Tag Archives: charles beacham

Mad Cave Studios Levels Up its Editorial and Marketing Teams with Promotions and Additions

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As part of its continued growth and expansion across imprints and platforms, Mad Cave Studios has announced team updates, including the promotion of Kristen Simon to Executive Editor of Nakama Press, the addition of Charles Beacham as Editor, Holly Aitchison as Trade Marketing Manager, and the onboarding of Summer Marketing Interns Gillian McMahon and Yomari Lobo.

Kristen Simon has been promoted to Executive Editor for Nakama Press, Mad Cave’s imprint dedicated to global storytelling and manga-inspired narratives. A seasoned editor with decades of experience in the comics industry, Simon has been integral to the successful launch and direction of Nakama’s debut titles.

Mad Cave also welcomes Charles Beacham as a new Editor under Executive Editorial Director Mike Marts. Charles brings editorial expertise from his time at Marvel and IDW, where he worked on major properties including Star Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In the Marketing Department, Holly Aitchison joins the team as Trade Marketing Manager, overseeing trade-facing campaigns, metadata optimization, and retailer engagement across independent bookstores, libraries, and the direct market.

Additionally, Mad Cave welcomes two Summer Marketing Interns: Gillian McMahon and Yomari Lobo, who will support upcoming seasonal campaigns, digital initiatives, and social media planning as the company ramps up for a major summer of releases and convention appearances.

Jamie S. Rich, Charles Beacham, and Russ Busse join IDW

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IDW Publishing has announced that they’ve bolstered their editorial staff with three new hires, onboarding Jamie S. Rich as Executive Editorial Director and Charles Beacham and Russ Busse as Senior Editors.

IDW Publishing staff

As executive editorial director, Jamie S. Rich will be responsible for developing licensed products for IDW Publishing, including single-issue comic books and graphic novels, and both managing and providing direction to the editorial staff to enable the highest quality creative output.

Rich started in comics in 1994 as an assistant editor at Dark Horse Comics before moving over to Oni Press in 1998, where he became editor in chief. He published his first prose novel, Cut My Hair, in 2000 before embarking on an extended freelance career. In 2015, Rich joined DC Comics as part of their Vertigo imprint and, in time, would oversee DC’s Young Animal with Gerard Way and, ultimately, DC’s top titles and characters. He also won an Eisner Award as part of the editorial team of the charity anthology Love Is Love, co-published by DC and IDW. In 2021, Rich moved to Tapas Media where he became editor in chief of their original comics and novels before joining IDW.

As senior editor, Charles Beacham will oversee the company’s critically acclaimed line of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic books, building upon the success of their monthly series and blockbuster Last Ronin miniseries with innovative new initiatives for 2022 and beyond.

A lifelong storyteller, Beacham has extensive experience with impactful narratives across a wide spectrum of media. He has shepherded some of the world’s most renowned franchises for superhero heavy hitter Marvel Entertainment, including such titles as Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Wars. He’s also worked for the video game developer, Activision Blizzard, launching the comic line for their sci-fi shooter Destiny 2.

As senior editor of IDW’s Originals editorial division, Russ Busse will work with some of the industry’s finest creators and talented newcomers to develop brand-new original graphic novels for the middle grade and young adult markets.

Prior to joining IDW, Busse honed his skills at Abrams Books and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and more recently pursued freelance opportunities. He has worked on everything from graphic novels and picture books to middle grade and licensed programs, and has edited books for Marvel, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Hasbro, and more, working with best-selling authors like Barry Lyga and Gina McIntyre. He loves finding voices with unique perspectives, charm, and heartfelt emotion.