Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson—credited by many for ushering in the Image Comics Renaissance—is joining Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

During the 10 years since Stephenson was named Publisher, Image Comics has risen from fifth to third-ranked publisher in the industry—maintaining that rank for seven years running. Over that period, Image has received Diamond’s Gem Award for Best Publisher three years in a row from 2014 to 2016. Stephenson individually has been honored with ComicsPRO’s Industry Appreciation Award and was named The Beat’s Industry Person of the Year in 2014, as well as being ranked in the Top 10 on Bleeding Cool’s Power List every year since its inception in 2012. Under Stephenson’s watch, Image has onboarded an unprecedented number of game-changing new series, with Image titles winning nearly three dozen Eisner Awards, across a variety of categories, as well as dominating bestseller lists.