DC Comics is leaving NYC for Burbank...

[jreezy]

A business moving to California might make national news. Been a bunch of articles over the last year or so about California businesses fleeing to other states.

 

A struggling medium moving to a struggling state doesn't make much sense at first blush. Is there a strong core of publishing operations in California? Or is it speaking to just how much emphasis will be shifting to all those satellite mediums mentioned (film, toys, television, video games, animation)?

 

 

Warner bros, Disney , NBC and other studios have offices in burbank. Not publishing but still entertainment. The move makes sense to me, but I'm an l.a. guy.

[VintageComics]

A business moving to California might make national news. Been a bunch of articles over the last year or so about California businesses fleeing to other states.

 

A struggling medium moving to a struggling state doesn't make much sense at first blush. Is there a strong core of publishing operations in California? Or is it speaking to just how much emphasis will be shifting to all those satellite mediums mentioned (film, toys, television, video games, animation)?

 

 

Warner bros, Disney , NBC and other studios have offices in burbank. Not publishing but still entertainment. The move makes sense to me, but I'm an l.a. guy.

 

I drove through Burbank last year. It was quite a site to see if you like movies and TV.

 

Makes sense to me too, if the future is movies and television.

[the blob]

honestly, how many folks are we talking about? i assume these offices aren't like the marvel offices i visited in the early 80s where it looked like some of the artists and creative types were actually hanging out there and working. the brother of a friend worked at marvel in the late 80s either in college or right after and he was an assistant editor/occasional letterer and occasional inker...he was physically there in nyc. i assume that the creative talent now mostly works remotely and is all over the country anyway (the COL in NYC drove them out long ago no doubt) -- maybe they pop in for an occasional meeting, but i bet they do a lot of skyping. criminey, do the folks who sells ads even work there or are those folks selling ads for 300 TW publications at the same time?

[the blob]

A business moving to California might make national news. Been a bunch of articles over the last year or so about California businesses fleeing to other states.

 

A struggling medium moving to a struggling state doesn't make much sense at first blush. Is there a strong core of publishing operations in California? Or is it speaking to just how much emphasis will be shifting to all those satellite mediums mentioned (film, toys, television, video games, animation)?

 

 

I'd venture to guess that the timing of this probably has something to do with the office lease expiring. Office rents in Manhattan are obscene. The problem with doing business in NYC is that it is apparently NOT struggling and, as a result, is so frigging expensive, even if you don't factor in the relatively high income taxes and what not, which make it even worse. As their braintrust seems to be in CA anyway, there's no reason to be here anymore. They can come up with gimmicks like 3D covers anywhere.

[Davenport]

This was originally reported 3 years ago . I'm kind of suprised it's taking as long as it has.

 

Warner owns or leases a massive amount of office space in Burbank, and has been consolidating their holdings for years, so it makes sense they would do this.

(thumbs u Thanks for the link.

 

Three years ago, and even this release says "The move is not imminent...", so that's one slow boat to Burbank, assuming they'll make it this time.

 

I say move DC to California, fire everybody associated with nu52, and make Bruce Timm king of the world.

 

 

[nearmint]

This was originally reported 3 years ago . I'm kind of suprised it's taking as long as it has.

 

Warner owns or leases a massive amount of office space in Burbank, and has been consolidating their holdings for years, so it makes sense they would do this.

(thumbs u Thanks for the link.

 

Three years ago, and even this release says "The move is not imminent...", so that's one slow boat to Burbank, assuming they'll make it this time.

 

I say move DC to California, fire everybody associated with nu52, and make Bruce Timm king of the world.

 

 

Unlike this week's announcement, the press release from 3 years ago stated that the DC comics publishing division would remain in New York, and only the administrative, digital, and multimedia operations would be moving to Burbank.

 

Announced on Tuesday, the reorganization leaves DC’s comics-publishing division in New York City while relocating the company’s administrative and digital and multimedia operations — including, presumably, the WildStorm offices now based in La Jolla, Calif. — to a Warner Bros.-managed property in Burbank. It was subsequently revealed that the WildStorm and Zuda imprints will close as part of the shakeup.

 

 

[joecgcmaniac]

This was originally reported 3 years ago . I'm kind of suprised it's taking as long as it has.

 

Warner owns or leases a massive amount of office space in Burbank, and has been consolidating their holdings for years, so it makes sense they would do this.

(thumbs u Thanks for the link.

 

Three years ago, and even this release says "The move is not imminent...", so that's one slow boat to Burbank, assuming they'll make it this time.

 

I say move DC to California, fire everybody associated with nu52, and make Bruce Timm king of the world.

 

 

Unlike this week's announcement, the press release from 3 years ago stated that the DC comics publishing division would remain in New York, and only the administrative, digital, and multimedia operations would be moving to Burbank.

 

Announced on Tuesday, the reorganization leaves DC’s comics-publishing division in New York City while relocating the company’s administrative and digital and multimedia operations — including, presumably, the WildStorm offices now based in La Jolla, Calif. — to a Warner Bros.-managed property in Burbank. It was subsequently revealed that the WildStorm and Zuda imprints will close as part of the shakeup.

 

 

Cutting losses. DC to Disney within a few years.

 

At least Marvel/Disney would be able to execute and release a decent JLA movie.

[Point Five]

As their braintrust seems to be in CA anyway, there's no reason to be here anymore. They can come up with gimmicks like 3D covers anywhere.

 

 

[Boba]

Makes sense to me that they would move to California considering who is working out of that office. Doesn't sound like they are downsizing since everyone in NY is given the opportunity to relocate.

Like everyone's going to just up and move 3000 miles to the west

[joecgcmaniac]

Makes sense to me that they would move to California considering who is working out of that office. Doesn't sound like they are downsizing since everyone in NY is given the opportunity to relocate.

Like everyone's going to just up and move 3000 miles to the west

 

That's what they're counting on. A good number won't want to move, and the rest will be let go over the next 6 months to a year. They say they want to integrate the N.Y. staffers to Ca, but they really don't. They're just trying to be nice and not out and out fire most of the N.Y. staffers.

[Boba]

Makes sense to me that they would move to California considering who is working out of that office. Doesn't sound like they are downsizing since everyone in NY is given the opportunity to relocate.

Like everyone's going to just up and move 3000 miles to the west

 

That's what they're counting on. A good number won't want to move, and the rest will be let go over the next 6 months to a year. They say they want to integrate the N.Y. staffers to Ca, but they really don't. They're just trying to be nice and not out and out fire most of the N.Y. staffers.

It's never easy to make this kind of transition, and often people can't justify moving so far from family. I'm sure DC is counting on a fair amount of attrition and then they will likely consolidate what's left once they have them all together. Sad fact, but I'm sure it s a financially sound one, especially since their properties are far more lucrative in the films which are based there.

[rjpb]

Makes sense to me that they would move to California considering who is working out of that office. Doesn't sound like they are downsizing since everyone in NY is given the opportunity to relocate.

Like everyone's going to just up and move 3000 miles to the west

 

Considering the ever shrinking employment opportunities in the publishing business, I'm guessing most will. Media and entertainment has been moving from NYC to LA for 100 years, bringing people when they do. I lived in NYC 25-30 years ago, and never met anyone who had moved from Los Angeles. After I moved out here, I'd say at minimum 20% of the people in the entertainment industry I met had started work in NY.

 

The NY metro area still has a lot going for it, and I'd rather live there than the midwestern suburb I grew up in, but it is expensive, even compared to Los Angeles, and the ovewhelming majority of people I know who have lived in both places, find the quality of life out here to be better. Of course that's probably a bit unfair, since the ones that don't were more likely to move back, but even when I was in NY for the better part of a year in 2007-8, ex-Angelenos weren't easy to find.

[Boba]

I lived in LA for a few years, I really liked it but I couldn't wait to get back to NYC.

I think it's all what you're used to, and /or where your roots are.

 

But I also agree the job market is such that even if you didn't want to move,

you might be swayed to do so because of the limited alternatives available

[ComicConnoisseur]

A business moving to California might make national news. Been a bunch of articles over the last year or so about California businesses fleeing to other states.

 

A struggling medium moving to a struggling state doesn't make much sense at first blush. Is there a strong core of publishing operations in California? Or is it speaking to just how much emphasis will be shifting to all those satellite mediums mentioned (film, toys, television, video games, animation)?

I think you hit the nail on the head that this move is a sign that printed comic books rank at the bottom now with the DC big wigs. With DC really going to focus on film, toys, television, video games, animation and digital comics. The signs are there for another DC Implosion with first Vertigo losing Berger, then the New DC 52 debacle.

I wonder how long now before DC pulls the plug on most of its line?

I say they do it one year after their Burbank move.

[dgarthwaite-migration]

A business moving to California might make national news. Been a bunch of articles over the last year or so about California businesses fleeing to other states.

 

A struggling medium moving to a struggling state doesn't make much sense at first blush. Is there a strong core of publishing operations in California? Or is it speaking to just how much emphasis will be shifting to all those satellite mediums mentioned (film, toys, television, video games, animation)?

 

I do think it is to cut costs and consolidate operations, but LA would still be expensive. For that reason, I think this is a short sighted mov.e. I live in the suburbs of Atlanta and a lot of movies are being filmed in our state now. In the past two years, three films have had film crews filming within 2 miles of where I live. Jim Carrey is filming Dumb & Dumber II across town. I do believe businesses in California are realizing that there is no reason to pay higher overhead expenses to get the same product.

 

I feel as though there may be other intentions behind DC moving. I suspect publishing will become less of a priority and they can phase their creative talent from making comics to writing scripts and doing storyboards.

 

DG