Posted in: Comics | Tagged: dan didio, dc comics, joe quesada

When Dan DiDio Was Meant to Be Fired in 2008

Back in 2008, Graeme McMillan of THR, then of iO9, wrote "it looks as if DC Comics Executive Editor Dan DiDio is about to be removed rather soon. That's the rumor that's been going around comic circles recently, made all the more believable by the past month being one of the more unfortunate for DC's PR department in recent memory. Declarations of tiny tyrants, the problem of being second best, and the dreaded deadline doom, all after the jump."

Nikke Finke, then of Deadline, reported the same, saying "DiDio, who took over in 2004, can't be happy his current contract expires soon. Or that Jimmy Palmiotti is being handicapped as his replacement. (Palmiotti is currently an exclusive writer for DC Comics and formerly the co-founder of Event Comics and co-head of Marvel's Marvel Knights imprint with friend and current Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. Fanboys also suggest Joey Cavalieri, a veteran of both comics companies, should be considered.) Now the question is whether DiDio will exit before Comic-Con, or after, or at all — and how much of a distraction this will be at the confab."

It turns out it was quite the distraction. Writing for Lying In The Gutters at the time, I wrote "I've been told that Warner are so happy with Dan DiDio's overall performance and plan for the future that they have renewed Dan's contract, due to expire in September, for a number of years. This isn't the first time the internet has called for Dan's head and whipped themselves into believing that a message board post was the equivalent of a shareholders' report, only for reality to bite them in the arse. I wrote something very similar this time last year and was accused of being a DC stooge. I was right then, looks like I'm right now. Look forward to the same thing come June 2009."

When Dan DiDio Wasn't Fired

Last night on the Drink And Draw YouTube channel, Dan DiDio and Joe Quesada talked about the last time they met socially, and that was way back then in 2008. Turns out that well before then, DiDio worked for Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti working on their press and PR. Which gives more background to DiDio working with Palmiotti at DC Comics years later.

DiDio said that things were very rough for him at San Diego Comic Con with all these rumours, with people like Paul Levitz and Jimmy Palmiotti being suggested as replacements. DiDio recalls Quesada calling him up and the two of them going off for a secretive dinner with Quesada giving support. Dan told Joe how calming he found this. Joe reminded all at the table that eventually people who say you are being fired will be right. Of course, in DiDio's case, it just took another twelve years. You can enjoy the whole hour-and-a-half with Dan DiDio, Joe Quesada, Dan Panosian, Jeff Johnson, Dave Johnson and Ben Defeo.

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