Z2 Comics unveils new leadership team after the departure of founder/co-owner Josh Frankel
The independent publisher has promoted a number of figures internally
In the latest example of upheaval in the comic industry, Z2 Comics has announced a new leadership team being put in place effective immediately, following the surprise departure of co-founder/co-owner/CEO Josh Frankel.
According to Z2 Comics, the new team sees existing executives move into new roles: Kevin Meek, formerly chief financial officer and legal counsel, becomes CEO, while former SVP Josh Bernstein has been named president of the company. Additionally, former data scientist Aleksey Zelenberg has been named chief technology officer, and Courtney Menard, previously the director of production, is now the creative director at the company. Z2 Comics co-founder Sridhar Reddy remains publisher.
In a series of statements released by Z2, Bernstein says, “I’m incredibly proud to see how quickly we have built this brand to this point. But the next few months of A-list announcements, key industry partnerships, and these much-deserved internal promotions are what really excites me about Z2’s incredibly bright future.”
Meek adds, "Z2 is the place where artists connect with fans in a unique way. I am incredibly grateful to be chosen to helm our dynamic and diverse team of talented professionals as we enter our next phase of innovation and growth—delivering amazing stories that honor both artists and their fans.”
Frankel's surprise departure from the company, much rumored at the recently-completed New York Comic Con, is being characterized by Z2 as a resignation. Prior to his departure from the company, Frankel was officially listed as the owner of Z2 Comics; the company told Popverse that it will not comment on ownership when asked. Popverse has reached out to Frankel for comment, and will update this story with further information.
Founded in 2015, Z2 Comics has found substantial success in recent years by focusing on collaborations with a number of different musical acts, including the Doors, Poppy, The Grateful Dead, and Gorillaz, to produce comics and merchandise; in the past two years, the company has grown in size tenfold as a result.
“It’s been a joy to witness this company rapidly grow from beautiful single-issue comics to high-end graphic novels, collectible merchandise, and exclusive events with some of the biggest talents in music, comics, and media,” Sridhar Reddy said in a statement. “We’ve built an amazing core of expertise and talent in the company and I’m very excited to see Z2 achieve the next level of success under this new team. We’ve only scratched the surface of our full potential.”
Changes at the top of Z2 are just the latest example of changes at multiple indie publishers. In addition to the constantly unfolding situation at Oni Press, both AfterShock Comics and Mad Cave Studios have found themselves with new leaders in the past month.
