Chris Ryall returns to IDW as President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer

By John Freeman on December 11, 2018

Chris Ryall, – President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer at IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing has announced that its former Chief Creative Officer and Editor-In-Chief, Chris Ryall, is returning to the company as President, Publisher and Chief Creative Officer, just as the US publisher gears up for its twentieth anniversary celebrations next year

Ryall, formerly part of the editorial division at The Walking Dead publisher Skybound Entertainment, will be charged with ongoing creative expansion efforts within the company, as well as continuing to work closely with partners and licensors.

Greg Goldstein will be stepping down as President and Publisher.

“I fooled ’em into bringing me back thanks to my new Clark Kent-like glasses,” Chris joked of his return to IDW on Twitter, before thanking the team at Skybound for his time at the company.

“This IDW return is a very unique and rare opportunity but it should be said loudly how much I love the people and place at Skybound,” he noted.”

“Chris was a vital and valued member of the IDW team from nearly the beginning, so we are very excited that he is coming home,” said Howard Jonas, Chairman, IDW Media Holdings.

“We are thrilled to have him rejoin our senior team to accelerate IDW Publishing’s growth and success. His creative talents and relationships within the industry are unmatched so we are confident that he will thrive in this new, expanded role.

“We are extremely grateful for the dedication and hard work that Greg put into the company, and I am confident that he will enjoy great success with his future endeavours.”

“I am incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished during my decade at IDW,” said Greg Goldstein. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with the entire IDW team and our creative and business partners. It’s been a great ride. Now I’m now looking forward to the next chapter of my career. It’s very exciting.”

Ryall originally joined IDW Publishing in 2004 as the company’s Editor-in-Chief. In 2010, he was named as the company’s first Chief Creative Officer. During his initial stint with the company, Ryall oversaw the acquisition of licensed titles such as Transformers, Star Trek, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and dozens of others.

He also served as editor on hundreds of titles and, alongside creators Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, helped develop the acclaimed, Eisner Award-winning Locke & Key, currently in development as a Netflix television series.

“IDW is where I’ve spent the majority of my career, and I consider the company and its employees like family so I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to return,” said Ryall.

“I believe that IDW has very significant opportunities to become even more valuable and important and I am excited to further expand on what I started with the company nearly 15 years ago.

“I am also eager to help the company celebrate its 20th year anniversary in 2019 in varied and creatively invigorating new ways.”

Ryall assumed his new duties this week, bringing more than 14 years of proven success to IDW Publishing. As a writer, Ryall was nominated for an Eisner Award alongside artist Ashley Wood. Together, they co-created the property Zombies vs Robots, purchased by Sony Pictures. He is also the co-creator of Onyx (with Gabriel Rodriguez); The Hollows (with Sam Kieth); The Colonized (with Drew Moss); and Groom Lake (with Ben Templesmith); the co-author of Comic Books 101 (with Scott Tipton); and writer of licensed properties such as Stephen King and Joe Hill’s Throttle; Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show; Douglas Adams’ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency,Transformers; Mars Attacks, Rom, Kiss; and many other titles.

Founded in 1999, IDW started as an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California, and has grown into a fully integrated media company that now includes IDW Games, IDW Entertainment, Top Shelf Productions, and the San Diego Comic Art Gallery.

• IDW is online at www.idwpublishing.com

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John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.