Dan DiDio (; born October 13, 1959) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
writer, editor, and publisher who has worked in the television and
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
industries. From February 2010 until February 2020, he was the co-publisher of
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, along with
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
. ''
Wizard'' magazine recognized him as its first ever "Man of the Year" in 2003 for his work in the DC Universe line of comics.
Career
TV work
Prior to joining DC Comics, DiDio worked in television, beginning in 1981. DiDio was a freelance writer and story editor for
Mainframe Entertainment
Mainframe Studios is a Canadian computer animation company owned by Wow Unlimited Media and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1993 as Mainframe Entertainment Inc. by Christopher Brough, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell, Gavin Blair and ...
, specifically working on ''
ReBoot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
'' and ''
War Planets
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
''.
DC Comics
DiDio joined DC Comics in January 2002, as vice president–editorial, as well as writer for ''
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' (issues #94 to 100). He was promoted to vice president–executive editor, DC Universe in October 2004. Since 2006, DiDio has written a weekly column called "DC Nation" which appears on the end page of most of DC Comics' main superhero titles. Originally, the column was tied to the yearlong weekly
maxi-series
In the field of comic books, a limited series is a comics series with a predetermined number of issues. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is finite and determined before production, and it differs from ...
''
52'', a project which he oversaw. On February 18, 2010, DC Entertainment President
Diane Nelson
Diane Dezura (born July 1, 1958 in Burnaby, British Columbia as Diane Nelson) is a Canadian retired curler and Olympic medalist. As Diane Nelson, she played lead on for the Kelley Law rink in the early 2000s, one of the best teams in the world ...
named DiDio as co-publisher of DC Comics, along with
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
.
Dan DiDio returned to writing comics with short stories for the 2008 and 2009 DC Halloween specials and the 2009 Holiday special. In 2009, he returned to regular writing duties with the weekly
Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
feature in ''
Wednesday Comics
''Wednesday Comics'' was a weekly anthology comic book launched by DC Comics on July 8, 2009. The twelve issues of the title were published in 14" x 20" broadsheet format, deliberately similar to Sunday newspaper comics sections. Each edition f ...
''. In January 2010, DiDio wrote the ''
Weird Western Tales
''Weird Western Tales'' is a Western genre comics anthology published by DC Comics from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1977) when the character was promoted to hi ...
'' tie-in issue of the ''
Blackest Night
"Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in issues. ''Blackest Ni ...
'' crossover and took over regular monthly scripting of ''
The Outsiders''. As Co-Publisher, he oversaw the reboot of all current DC titles and was the co-writer of the ''
OMAC'' series with artist
Keith Giffen
Keith Ian Giffen (born November 30, 1952) is an American comics artist and writer. He is known for his work for DC Comics on their '' Legion of Super-Heroes'' and ''Justice League'' titles as well as for being the co-creator of Lobo.
Biography ...
. DiDio wrote a
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces.
The characters' provenance is ...
storyline for ''
DC Universe Presents
''DC Universe Presents'' is the name of two DC Comics publications. The first was part of the UK 'Collector's Edition' line of DC Comics published by Titan Magazines. Beginning March 2007, it was originally titled ''Superman Legends'' and was publi ...
'' which was drawn by
Jerry Ordway
Jeremiah Ordway (born November 28, 1957) is an American writer, penciller, inker and painter of comic books.
He is known for his inking work on a wide variety of DC Comics titles, including the continuity-redefining ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' ...
.
In July 2012, as part of the
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is ...
, DiDio and DC co-publisher
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
participated in the production of "Heroic Proportions", an episode of the
Syfy reality television competition series ''
Face Off'', in which special effects makeup artists compete to create the best makeup according to each episode's theme. Lee and DiDio presented the contestants with that episode's challenge, to create a new superhero, with six DC Comics artists on hand to help them develop their ideas. The winning entry's character, Infernal Core by Anthony Kosar, was featured in ''
Justice League Dark
The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some ...
'' #16 (March 2013), which was published January 30, 2013. The episode premiered on January 22, 2013, as the second episode of the fourth season.
A ''
Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
'' ongoing series written by DiDio and drawn by
Brent Anderson Brent Anderson may refer to:
* Brent Anderson (comics) (born 1955), American comics artist
* Brent Anderson (singer)
Brent Anderson (born in Pascagoula, Mississippi) is an American country music singer. He has charted on Hot Country Songs with t ...
began in September 2012. DiDio and Keith Giffen reunited on ''Infinity Man and the
Forever People
Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February–March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby ...
'' in 2014. DiDio,
Justin Jordan
Justin Jordan (born 1978) is an American comics writer. He is known for co-creating (with artist Tradd Moore) ''The Strange Talent of Luther Strode'' and its two sequels (published by Image Comics), and for writing 22 issues of '' Green Lantern ...
, and
Kenneth Rocafort
Kenneth Rocafort (born 1983) is a Puerto Rican illustrator of comic books, known for his work on titles including ''Superman'', '' Red Hood and the Outlaws'', '' Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher'', '' ''Teen Titans', '' ''The Ultimates' ...
created the ''Sideways'' series as part of DC's "Dark Matter" line.
On February 21, 2020, DiDio stepped down as Co-Publisher of DC Comics after ten years at that position. The company did not give a reason for the move, nor did it indicate whether it was his decision or the company's, though it was the latest event in a restructuring that began the previous month, as several top executives were laid off from the company. However,
Bleeding Cool
Bleeding Cool is an Internet news site, focusing on comics, television, film, board games, and video games. Owned by Avatar Press, it was launched by Rich Johnston on March 27, 2009. Avatar Press also publishes an associated magazine, ''Bleeding ...
reported that he was fired.
Frank Miller Presents
On April 28, 2022, it was officially announced that Dan DiDio would serve as publisher for
Frank Miller
Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on ''Daredevil'' and subsequen ...
's newly-announced comic book company
Frank Miller Presents (FMP).
Inkwell Awards Special Ambassador
On August 23, 2002, Dan DiDio was officially announced as new Special Ambassador to the
Inkwell Awards
The Inkwell Award, sometimes shortened to the Inkwells, is a trophy given in the field of inking in American comic books. The awards were partially named after the Yahoo group whose members include many in the inking community, and after the pe ...
advocacy group.
[First Comics News - Inkwell Awards Adds Dan DiDio As Special Ambassador](_blank)
/ref>[Inkwell Awards - Inkwell Awards Adds Dan DiDio As Special Ambassador](_blank)
/ref>Erudit - Former DC Editor Dan DiDio Named Special Inkwell Awards Ambassador
/ref>
Bibliography
Comics
* ''Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional space adventurer appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by editor Julius Schwartz with a costume designed by Murphy Anderson, he first appeared in ''Showcase'' #17 (November 1958).
Adam Stran ...
/Future Quest
''Future Quest'' is a crossover (fiction), crossover comic book series published by DC Comics, as part of the comic book initiative ''Hanna-Barbera Beyond''. The series features characters from various animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera, s ...
Special'' #1 (2017)
* '' Batman and the Outsiders
Outsider(s) may refer to:
Film
* Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film
* Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film
* Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
'' vol. 2 #40 (2011)
* ''Batman Black and White
''Batman Black and White'' refers to the comic book limited series published by DC Comics featuring 8-page black and white Batman stories. Volumes 1, 4 and 5 of the series feature all-new stories (published in 1996, 2013–14, and 2020–21, res ...
'' vol. 2 #2 (2013)
* ''Batman Incorporated
Batman Incorporated (also known as Batman, Inc.) was an ongoing American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring the superhero Batman. Written by Grant Morrison, the series debuted following the events of '' Batman R.I.P'', ''Final Cr ...
Special'' #1 (2013)
* ''DC Infinite Halloween Special'' #1 (2007)
* ''DC Universe Presents
''DC Universe Presents'' is the name of two DC Comics publications. The first was part of the UK 'Collector's Edition' line of DC Comics published by Titan Magazines. Beginning March 2007, it was originally titled ''Superman Legends'' and was publi ...
'' #6–8 (Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a fictional group of adventurers appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The quartet of adventurers explored paranormal occurrences while facing several fantastic menaces.
The characters' provenance is ...
); #0 ( OMAC) (2012)
* ''DCU Halloween Special'' #1 (2008)
* ''DCU Holiday Special'' #1 (2009)
* ''Infinity-Man
Infinity-Man is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, in the '' Fourth World'' storyline.
Publication history
Infinity-Man first appeared in '' Forever People'' #1 (February 1971).
Fictional character biography
Infinity-Man's story beg ...
and the Forever People
Forever People are a fictional group of extraterrestrial superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They first appeared in ''Forever People'' #1 ( cover-dated February–March 1971), and were created by Jack Kirby ...
'' #1–9 (2014–2015)
* ''Infinity-Man and the Forever People: Futures End
Futures End is an American progressive metal band based in California, formed by guitarists Christian Wentz and Marc Pattison.
Once their first few demos were completed, Fred Marshall, formerly of progressive metal band Zero Hour, was chose ...
'' #1 (2014)
* ''Justice League Dark
The Justice League Dark, or JLD, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team would make their debut appearance in ''Justice League Dark'' #1 (September 2011). The Justice League Dark team features some ...
'' # 23.1– 23.2 (2013)
* ''Justice League International
Justice League International (JLI) is a fictional DC comics superhero team that succeeded the original Justice League from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. The team enjoyed several comic books runs, the first being written by Keith Giffen and ...
Annual'' vol. 2 #1 (2012)
* ''Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
'' #1-12 (2019-2020)
* ''O.M.A.C.
The OMACs (; Omni Mind And Community, originally Observational Metahuman Activity Construct and alternatively One Man Army Corps.) are a fictional type of cyborg appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. They are based on the Jack Kirby OM ...
'' vol. 3 #1–8 (2011–2012)
* ''Outsiders
Outsider(s) may refer to:
Film
* Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film
* Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film
* Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
'' vol. 4 #26–39 (2010–2011)
* ''Phantom Stranger
The Phantom Stranger is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, of unspecified paranormal origins, who battles mysterious and occult forces, sometimes under their Vertigo imprint. The character first appeared in an ...
'' vol. 4 #0, #1–8 (2012–2013)
* ''Sideways
''Sideways'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Jim Taylor and Payne. A film adaptation of Rex Pickett's 2004 novel of the same name, ''Sideways'' follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymo ...
'' #1–13 (2018–2019)
* ''Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in American comicbooks published by DC Comics. These characters have been featured in several eponymous comic series, in addition to ''Adventure Comics'' and other series featuring ...
'' vol. 3 #94–100 (2002)
* ''Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger: Futures End'' #1 (2014)
* ''Wednesday Comics
''Wednesday Comics'' was a weekly anthology comic book launched by DC Comics on July 8, 2009. The twelve issues of the title were published in 14" x 20" broadsheet format, deliberately similar to Sunday newspaper comics sections. Each edition f ...
'' #1–12 (Metal Men
The Metal Men are a group of superheroes that appear in DC Comics. The characters first appeared in ''Showcase'' #37 (March–April 1962) and were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru. Debuting in the Silver Age of Comic Boo ...
) (2009)
* ''Weird Western Tales
''Weird Western Tales'' is a Western genre comics anthology published by DC Comics from June–July 1972 to August 1980. It is best known for featuring the adventures of Jonah Hex until #38 (Jan.–Feb. 1977) when the character was promoted to hi ...
'' #71 (2010)
Television
• series head writer denoted in bold
*''ReBoot
In computing, rebooting is the process by which a running computer system is restarted, either intentionally or unintentionally. Reboots can be either a cold reboot (alternatively known as a hard reboot) in which the power to the system is physi ...
'' (1997–1999): season 3
*''Shadow Raiders
''Shadow Raiders'' is a Canadian animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment and syndicated by The Summit Media Group, that aired from September 16, 1998, to June 23, 1999. The show was loosely based on the Trendmasters toy li ...
'' (1998–1999)
References
External links
*
*
Dan DiDio
at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Didio, Dan
1959 births
American business executives
American comics writers
Comic book editors
Comic book publishers (people)
DC Comics people
Living people
American people of Italian descent