Publisher Continues to Strengthen Relationship with Direct Market
San Diego, CA (February 18, 2016) – IDW Publishing has named Joel Elad as Direct Market Sales Manager, who will be the publisher’s liaison to comic shop retailers as well as manage the company’s retailer exclusive variant cover program. Elad comes to IDW from NewComix.Com, an online comic book retailer he co-founded in 1998.
His wealth of experience includes acting as Director of Sales andMarketing for Top Cow Productions, where he led marketing campaigns for titles such as Wanted, by Mark Millar and JG Jones, and worked closely with retailers on a national basis. During his career, Elad has consulted with comic book stores, publishers, and conventions, as an independent contractor for Certified Guaranty Corporation (CGC), a third-party comic book grading company.
In addition to his expertise in the direct market, Elad co-founded the So Cal Comic Con, a one-day comic book and toy convention in the San Diego area, where he personally recruited guests of honor as varied as J. Scott Campbell, George Perez, Marc Silvestri, Herb Trimpe, Rob Liefeld, Howard Chaykin, and Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi. Currently, Elad is a Regional Advisory Board Member for the HERO Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators in need.
“We continue to expand what we do here at IDW, producing everything from Television shows to board games,” said IDW’s VP of Marketing Dirk Wood. “But the cornerstone of our business continues to be our partnership with comic book stores. We’ve been looking to expand our communication with the Direct Market, to reach out to our most important customers on a consistent basis. With Joel’s experience and understanding of the market, it’s clear he’s the right person for the job.”
“I’m extremely thrilled to be joining this organization, as I feel IDW is part of my extended family after our previous successes together,” says Elad. “I can’t wait to contribute any expertise or perspective that I have to forge and enhance lots of beneficial partnerships with comic book retailers worldwide. I’m very honored to be a part of this team and I’m looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.”
