I don't even have to *lie* about that.
Adam Rogers4Ashamed that I actually forgot about all this. The fake name combines what's arguably the best-known anime/manga in the US with the name of the Japanese family in the classic 1982 Claremont/Miller Wolverine miniseries.
Rebeca Puig (She/Her)2Basicamente, o cara branco que fingia ser japonês nos anos 2010 ganhou de presente o cargo de editor da Marvel no Japão. “Ah mas o trabalho dele deve ser bom” — olha quantas mulheres editoras que trabalhavam naquela época fazendo um trampo consistente e bom ainda tão nos quadrinhos? 0 supresa aqui.
Marc Reeve2I remember this well, and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw his new assignment.
Nevin Thompson2This is a weeb nightmare scenario. > Cebulski "presented a vision of Japanese culture that was just different enough to seem exotic, but that aligned with Western biases about what Japanese culture—and Japanese people—were really like." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._B._C...
ClippedScape | KQ Watson Writes🇨🇦2Yeah, the white guy who pretended to be an Asian guy is now moving to Japan to take over the Japanese output of Marvel. Consequences? What are those?
Huge news that bums me out a bit, if I'm being honest. Marvel and DC, and comics in general, were such NYC businesses. I spent a lot of time in both offices. End of an era. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
Ron Marz46Also kind of telling that the art used for a story about Marvel Comics moving to Burbank is a movie still, instead of art from a comic.
Hesster11Same, just from a reader. Marvel and NYC are so linked in my head.
Serienya3NYC is in Marvel’s blood. I think staffers will be loathe to relocate.
halltline.bsky.social2On the bright side for the employees, it looks like the cost of living is much lower in Burbank. I wonder if they'll get pay cuts to slowed raises as a result. citycost.org/compare/burb...
Christopher Irving2Really sad to hear. However, I’m excited about Wacker becoming EIC.
E in the Capital1Superficial on my part, just as a reader, but this strangely feels like more of a loss than DC moving to LA. New York is so much a part of the Marvel identity, with so much of its storytelling based there. Can’t imagine what it’s like for longtime professionals who went to those offices.
Sandy Jarrell18Why to read past the headline: Akira Yoshida is moving to Japan
All The Homies Hate Alexi Lalas7Feels like making comics just an adjunct of the movie business officially. Congrats to Stephen Wacker, who was always nice to me despite being a raging Cardinals fan.
Nitish Pahwa6so much for "Excelsior!" huh
Double Midnight Comics 4Wow Marvel moving West is kinda sad
Zephyr3"It's not about da money, Spiderman. It's about the...Dodgers?? Izzat right?"
Neil Kleid2uh wow 1. I like Steve Wacker — he has always been pretty standup, as far as I know. This is a good move, IMO 2. This moving Marvel to L.A. thing, like DC, is a terrible thing for staffers who have roots + family here. I feel for the folks and my friends / colleagues who have a tough decision.
Barbatos Slim2the funniest part of this is cebulski going over to japan to make manga akira yoshida rides the fuck again
so, just to make sure i have this: •Marvel Comics had big layoffs a few months ago •now they’re leaving NYC •also, the white man who wrote comics for them under a fictitious Japanese identity will no longer be editor in chief because he is moving to Japan to oversee their Asian originals
Kendra, normal version21It's so crazy that he's had a job this whole time
Hannah Vardit5ah the levels of competence i expect from my favorite competent publisher
Molly Muldoon5I can't with the moving to Japan news. I just .. how?
Mr. Escher A. Bug, MSc @ SPX 20264Wait that last part was REAL??
Arielle Jovellanos ✨ SDCC HH-244This is the way I found out any of this news. Thanks Gale lmao
Wingofbenu1Look who better to tell japanese writers what sells than a guy whose entire personality is "making up fake japanese shit that appeals to white dudes"
Seems I missed a major part of this story. My professional connection to Marvel goes back to the tail end of 70s when I pitched some stories to Jim Shooter and so many memories, so many years, are wrapped up in the NYC offices. An end of an era, for sure. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...
Steve Senski's Watching5I find myself thinking of Ross Andru, whose architectural mastery of NYC was unparalleled. And my first Big Apple trip, when I expected to look up and see the Fantasticar zip by. End of an Era indeed... 😢
Blair Shedd4I'm bummed I never had a chance to go there. Visited DC during my Kubert years, but not Marvel.
Matthew Hernandez3Weird since so much of Marvel comics takes place in NYC unlike other comic companies and Marvel subsidiaries.
Howard Swinford2Such a connection with NYC in the comics, maybe that doesn't exist anymore but it was strong
Jere from Buffalo.2In the late 80s I used to stand outside the Marvel offices on trips into the city and try to get the nerve to go up and try to visit. I didn't know until recently that tours were given at that time and I could have called and signed up for one. If only I could let my young self know!
Peter Clines26I know home offices don't really mean anything anymore, and this is really just Disney consolidating their control even more, but I can't help but agree it's the end of an era. So many childhood Marvel dreams were tied to *those* offices in *that* city.
Paul Cornell23I really like Stephen Wacker. He makes good choices and works with humanity and a sense of humour. I do feel, however, for long-term staff having to choose between company and city.
Kryptobro8Impresionante empeño con romper la conexión emocional con su pasado que, en el fondo, es lo único que les quedaba realmente.
Andrew D Wilson2Wow, this feels very weird. One reason I like Marvel over DC is their stories happen in real places, and NYC is of course THE place. Marvel not physically being there just sounds wrong.
Elephant Mastodon2Oof. To me, comics are New York. Nowhere else could have birthed the industry. I know DC's been out west for years, but this feels like the end of American Comics as a thing that existed as its own thing.
🚨 Huge shakeup at Marvel Comics. #Marvel is relocating its comics division from New York to Burbank, naming Stephen Wacker as its new editor-in-chief while C.B. Cebulski moves to a new role overseeing manga and Asia Originals. #comicsky #MarvelComics Details:
Minovsky597There are no known consequences at Marvel for pretending to be Japanese. They might even put you in charge of a whole manga division.
gryphoneer14do you think he'll introduce himself as akira yoshida to his new employees and make a bow
Will!🐀🏳️⚧️🔞12C.b. Cebulski??? THE Akira yoshida???
James Marsh12Giving Cebulski the job in overseeing manga has got to be a rib, right?
an ocean of emotion12Cebulski is…what. A history of yellow face and then they just give him the manga division?
animal from the international network10Marvel and NYC are 1:1. The concept doesn’t make sense without being NYC homerism
SJWJamesBond9Stephen Wacker being new EIC good call and they're still emphasizing comics but I'm a bit bummed Marvel won't be in New York anymore. New York is the home of Marvel and everything. Yeah, the lease is expiring next year but still. It feels sad they're leaving New York after all these decades.
Valence The Voyager7Huge win for Akira Yoshida here. Finally his name can be on comics by actual Japanese people!
EndSky3Dang, seems Marvel killed Paul too soon. They just missed out on selling Spider-Man to a whole new market!
Jess, Fox Kids Historian3Akira Yoshida overseeing manga is a gigantic Y I K E S and Marvel leaving NYC is a bummer, but they really needed an EIC switchout in the worst way, so
Steve was THE editor at Marvel who meant the most to me in my time there when I was coming up. I'm thrilled about this news and I know he's going to do a great job.
Alejandro Arbona 🇵🇷23Para mis boricuas: I didn't even work for Steve, but he read a minor pitch from a relative unknown about the FF going to Puerto Rico and Ben Grimm fighting chupacabras, and he reached across inter-office boundaries, asked my boss's blessing, and gave it to me to develop and edit. Real mentor shit.
Djarum1That is GREAT news there!
Richard1If I knew absolutely nothing about a book except that he had a hand on it, it was worth checking out. Just an insane hit rate.
Marvel comics is moving out of NYC to LA after 90 years and it feels so wrong
The Commander Tavern 🇵🇷8Thanks to the new mayor, there are no more problems in NYC. The superheroes are looking over at LA like "Damn, maybe we should help them out."
LithelyUnshod6Chalk up another L for corporate mergers. Fuck Disney, Marvel *is* New York.
P.3They should learn from their comics this is very rarely a good idea.
Dan Sheehan2They’re gonna put the X Mansion in Pasadena
Commander Mechanic2are we going to see all of the stories relocate too? or a new generation of characters from anywhere other than New York?
zesty, CEO of bricks1great, everything marvel is gonna get covered in cilantro
