Humanoids, the Los Angeles-based comics publisher, has named comics writer Mark Waid its publisher. Waid will report to Humanoids CEO Fabrice Giger, who was previously CEO and publisher.
Waid, an Eisner award-winning comics writer who has written for Marvel and DC and other major publishers, will be based at the Los Angeles office of Humanoids, best known as the publisher of epic European science-fiction graphic novels, among them the works of the legendary French comics artist Moebius. Waid will oversee day-to-day operations at Humanoids, including directing editorial, sales and marketing strategy, recruiting creative talent and outreach to the retail marketplace and librarians.
“Fabrice Giger founded Humanoids in Los Angeles in 1998 with the goal of introducing American readers to the European masterworks by creators like Jodorowsky, Mœbius, Gimenez, and Manara and these classics remain the foundation of Humanoids," Waid said. He continued: “as we look to the future, Humanoids’ publishing slate will honor the legacy of those iconic books, while continuing to innovate and experiment with new publishing initiatives like Life Drawn, BIG and H1.”
Waid joined Humanoids in 2018 as its director of creative development and has been instrumental in a recent expansion of its publishing program that includes the launch of two new imprints: Life Drawn, a nonfiction/memoir line of graphic novels, and BIG, an all-ages imprint. The expanded Humanoids publishing program also includes H1, a new line of original superhero comics that are being released in book collections beginning this year.
Giger praised Waid’s “respect for the medium’s past, attention to today’s political and cultural landscapes, and keen eye for spotting talent.” He added that “Mark Waid is perfectly suited to lead the Humanoids publishing team as the new publisher of Humanoids English-language efforts. We are thrilled with the work that Mark has done and it was time to expand his responsibilities.”
Correction: The ownership of Humanoids, one of its new imprints, and Waid's initial position at the house were incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
