Hunter Gorinson joins Oni Lion Forge as Publisher and President

Pretty positive nobody noticed this coming: Hunter Gorinson has been named President and Publisher of the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group, it was introduced at this time.

In Gorinson, OLFPG has a veteran govt with a variety of expertise, together with Marvel, Valiant, Hivemind, Bad Idea and most lately Boom! Studios, the place he was vp of Business Development. He begins the job at this time and will oversee all firm operations, together with Oni’s editorial, advertising and marketing, operations, and gross sales divisions over all gross sales channels.

The transfer ends a turbulent interval on the a lot beloved Portland primarily based writer that noticed a lot of the workers – together with very long time writer James Lucas Jones and govt vp Charlie Chu – both eliminated or quitting the corporate. They have been hiring for key positions, with a gap for a junior advertising and marketing place, and the current rent of PR veteran Kim Estlund to deal with that finish of issues.

I’m going to run the remainder of the PR beneath with out editorial remark however I’ll say I’ve recognized Hunter a very long time, and he’s very good and educated about all ranges of the comics trade. As his assertion beneath signifies, he understands Oni’s legacy and pioneering position in getting comics publishing to the place it’s now. And as observers have saved declaring during the last six months, Oni Lion-Forge has an incredible catalog of confirmed sellers – Scott Pilgrim, Gender Queer, Sheets, Tea Dragon Society, Rick and Morty, Upgrade Soul, Courtney Crumrin and tons extra. There’s a whole lot of work to get carried out on the firm, however a very powerful factor – good books – is there.

Obviously there’s much more information to come back on this, and we’ll replace it as occasions unfold.

PR follows:

In his new position, Gorinson can be tasked with increasing Oni-Lion Forge’s footprint as one of many world’s most famed publishers of comedian books and authentic graphic novels; constructing upon its decades-long relationships with a few of the comedian medium’s most famous creators; figuring out new inventive voices and partnerships; and increasing the Oni-Lion Forge model by way of new collaborative ventures rooted within the storytelling energy of the comedian e book medium.

“Oni is, without a doubt, one of the most groundbreaking and influential comic book publishers of our generation,” mentioned Gorinson. “It’s a true honor to lead the company at this pivotal moment in its history, and I look forward to working alongside our incredibly talented team and distinguished roster of creators to write a new chapter that will honor Oni’s legacy of advancing daring creative voices, stories, and ideas, while opening new opportunities to maximize the scope and impact of the Oni-Lion Forge library for readers of all ages in comic shops, bookstores, and beyond.”

Gorinson involves Oni with greater than a decade of high-level expertise in comedian e book publishing, movie and tv improvement, and content material technique, working in partnership with a few of the most recognizable creators, properties, and manufacturers all through the leisure panorama.

From 2011 onward, Gorinson served as the founding Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Valiant Entertainment, the place he co-architected the relaunch of the award-winning impartial comics writer. In 2018, Gorinson joined Hivemind – the manufacturing firm behind Netflix’s The Witcher and

Amazon’s The Expanse – the place he served as Senior Vice President of Brand & Content Strategy and led improvement of a number of high-profile additions to the corporate’s slate of comedian book-based movie and tv tasks.

Gorinson additionally concurrently co-founded the upstart comedian publishing imprint Bad Idea, serving as the corporate’s Publisher by way of its launch.

In 2021, Gorinson joined BOOM! Studios as the Eisner Award-winning writer’s first Vice President of Business Development. As the founding govt behind the corporate’s rising enterprise improvement division, Gorinson labored to forge new enterprise alternatives, partnerships, and model collaborations for the trade’s second largest impartial writer; broaden the corporate’s alternatives in publishing throughout the direct market, e book, and direct-to-consumer channels; and develop the BOOM! library throughout publishing, media, and licensing.

Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year historical past as one of many trade’s most revered and acclaimed impartial comedian e book publishers. In 2019, the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group was shaped by way of a merger with fellow impartial comedian e book writer, Lion Forge Comics, based in 2011 by entrepreneur David Steward II. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified international media firm, Polarity.

“From our earliest conversations, it was clear that Hunter was the ideal leader to shape the future of the Oni-Lion Forge brand,” mentioned David Steward II, Chairman of the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group. “With a deep understanding of both the art and business of comics, Hunter knows how to build collaborative environments that foster creativity between creators and colleagues alike, and shape content that will resonate with fans around the world. He has a robust vision for solidifying Oni–Lion Forge’s reach with creators, readers, and retailers in the direct and book markets, while simultaneously extending the wide breadth of our library even further with strategic partnerships that will showcase the best of Oni-Lion Forge, present and future.”

Oni-Lion Forge’s curated line consists of award-winning authentic and licensed comedian books and graphic novels, together with: Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty™, Nickelodeon’s Invader ZIM, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, Ted Naifeh’s Courtney Crumrin, Anthony Johnston & Christopher Mitten’s Wasteland, Sophie Campbell’s Wet Moon, Ok. O’Neill’s The Tea Dragon Society, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets and Delicates, Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer, Jarrett Melendez and Danica Brine’s Chef’s Kiss, Ezra Claytan Daniels’ Upgrade Soul, the Eisner award-winning anthology Puerto Rico Strong, and seminal works by lots of of creators, together with Cullen Bunn, Zander Cannon, Tyler Crook, Ray Fawkes, Marc Guggenheim, Phil Hester, Mike Huddleston, Brian Joines, Sam Keith, Jim Mahfood, Chris Samnee, Laura Samnee, Judd Winick, and many extra.

Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group publishes greater than 60 authentic graphic novels yearly, along with an intensive listing of periodical comics.

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