DC Comics Moving to Burbank

Holy melanoma, Batman!

Back in 2010 DC Comics, in an effort to integrate DC Entertainment more into the Time/Warner entertainment division, moved its digital and multi-media sections out to the Warner Bros. complex in Burbank, CA, but left the publishing end of DC Comics in the New York offices. At the time they said that the “New York publishing culture” was important to the division and that publishing operations would stay in NYC. At the time I said:

“Good news for MAD, because I doubt many or any of the current staff would be too interested in relocating from NYC to Burbank. I’ve got nothing except my personal feeling about that, but the MAD staff are born and bred New Yorkers and it would be hard to see them eating sprouts and drinking vitamin water out in L.A.”

Today CBR reported that DC Entertainment announced the DC Comics publishing division would move to Burbank by 2015. You can read the full text of the letter DCE President Diane Nelson sent to employees and to the press on CBR’s website.

I have no idea what this will mean for MAD. There are four possible scenarios:

1. Enough current MAD editors and art staff make the move that MAD remains the MAD we know and love.
2. DC bankrolls a small, separate MAD office in NYC, and MAD remains the MAD we know and love.
3. DC forms a new editorial and art staff to continue MAD out west, and we have no idea if MAD remains the MAD we know and love.
4. DC cancels MAD Magazine.

Of those possibilities, only #4 seems out of the question. MAD is enjoying a renaissance right now, with a hit animated show on the Cartoon Network due for it’s 100th episode next month, some great press coverage on several high profile book projects in the last year or so, and a couple of other media projects I have gotten wind of but can’t really talk about right now. The MAD brand might be the most valuable it’s been in a decade or more right now, so I doubt it’s being considered for cancellation.

I really have no idea what’s going to happen with the magazine. I really hope for possibility #2, but I’m not sure that’s likely. Therefore #1 is the best hope for MAD to continue undaunted. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.