When Marvel’s Current Editor-in-Chief Posed as Japanese to Write Comics

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Just when you think the comics industry can’t get any weirder or lower it responds “hold my beer.” Today it was revealed that Marvel‘s new editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski has admitted to writing under the Japanese-sounding pseydonym “Akira Yoshida” during the 00s.

Rumors for years, and lied about numerous times, the revelation was admitted to today. Cebulski first used the “pen name” around 2004 when he was an associate editor at Marvel. At first his writing was done outside of Marvel, but eventually he wound up writing for Marvel as well.

The lie became elaborate and complex with a made-up life story, people saying they met the person, Yoshida attending conventions. Though some say they met Yoshida that in reality was a translator who was visiting Marvel’s office for an unrelated thing (which in itself feels racist on top of everything else messed up about this).

Cebluski has admitted the ruse:

I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year. It wasn’t transparent, but it taught me a lot about writing, communication and pressure. I was young and naïve and had a lot to learn back then. But this is all old news that has been dealt with, and now as Marvel’s new Editor-in-Chief, I’m turning a new page and am excited to start sharing all my Marvel experiences with up and coming talent around the globe.

So, we have:

  1. A white person posing as Asian to get writing gigs
  2. That person somehow getting paid for this (How did that work!? Isn’t opening accounts supposed to be harder post 9/11?
  3. Weren’t there contracts signed? How is this not fraud?!
  4. Did C.B. hire “Akira” for Marvel? Was it someone else?
  5. That person double dipping at a company.
  6. That person now being Editor-in-Chief at the same company after spending years expanding their reach in China and surrounding areas.
  7. Who knew and helped cover this up?

The rumors cropped up again in July when an audio short story was released by a former Marvel editor then Image Comics brand manager David Brothers made a comment about Sunday night on Twitter.

Just when you think things can’t get worse or weirder in comics, they always find a way to surprise you.

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