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Paul Levitz And Karen Berger Talked Old Times – And New Times To Come

Paul Levitz shared a conversation he had with Karen Berger for a Columbia University class. One ex-publisher to an ex-EIC, now aboyt to start publishing again with Berger Books through Dark Horse Comics.

They talked through their shared history, it's a good read.

But of course Bleeding Cool was going to settle on this section.

Paul Levitz: Besides the deals themselves, you adopted a different methodology.  We had conversations where we talked about a more 'authorial' environment, some of that was about the talent's faith that you were looking out for their interests as well as the company's interests and the readers'.  Whether the company asked you to, authorized you, or reluctantly put up with it, you would show the writers the covers, involve them in who was coloring…it was an evolving process. 

Sometimes you were ahead of where the company's willingness was, or where mine was…

Karen Berger: I still remember when we started Vertigo we could say shit, but not fuck.  All the writers grumbled.  I went to Jenette because I knew she'd say yes.  Matt Wagner, who did Sandman Mystery Theatre was very strong on this.  And she said, sure I think we can.

I remember going into Paul's office right after to tell him, and he said, "I wish you didn't do that."

Paul Levitz: I think it's a natural thing for all children to learn to play mommy against daddy.  Sometimes it works in the corporate environment too. 

While Paul talked about changes she made to the business of the modern comic book.

PL: You're changing the business bit by bit.  Your team puts out the first title that changes the business model further, Transmetropolitan, where the trades did well enough to have us continue a money-losing periodical—now a very common comics model.  It's also getting tougher because other people are trying to do what you've been doing, reaching for the creators you've developed. 

And Karen gave one tease of what we might expect from Berger Books.

One of the things that I liked to do at Vertigo, and will be doing at my new gig, Berger Books, which was just announced by Dark Horse, is to really expand the talent pool in terms of reaching to other countries' writers and artists to do original works.

Well, us Brits are a lot cheaper post-Brexit…

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