DC Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee promised that the publishing arm of the entertainment company isn't going anywhere.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the future of all things DC, Lee and Senior VP and General Manager Daniel Cherry III were asked about rumors that WarnerMedia will shutter the publishing arm of the media empire, focusing instead on movies, TV, and video games. Lee responded saying there's no truth to the claims.
"Occasionally you will run across that article or tweet and I have to bite my tongue to not jump into the conversations," Lee said. "It’s the furthest thing from the truth. If anything, it’s the exact opposite. The comics that we publish, the core canon we establish in comics, is driving everything that we do across DC in media. We are constantly referring to the characters as we built DC beyond the publishing world."
"Having publishing is vital to our future," Lee continued. "Having an influx of new voices, new characters, new points of view is vital to keeping the industry healthy and representative of current times. It’s mission one for us to make sure that the universe we create and champion is reflective of the fanbase that loves our characters. So yes, it is the cornerstone of everything we do."
"That is literally a statement in our documents," Cherry added."
Lee also spoke about how DC has an advantage for creator-owned media, saying writers and artists can focus on what they do best and leave the logistics to the company. And the opportunity to see work translated to the screen is another advantage, with Lee reiterating how everything begins with the comics.
As part of the push forward, DC is diving into digital distribution more and focusing on a global reach with its books. "[Globalization has] always been a priority but more so now because our fans are everywhere," Lee said. "These movies and productions have taken over pop culture the world over. But the focus of our universe is still very much North American-centric. So I think that there is a lot of work to be done and a lot of opportunity to be done in diversifying, creating new concepts and characters, working with new creators we’ve never worked with before, bringing in a level of authenticity in their storytelling telling, tapping into other world cultures, and really making the universe as vibrant and relevant as it can be."
Lee also revealed that rather than experiencing friction with executives at the top, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar supports what the comics side of the company does. "Jason is a fan. He is very knowledgeable about the DC universe," Lee said. "He will talk about the multiverse and the Earth numbers. It’s great to have a leader at the top who is that supportive and real champion for DC. If anything, he wants the truest representation of the DC Universe in anything that do, comic books, media productions. It’s been great to work with a leader that loves the characters, loves the brand, loves the storytelling."
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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