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Full Version: Crossgen: Is Alessi's Ship Sinking?
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Posted 04/04/2004
Source: Newsarama

Newsarama has learned that CrossGen’s Vice President of Publishing, Bill Rosemann quit his job this past Thursday. Little is known beyond that at this point, aside from the fact that it was Rosemann who left the company, and that he was not fired.

Rosemann was promoted to VP of Publishing in the latter part of last year, as the company went through its “reorganization” following widely reported financial difficulties. He had originally joined the company in February of 2003 as the Director of Marketing Communications, shortly after leaving Marvel Comics.

As with his position at Marvel, Rosemann quickly became the public voice and later face of CrossGen, as CrossGen chief Mark Alessi took a lower-profile approach in regards to the press and media. Rosemann was responsible for both coordinating media coverage of the company's output, as well as providing various outlets with preview material, acting as public spokesman, and overseeing publishing. To the end, Rosemann was a stringent defender of the company, its output, and many of its policies.

Rosemann's departure is the second high profile such leave-taking that happened last week, as writer Ian Edginton reported to Newsarama and other outlets that he had quit Sojourn in protest of company policies and management. Edginton particularly cited the company's upcoming book, American Power, which has been drawing mostly negative publicity from fans and the online comics community.

The book, likened to the first issue of Captain America in 1941, featured "real world" heroes going after terrorists, with the cover to the first issue featuring a leather-clad hero punching Osama bin Laden. An interview with the series writer, Chuck Dixon had been arranged with Newsarama through Rosemann, but was pulled at the last minute with no reason given. The title has remained a hotbed of controversy since its cover was revealed.

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Extracted from Ian Edginton's Newsarama Interview a few days earlier.
(Ian Edginton was already a well-known writer when he came to CrossGen over a year ago. Named heir to Ron Marz’s titles that continued from the launch, Sojourn and Scion, Edginton took up the reigns of both titles, anxious to finally be doing sword and sorcery (after a fashion at least)

"The Christmas incident clinched it for me but obviously I needed to try and get back as much money as I could first. Then last month, Bill called me and said that they were looking to wind down Sojourn with issue #41, so could I start planning and plotting for that event? He also mentioned that Greg Land would be taking an extended break from the book to concentrate on other projects. I was pretty gutted. Despite everything, I actually quite enjoyed working on Sojourn and Scion. I’d wanted to write a sword and sorcery book for years and so when the chance to write two came along, I was well pleased. There’s a perverse kind of logic at CrossGen, at a time when fantasy films are riding high, they cancel their major pair of fantasy titles and when Sojourn is actually moving up the sales charts, making it their only top 100 bestseller, they pull the rug from under it?

The thing that really got to me though was the launch of the American Power title. I realise that I’m basing my opinions on a single picture and a couple of paragraphs of copy but isn’t that what everyone is supposed to base their orders on too and what’s worse it’s for Free Comic Book Day, when more kids are likely to pick it up than usual? That book is just wrong in so many ways I don’t know where to start. It’s crass, morally questionable and outright offensive to the families and memories of the men, women and children who died in 9/11 and the Atocha station bombing. From the way the book has been pitched, we’re not talking about a piece of finely crafted, probing, investigative literature or even journalism. It’s exploitation plain and simple."

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Is it just me or are things going from bad to worse over there at Crossgen?
I had heard that Crossgen was moving away from the Fantasy related titles to favor books like "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." Which is in essence a James Bond Ripoff.
I don't understand the canceling of Sojourn myself.
We finally get a book with a serious female heroine who isn't leaning on the male lead for love, who's independant and strong...and Crossgen says "nope, sorry, we're gonna write Bond Girls!" instead??
Someone's on crack over there...and losing Ian Eddington was a blow to them as well.
This whole revamping....the Negation War... all of it stinks of a publicity stunt.
Yes, I'm angry. Because I know if they cancel Sojourn, which I love...Lady Death will be next.
If CGE do go to the wall, I would say there is a fairly good chance that a lot of their offerings would find homes with other publishers and perhaps even some that have even been cancelled might see the light of day once more. hey I can hope. CGE spread themselves to thin to fast, without the resource to back up their level of expansion. While they have recieved some level of critical acclaim for their books, and indeed there has been a decent enough fan base for their 'non-superhero' output, the recent history has definitely provided a lesson for other publishers on what not to do.

Following this weekend’s news that CrossGen’s VP of Publishing, Bill Rosemann had quit the company last Thursday. Newsarama has now learned that VP of Marketing and Sales Chris Oarr resigned from CrossGen this morning (05/04/2004). In his position, Oarr coordinated the production and marketing of CrossGen’s trade paperback collections, acting as the primary liaison with the publisher’s trade distributor and retail partners. Most recently, Oarr spoke with Newsarama in regards to returning the trade program to a normal schedule.

In the words of Rip Torn.. I guess the last one left is stuck with the check. eh Mr Alessi?
and the beat goes on.... heh Wink

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Posted 05/04/2004

THE PULSE has just learned that CrossGen's upcoming series American Power written by Chuck Dixon and featuring art by Greg Land has been shelved in favor of another project Monster Rally. Sources close to CrossGen said new investors thought the book [American Power] was in poor taste. When questioned on the shelving and the recent resignations CG offered "no comment."
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Who are these new investors?
Reported 28/04/2004

THE PULSE has just learned that artist Greg Land has quit CrossGen. Land joined CrossGen a few years ago after a successful run on DC's Nightwing. He worked on several projects for the imprint including the fantasy series, Sojourn. Land was reportedly working on a new project for CGE, since he and writer Chuck Dixon's American Power series was shelved. The reasons for Land's leaving CrossGen are unknown at this time.