Jenette Kahn, president and editor-in-chief of DC Comics for the past 26 years, will step down at the end of the year after a transition period. She plans to focus on other creative interests. Succeeding her as president and publisher of DC Comics will be Paul Levitz, formerly DC Comics executive v-p and publisher and a 29-year DC Comics veteran writer, editor and executive. Levitz will report to Barry M. Meyer, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.
Levitz will add Kahn's responsibilities to his current duties. In addition to overseeing all business and editorial operations at DC Comics and Mad magazine, Levitz will serve as a liaison to all Warner Bros. divisions to extend DC Comics' many well-known brands across a wide range of entertainment media. Both Kahn and Levitz were instrumental in launching Vertigo, DC's graphic novel imprint, and establishing DC Comics' hardcover and paperback book publishing programs.
Kahn joined DC Comics in 1976 at the age of 25 as publisher after her success editing such kids' magazines as Dynamite and Smash. Under her direction, the company, best known for such superhero comic book characters as Superman and Batman, has grown from a relatively small comics publisher to an international entertainment company offering films and TV programming, in addition to being one of the largest publishers of English-language comics in the world.
This spring Abbeville Press will publish Kahn's new book, In Your Space, an illustrated book about the creative process.
