Word Balloon Comics Podcast the origin of diana schutz
Aug 24, 2025
01:34:54
In this 2014 career deep-dive, Dark Horse Executive Editor Diana Schutz walks us through four decades in comics—with zero varnish. We trace her start behind the counter in Vancouver and at Comics & Comix in Berkeley, where she leveled up from retail to publishing, then the blink-and-you-miss-it Marvel stint and the formative Comico years shepherding creator-owned work.
Finally, Diana lands at Dark Horse in 1990, rising to executive editor, championing auteurs, and launching the creator-driven Maverick imprint. Along the way we hit milestone collaborations—Frank Miller’s Sin City and 300, Matt Wagner’s Grendel, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor —and unpack her editor’s playbook: protecting voice, negotiating deadlines without killing the art, and why “editor” means partner, not policeman. It’s a masterclass in how careers are built, catalogs are curated, and why creator rights matter—told by someone who helped shape the modern indie era.
Finally, Diana lands at Dark Horse in 1990, rising to executive editor, championing auteurs, and launching the creator-driven Maverick imprint. Along the way we hit milestone collaborations—Frank Miller’s Sin City and 300, Matt Wagner’s Grendel, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo, Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor —and unpack her editor’s playbook: protecting voice, negotiating deadlines without killing the art, and why “editor” means partner, not policeman. It’s a masterclass in how careers are built, catalogs are curated, and why creator rights matter—told by someone who helped shape the modern indie era.