Jimmy Palmiotti: DC Chief - "It's Not the Job For Me"

It was the “no comment” heard ‘round the world...or at least the comics world.

Following an admittedly rough week for DC Comics in the press and blogosphere, Dan DiDio asked panelists at the DC Nation panel at Charlotte’s Heroes Con if they would like his job. While others answered in the negative, Jimmy Pamiotti’s answer was different: “no comment.”

If you put stock in rumors , Palmiottti has either been named, interviewed, anointed, tabbed as, or is already in as Dan DiDio’s replacement as Executive Editor of DC Comics, and Palmiotti’s comment of “no comment” only added fuel to the fire.

The comment was though, according to Palmiotti, a joke.

“We were at a panel, and I was trying to keep things lively, and everyone goes ‘Ooo...’,” Palmiotti told Newsarama Sunday. “Dan and I giggle, and everyone giggles, and that’s the end of it. Of course, when you make a joke like that, how does it translate to the internet? It’s typed as a straight sentence, and then some reporters on the West Coast thinks it’s news and start their engines running, but in reality it was a joke to everyone in the room. I work for DC and Dan, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. He’s a friend, and I like that he’s there, and I hope that he stays there for a long time, but no – that’s not a job that I ever want.”

When asked if he had been approached about the job, Palmiotti answered with a firm, “Absolutely not.”

“I have been offered from time to time, secondary jobs such as an editor or something, which makes sense – working with Joe [Quesada, current Marvel Editor in Chief] on Marvel Knights, I edited there, and I helped Fox Atomic with their line at one point, and self-published books, so yeah, I’ve been asked, but I’ve really been working on my career as a writer, and trying to write things in different media besides comics, and that’s where my focus is going to be as long as I can see.”

That said, Palmiotti said he does understand the “fanboy dream” view of himself and Quesada going head to head at the historic cross-town comic book rivals, and how that can help fuel rumors of him replacing DiDio.

“That fantasy aspect of it is kind of fun, because Joe’s a buddy, and Joe’s doing a great job, and sure, I’d steal everything that Joe does, because he’s doing a brilliant job over there – but so is Dan,” Palmiotti said. “It’s funny – people always forget in comics how things go up and down – one company does better than another, or one book sells more than another, but I mean, you have to look at it as ‘Well, that book had seven alternate covers, and this one only had two, so of course it sold more.’ But if you look at the reality of it – DC fans are very excited about what’s going on at DC, Marvel fans are very excited about what’s going on at Marvel, and the people who buy both get excited about it all.

“The internet has so much negative spin and so much silly stuff being said, but sure – it’s fun for anyone to say, ‘Well, if I had Dan’s job, here’s what I’d do...’ Mostly, if I had Dan’s job, I would knock down a couple of walls in his office and make it bigger. But as far as the actual job – again, I don’t want it. Imagine babysitting 300 people every day, and getting all these books out. It’s an insane job. When Joe and I did it for Marvel Knights, we did it for four books a month, and it was hell. We had a great time, but it was a lot of work. And that’s why I give Dan and Joe so much credit – they have the hustle to keep 300+ of the craziest creators – and I love them all, but they’re all insane, and they all have their own ideas about their schedules, and it’s amazing that books come out at all. But that said – it’s not the job for me. Not now, not ever. Anybody that knows me knows that all I’m trying to do is dig in and create some great comics and new characters. That’s the story of my life right now.”