Tripwire Talks Exclusively To New Valiant Entertainment Executive Editor Rob Levin

A New Valiant Vision

Tripwire’s contributing editor Scott Braden just spoke to Rob Levin, who has been made Valiant Entertainment’s new executive editor, to find out about his plans for the company and more…

Rob Levin is the new executive editor at Valiant Entertainment, but don’t misunderstand, he is no newbie to comics. He has been working in the four-color medium since way back in 2004, enlisted by publishers as varied as DC Comics, Top Cow Productions, Humanoids, Image Comics and more. He has also pretty much worked in every kind of comic book genre you can imagine – creating books that have featured super-heroes, horror, sci-fi, middle grade, historical, biography, European albums, etc.

Yes, folks, he is that good.

“Comics is a medium with so few limitations,” said Levin, “you can do almost anything, and I’ve made a concerted effort to do more than dip my toe in all sorts of different waters. My experience is definitely going to give me a different perspective than someone who’s worked primarily in the superhero space, so I hope to bring a fresh perspective both to the books and to the team. Valiant already has a unique position in the market, and I want to help the company continue to showcase what makes it unique while also adding plenty of new toys to the toy box and shaking things up when it comes to the storytelling.”

Having worked for a number of A-list publishers, what was it about Valiant – one of today’s most dynamic comic book companies – that attracted him to become the company’s executive editor?

“It was a combination of factors,” Levin said, “but it really came down to the team that’s in place, from Dan Mintz and Fred Pierce on down, not to mention my longtime friend and colleague David Wohl being the one who initially reached out. What sold me was the opportunity to help steer a shared universe that’s inhabited by some of the best characters in comics. It’s one thing to do that somewhere like DC or Marvel where you’re talking about dozens of titles every month, but at the size of Valiant you can actually plan and execute with a level of precision that the larger scale simply doesn’t allow. The original Valiant run in the ‘90s did this incredibly, and it was one of the hallmarks when Valiant Entertainment began publishing in 2012. I’m looking to take what’s already been done and push it in new and thrilling directions. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what’s possible here at Valiant.”

What does Levin see as the strengths of his new publisher in regards to it being a force in today’s comic book market?

“The size of our current line is absolutely a feature,” Levin said. “Having connected titles and a shared continuity that actually makes sense without complicated mental math or a million editorial captions explaining when one story comes out in relation to another is just one major advantage we have. But the thing I think I’m most impressed by is the staff. There is no one working at Valiant who isn’t a diehard fan who wants to spread that love to readers. It’s really refreshing to see this level of passion at every level. I also need to single out Lysa Hawkins, our senior editor, who’s been incredible to work with thus far. She’s been here the last few years pushing the universe forward, building relationships, and beginning to lay the groundwork for a number of things. She’s also been working in the industry for many years and brings tremendous craft knowledge and a great rolodex. She’s been really instrumental in helping me get up to speed quickly and I think we can both push each other to do incredible work.

“I also need to single out Lysa Hawkins, our senior editor, who’s been incredible to work with thus far. She’s been here the last few years pushing the universe forward, building relationships, and beginning to lay the groundwork for a number of things. She’s also been working in the industry for many years and brings tremendous craft knowledge and a great rolodex. She’s been really instrumental in helping me get up to speed quickly and I think we can both push each other to do incredible work”

“Beyond that, this isn’t some brand new company trying to carve out a niche. Valiant has been doing this for more than three decades, and that’s a testament to the quality of the product and the staying power of the characters and the world. And I’m here because I think I can help take us to even higher heights in the very near future.”

Since Valiant has a history of revolutionising event comics, we had to ask: Will we see another UNITY-level comic book extravaganza under Levin’s watch?

“That really depends on what aspect you’re talking about,” Levin said. “The original UNITY essentially revolutionised massive crossovers, and it’s been imitated countless times since then. So if you’re asking if we’re going to break new ground and change crossovers forever? Maybe, but I’d rather under promise and over-deliver than say ‘yes, absolutely’ within my first few weeks on the job. But as for connections and crossovers, yes, absolutely. You’ll see plenty of connection between our titles and there is a plan in place for where things are going, and that’ll involve coordinating releases, and shared touchstones across the line, and crossovers. Keep your eye out for what we have in the works for next summer—and that’s all I can say right now because someone is standing behind me making a very threatening gesture so I know I’ve said enough.”

What is it about the Valiant Heroes that makes them hard to kill in this slow comic book market of ours?

“It boils down to them being awesome” Levin said proudly. “They were created with a ton of consideration, care, and love by a veritable murderer’s row of talent. People like Bob Layton, Bernard Chang, Jim Shooter, Kevin Van Hook, Barry Windsor-Smith, Don Perlin, Steve Englehart, David Lapham, Joe St.Pierre, Joe Quesada, Mark Moretti, MD Bright, and Priest. These are all modern comics masters, and I wouldn’t even know where to start (or finish) if I tried to mention everyone involved in relaunching and helping the universe continue to strive to this day. There’s also a very dedicated and passionate fanbase that’s been around since the beginning, and a second round that joined up starting in 2012. They keep the characters alive as much as any of us at the company do, and they’re our biggest cheerleaders and the ones telling their friends about the stories they need to check out. No company that’s trying to stay in business can do so without fans, and we’re very fortunate to have great ones who have stuck with us across all these years.”

Do the Western Publishing heroes like Magnus, Solar and Turok – or close iterations of them – need to be added to the mix for Valiant to be a success again?

“You can’t love the original iteration of the Valiant Universe without understanding and appreciating what the inclusion of those characters brought to the world, and there’s a reason they’ve endured pre- and post-Valiant,” admitted Levin. “But the reality is, Valiant Entertainment has been functioning without them for just under a decade and there have been plenty of successes. The universe is vast, our bench is deep, and there (are) always new angles to take and new pieces to add. I’m much more concerned with telling stories and building pieces to continue growing and evolving the world than I am in waxing nostalgic. The future is bright, and I hope what we’re working on will give your successor things to ask my successor about several decades from now.”

Visit http://valiantentertainment.com/