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DC In New York – Should It Stay Or Should It Go?

President of DC Entertainment Diane Nelson has been adamant to me on the issue, regarding the suggested move of DC Comics from New York to Los Angeles.

We are looking carefully at all options related to more effectively integrating DC with Warner Bros. But no decisions have been made or communicated beyond that.

So when the LA Times recently reported;

The biggest challenge for Nelson and Johns may be merging the cultures of the Warner lot in Burbank and the offices of DC, which are in Manhattan but may soon move to L.A.

That was accurate. Although they didn't include the qualifier "or it may not".  And it generated even more coverage.

Such a move would put pay to a long standing tradition of comic book publishers in the USA, with Marvel and DC both publishing from Manhattan and creating an atmosphere of close competition and a talent pool pulled between one group and another. And if DC goes, the question is asked, how long till Marvel follows suit?

So gossip does what gossip does, sure that the decision to move DC Comics to the Burbank Warner Bros studios is happening. Even while other equally sure gossip sees everyone decamping to Wildstorm's La Jolla complex instead. While other gossip sees everyone from editorial staying in New York, albeit with reduced staff support – one assistant editor per editor is a common belief.

Of course this is all supposition right now. And Diane makes it clear that no policy has yet been decided, let alone communicated to staff. So are there any actual evidence of possible indicators one way or another?

Well, smoking guns can be found in changes in the indicia of DC Comics titles since the beginning of the year. As well as the obvious changes, with the appointment of Diane Nelson and the High Five, all sorts of names and departments are no longer listed on the regular monthly books.

Some have seen this as favouring one employee or another over their future. But the more likely explanation was that the original was getting hella unwieldy, especially with four new names added at the top – and they've reduced it.

Secondly, it's clear that three of the most senior executives are naturally West Coast based – Diane Nelson, Jim Lee and Geoff Johns, with Dan DiDio spending more and more time in LA. But of course that works the opposite way too, the longer DC is in New York, the longer Diane, Jim and Geoff are spending on the East Coast… and getting accustomed to its funny little ways.

And thirdly, there also seems to be a freezing on hiring at the Manhattan offices. Warner Bros job site usually has a number of infrastructural jobs at DC Comics – it now seem rather barren, with no jobs being posted now for a couple of months – an unusual state of affairs. Especially since I have received reports of DC shedding non-editorial employees – some through natural wastage, some not – and replacing them with temporary positions. Accounting, advertising, and editorial administration are affected most significantly.

But that may simply be down to the fact that, as Diane states up top, DC haven't made a decision yet, so certain long term hiring decisions have to remain in limbo. If a decision had been made, and the company were definitely moving cross country – well,they'd be looking to hire permanent staff over there. And, as shown, that's not happening right now either.

So as it stands, it still seems a decision, and whatever impact that will have, is still on hold. No matter what some people say in the New York Irish sport bars Of course, as they say, a week is a long time in comics.

Now, onto those rumours of Marvel moving to Orlando…

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