Photo caption: FROM LEFT Ryan Brewer, Deanna Phelps.
PORTLAND, Ore. 08/05/2022 — Both Ryan Brewer and Deanna Phelps have been promoted up from within at Image Comics. Both Rich Fowlks and Wesley Griffith will join the team as Production Artists.
Brewer, formerly a Production Artist at Image, has been promoted up to International Sales & Licensing Manager, effective immediately. He will work on growing sales opportunities for international editions of Image books and bolstering the company’s relationships with international publishers. In his new role, Brewer will transition out of the Production department and into Sales to report directly to, and work closely with, the VP of International Sales & Licensing, Dirk Wood.
Brewer has been a Production Artist at Image Comics for nearly six years and came to the company with a master’s degree in Book Publishing as well as directly-related experience for the new position through an internship with Jessica Abel while she was in residence at La Maison des Auteurs in Angoûleme, France.
“To say 'I love international comics' almost seems trivial now, as comics are truly a global community. That said, I love international comics, and working in licensing has always been a goal of mine,” said Brewer. “I’m thrilled to branch out and explore other markets and discover new publishers—but really, it all comes back to our commitment to our creators. Given this opportunity to work with Dirk in building new audiences for all these amazing books is super exciting!”
“Having worked with Ryan the last couple of years, I’ve found him to be professional, fast, enthusiastic, and easy to work with—so, it was a pleasant surprise when he threw his hat in the ring for the new position,” said Wood. “Then, I found out he had a ton of interest in what we’re doing—and some relevant experience—and we realized it was the perfect fit! It’s a huge job, it’s no surprise that our comics are in high demand all over the world. Looking forward to Ryan joining the team as we go even more global!”
Phelps, formerly a Production Artist at Image, has been promoted up to Marketing Design Manager, effective immediately. Phelps will design Image's monthly PREVIEWS catalog section as well as print advertisements and print marketing deliverables. In her new role, she will transition from the Production department into the Marketing department and will now report directly to Kat Salazar, VP of PR & Marketing at Image. The Marketing Content Associate, Andrew Fitzgerald, will now report to Phelps.
Phelps has been a Production Artist at Image Comics for over four years and came to the company with a wealth of design experience having worked in finance for JP Morgan Chase and Texas Pacific Group and creating freelance graphic design for a variety of clients including Google Classroom, SF Digital Studio, Levi’s®, Banana Republic, The San Francisco Art Institute, and Portland Mercury. She received her BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Florida and studied art history in Italy. Deanna is also part owner of the largest recording studio in Oregon, The Hallowed Halls, and has produced packaging and posters for countless bands over the decades.
“I was going to comic book shops and sci-fi conventions before Image was born. In the ’70s, my dad sold his secular record collection and replaced it with a collection of religious comics done by Jack T. Chick and they are still burned into my retinas to this day. Things got even weirder and fortunately more rock n’ roll from there, and I have this dream job working at Image,” said Phelps. “Image IS the creators and the creators we work with are amazing artists and storytellers at the height of their talent. What an honor to be part of the process of presenting this work to the readers and fans. I want people to be as inspired as I am every day by our titles and I hope to serve this community well in my new role."
“Deanna brings an energy, attention to detail, and a proactive spirit to everything she does and I'm looking forward to working with her even more going forward," said Salazar.
Fowlks and Griffith will join the Production department at Image Comics as Production Artists on staff shepherding book files along through the production process to print. They will both report directly to Heather Doornink, VP of Production. Fowlks has previously worked on graphic design for such internationally recognized clients as Adidas, Clorox, Jockey, Levi’s, Netflix, Nike, Reebok, and Yahoo! and such publishers as IDW, Oni Press, TwoMorrows Publications, and many more. Griffith has previously worked on graphic design for such companies as MAD Creative, Red Hen Press, and Shutterfly.
“Having team members who are patient, great with time management, and are technically skilled is crucial in this fast-paced position,” said Doornink. “I think Wesley and Rich both fit the bill and I am excited to have them on board!”