Posted in: Comics | Tagged: coronavirus comics, idw

Now IDW Lets Go Of Employees, Permanently

Published Wed, 20 May 2020 09:15:52 -0500

Last updated Wed, 20 May 2020 13:28:07 -0500

We had already learned that IDW Publishing had furloughed a number of employees and books had been put on hold as a result of the current global pandemic. But at a time when the industry is starting to revive, and comic books are put back on schedule, that doesn't seem to be happening at IDW.

Indeed, Bleeding Cool has been informed that about a dozen IDW employees were let go permanently by the publisher and broadcaster last week.

Names mentioned by sources so far include Associate Publisher David Hedgecock, Managing Editor Denton Tipton, Senior Graphic Artist Gilberto Lazcano, Senior Graphic Designer Christa Meisner, and Brand & Marketing Manager Spencer Reeve.

Bleeding Cool has reached out to said individuals, without comment. However, they no longer appear on the staff directory on IDW's website. When we contacted IDW directly, they issued the following statement to Bleeding Cool;

In April, IDW made the difficult decision to furlough several valued staff members, and two weeks ago, IDW welcomed several of those staffers back full-time. However, as we continue to adapt and deal with these challenging times, we have been forced to lay-off some of our longtime co-workers and friends. Although tough decisions like this are an unfortunate business reality and there is never a good time for them, these changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of the company.

Bleeding Cool recently told you that IDW received over $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans. In March, IDW announced they had raised $12.3 million in its latest round of financing. But they have also had stock price issues too.

IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, and is generally the fourth of fifth largest comic book publisher in the United States. The company is perhaps best known for its licensed comic book adaptations of movies, television shows, video games and cartoons, including Transformers, My Little Pony, Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Rom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, an all-ages line of Marvel Comics and is based in San Diego. It is also behind TV shows such as Wynonna Earp and Dirk Gently's Detective Agency.