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DC Announce "Bi Coastal Realignment". Sounds Like Surgery Is Needed (UPDATE)

UPDATE: I understand that every employee at 1700 Broadway is getting a one-on-one meeting with Human Resources. Every one. No wonder thay aren't moving people till the end of next year, it will take that long…

The meeting is out. The press release is sent. And it sounds like DC Comics sorry Entertainment is having its cake and eating it.

DC ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES BI-COASTAL REALIGNMENT STRATEGY

Give me a double penis, one each side

MULTI-MEDIA AND DIGITAL BUSINESSES RELOCATE TO LOS ANGELES WHILE DC COMICS PUBLISHING TO REMAIN IN NEW YORK CITY

The money makers go west, the barely-making-overhead, go east. Let's see what happens.

Press Release
(September 21, 2010 – New York) DC Entertainment, as part of its ongoing strategy to integrate the DC Comics business, brand and characters into Warner Bros. Entertainment's content and distribution operations, will relocate its business functions related to and supporting multi-media and digital content production to Burbank, California. DCE's publishing operations will remain in New York, continuing DC Comics' 75-plus year legacy of leadership in the comic book arena. These announcements were made today by Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment.

She could have at least picked up the phone while she was at it.

"These organizational changes reinforce the strengths of DC's greatest legacies – most importantly its people and its creative talent – and offer greater opportunity for maximum growth, success and efficiency in the future," said Nelson. "Our two offices will stretch and build their respective areas of focus, while prioritizing and aggressively striving to connect and cooperate more strongly than ever before between them and with their colleagues at Warner Bros."

There will be war.

"This strategic business realignment allows us to fully integrate and expand the DC brand in feature films as well as across multiple distribution platforms of Warner Bros. and Time Warner," said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, to whom Nelson reports. "We are creating a seamless, cohesive unit that will bring even more great characters and content to consumers everywhere."

Maybe they'll finally work out Donna Tray's continuity issues to everyone's satisfaction.

The relocation process is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011, with DCE's businesses related to the development and production of feature films, television, digital media, video games and consumer products as well as the company's administrative functions relocating to a Warner Bros.-managed property in Burbank, CA. DC Comics' publishing operations, which have been the bedrock since the company's inception with an annual output of over 1,100 comic books, 300 graphic novels and MAD magazine, will remain in New York. The bi-coastal business units will work more closely together to continue elevating the powerful DCE brand.

DC Direct – gone. Custom publishing, new media – Burbank. Please define "administrative functions" – hell, please define "publishing business" while you're at it…

DC Entertainment was founded in September 2009 to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms. The senior management team responsible for shepherding DCE through this reorganization is comprised of Nelson, Geoff Johns, Chief Creative Officer; John Rood, Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development; and Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, Co-Publishers of DC Comics.

Why do I envisage most of their collective time on the west coast?

The winners? Comic creators and editors who have established a family base in and around New York. Many believed their numbers were up. And morale had been severely hit as a result.

The losers? Dan DiDio, still having to make those bi-coastal flights every week. And basically the support staff, less likely to be on as decent a salary as some, less likely to be able to make the move west – even if it is offered. DC in New York has been massively increasing temp staff of late in readiness for this change. Looks like they'll be calling their agencies tonight…

The bigger winners?: Comics. It keeps the two big boys in the same playing field. This is a boon to creators and editors, who can still more easily play Marvel and DC off against each other for employment positions. And for the books themselves, driven by competitivity in a common social market.

The even big winners? The Irish sports bars of Manhattan.

The uncertainty. Whither Bob Wayne?

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