Devil’s Due Restructures
Devil’s Due Publishing has restructured their staff, with CEO PJ Bickett stepping down and two other staffers being laid off.
Bickett told Comic Book Resources, " I have officially separated from Devil’s Due." Replacing him on an interim basis will be DDP’s founder Josh Blaylock.
The lay offs include Editor Cody DeMatteis and Marketing Manager Brian Warmoth with Blaylock telling CBR, that their layoffs were “absolutely no fault of their own.”
"I have really enjoyed being a part of the DDP family for the past several years, and now it is time for me to move on to new challenges," Bickett said. "It was an honor working with such talented people, and I look forward to watching the company evolve."
Blaylock said in a release, "Coming from a strategic planning background, PJ was able to bring a fresh set of eyes to Devil’s Due. It has given us a unique perspective on the industry and where it’s going in years to come, and helped better prepare us for that."
Blaylock helped found the creative services outfit Kunoichi, Inc..and has been concentrating on that in lieu of DDP. Now, Bickett will be spending most of his time on Kunoichi’s operations. They recently entered into an agreement to purchase Arachia Comics.
Kunoichi and DDP have shared lineage and even shared Chicago offices blurring the line between the two. DDP currently works out of Los Angeles offices.
DDP has made its name with licensed properties, notably G.I. Joe and Halloween but lost the former to IDW and has suffered financially for it. Their best known original title is Hack/Slash, which has been optioned by Rogue Pictures, a division of Universal Studios that just happens to be up for sale itself.