Names CEO, CDO, Co-Publishers, COO & Editor-In-Chief, with Goals to Maximize IDWP Brand Awareness, Innovation and Growth
SAN DIEGO, CA – May 3, 2023 – IDW Media Holdings, Inc. and its IDW Publishing unit, announced today a strategic organizational restructuring, including the appointment of Davidi Jonas as CEO and Joshua Frankel as CDO, and the promotions of Mark Doyle and Tara McCrillis to Co-Publishers, Amber Huerta as COO, and Jamie S. Rich as Editor-in-Chief.
“We have a streamlined, integrated organization with an awesome new leadership team,” said Davidi Jonas, new CEO of IDW. “We are working toward robust profitability, alongside superior marketing, sales, licensor relations, as well as best-in-industry terms for creators, increased live and digital fan engagement, novel play modalities, and continued (and elevating) dedication to authentic, engaging storytelling and entertainment. I have, thank God, had tremendous fortune in my young career, and have a track record of creating value, and with the blessing of an amazing team of colleagues, I guarantee that IDW will embody a spirit of fun & excellence.”
With IDW Publishing’s recent promotions and restructuring the Company is positioned to maximize its revenue and brand awareness through ambitious sales, marketing, and publicity initiatives, and will continue to grow its presence in the direct, retail, foreign, digital and e-commerce markets – all while maintaining relationships with the best community of creators in the industry.
In particular, IDW is committed to fostering meaningful and abiding connections with fans of the titles and creators that IDW has the privilege of helping bring forth to the world.
“We are fans ourselves,” said Joshua Frankel, Chief Digital Officer of IDW, “and we know how important it is to connect with our fans and give them deep, varied, and meaningful engagement with the stories and creators they love. IDW knows that to be connected we must meet our fans where they are at, and our plans for digital innovation are aimed at giving our fans the delight and attention that we would want as fellow travelers.”
Mark Doyle, Co-Publisher added, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into this new role with IDW Publishing. I have an amazing partner in my Co-Publisher, Tara. The publishing world has a dearth of super talented people who work so hard behind the scenes—the unsung but incredibly deserving heroes of our industry—and Tara is one of the best. The new leadership team is passionate about the storytelling we create, and we have an incredible lineup of books planned—I’m thrilled to help share these stories with the world.”
“Mark’s tireless dedication and vision have been integral to IDW’s growth and success, and I am thrilled for this opportunity to partner with him on our publishing efforts,” said Tara McCrillis, Co-Publisher. “Together with our amazingly talented editorial and design teams, we will continue to elevate IDW’s creative output and strengthen our relationships with partners, retailers, creators, and fans.”
In addition, IDW announced the appointment of Jamie S. Rich as Editor-in-Chief. Jamie brings a wealth of editorial experience and will lead the unparalleled editorial team in a spirit of collaboration, timeliness, and delightfully authentic and engaging storytelling.
“I am honored to lead such a talented Editorial team,” said Jamie Rich, EIC. “I look forward to helping shape the future of IDW’s editorial offerings by collaborating with Mark, Tara, and the rest of the leadership team to deliver amazing stories to our readers.”
IDW has an incredible history of partnering with the biggest and most beloved brands in the world such as Paramount, Nickelodeon, CBS Studios, Hasbro, SEGA, Wizards of the Coast, and Toho, and to publish fan-favorite series such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Star Trek, Sonic the Hedgehog, My Little Pony, Godzilla, and Dungeons and Dragons. IDW’s strategic vision for the future underscores its commitment to its partners and its belief in the power of storytelling to entertain, inspire, and connect people around the world to the stories they love.
“We are privileged to work with such incredible partners and do not take for granted the opportunity to bring iconic and beloved franchises to life,” added Davidi Jonas. “We know that our success is possible because of great partners, and we are committed to continually earring their trust and support for years and decades to come.”
About the staff
Mark Doyle joined IDW in February 2021 where he developed the IDW Original line of comics including the bestselling hits DARK SPACES: WILDFIRE and EARTHDIVERS. Prior to IDW Mark worked in Editorial at DC comics for 15 years where he did everything from developing original stories for the VERTIGO imprint, oversaw the entire line of BATMAN comics and launched the successful new line of high end comics and graphic novels DC BLACK LABEL.
Tara McCrillis has been with IDW since 2019 starting as the Director of Design and Production helping fine tune workflow process between the design and editorial teams. In 2021 she was promoted to VP Publishing Operations overseeing the design team in addition to all of the operational processes required to make and sell comics and books. She was integral in helping the company transition Direct Market sales to PRH. Prior to joining IDW she worked as the Director of Publishing Operations for Fodor’s Travel assisting the newly acquired imprint in establishing workflow process and helped shepherd in a full redesign of the legacy travel guide.
Jamie S. Rich has been with IDW since May of 2022, when he took over the editorial department for licensed comics. Just prior to that, he had been editor-in-chief at Tapas Media and before that a Group Editor at DC Comics, where he covered just about every aspect of the publishing line at one time or another, from Vertigo and Gerard Way’s Young Animal imprint to running first the Batman office and then Justice League, where he oversaw the creation of the Yara Flor version of Wonder Girl and a new direction for Jonathan Kent as Superman. He began his comic career in 1994 as an editor at Dark Horse Comics and was also editor-in-chief of Oni Press in its first six years of publishing. Also an accomplished writer, he is known for the graphic novels 12 Reasons Why I Love Her, A Boy & a Girl, and You Have Killed Me.
Josh Frankel is the founder of Z2 Comics, a company specializing in comic books and graphic novels. With a focus on creating comprehensive digital marketing strategies for the comic and geek culture industries, Josh has dedicated himself to helping creators and publishers reach wider audiences and capitalize on their potential. Having worked in the comic space since the age of 19, Josh brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm for the intersection of marketing, creativity, and new media.
Amber Huerta has been our Chief Operating Officer since April 2023. From July 2021 to April 2023, Ms. Huerta served as Senior Vice President, People and Organizational Development of the Company, during which time she was responsible for IDW’s overall human resources strategy, talent acquisition, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, organizational design, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and organizational design. Ms. Huerta has over 20 years of human resource experience, achieving employment law and SHRM-SCP designations. Prior to IDW, from July 2019 to July 2021, Ms. Huerta served as the Head of HR at Rapid Logistics, where she was responsible for strategizing, developing, and implementing all culture, employee engagement, and organizational development initiatives, servicing over 500 employees. Ms. Huerta is an active member of the national and local chapters of the Society of Human Resource Management and currently serves on several senior HR roundtables in Los Angeles, CA.
Davidi Jonas was CEO of Straight Path Communications. He led the company from (independently) going public with a ~$25M equity value to a sale ~4 years later to Verizon for equity value of ~$2.5Bn. Davidi is a value and values-oriented leader. Just yesterday Davidi answered a ringing phone in the LA office saying, “Hello, thank you for calling IDW. How may I direct your call?” He couldn’t figure out how to transfer the call. Davidi plans to learn the desktop phones while helping to lead IDW.
About IDW Publishing
IDW (NYSE AMERICAN: IDW) is a leading media company providing uniquely compelling stories and characters in various genres for global audiences across all entertainment platforms. The award-winning IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment divisions holistically evaluate and acquire IP for franchise development across comics and graphic novels, television, theatrical, merchandise, and other entertainment platforms, in addition to bringing world-renowned storytelling to life with our creative partners.
Forward-Looking Statements:
In this press release, all statements that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate, “target” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ