PROFILE: DAVE LAND, ASSISTANT EDITOR
While attending last year's ComicCon International in San Diego, many Dark Horse editors had the chance to meet British comics artist David Lloyd for the very first time. Lloyd had recently been involved in a Dark Horse project, and was nice enough to set aside time for a signing. Pleasantries were exchanged and conversation engaged. After a while, a question was posed to Lloyd regarding what he thought were the things the comics industry needed to keep it alive and healthy in the coming years. "People like Dave Land!" he said. "Comics needs the kind of enthusiasm he has!"It may be a good thing for comics, then, that this Dark Horse editor, Oregon native, and resident wise-ass didn't see a bright and shiny future in any of his pre-comics job stints. Dave's past "careers" include working in a video store for eight years, being a receptionist at an Oriental rug store, assembling video game joysticks for a company called Thrustmaster (!?), and for one day only, delivering flowers. For a while, he even flexed some academic muscle pursuing film production at the University of Southern California.
He was busy working for a local pager company when the opportunity to work in the fun-filled world of comics came a knockin'. It's not that Dave didn't like the unbridled excitement that the pager industry offered (heavens, no!). But, people who know him will tell you he's a bit of a gambler at heart. He made a break for Dark Horse and never looked back.
It wasn't long before he landed smack-dab in the middle of Dark Horse's indispensable nerve center, the editorial department. First he assumed the duties of assistant editor, then took on full editor chores on projects such as Jay Stephens' The Land of Nod and Aliens. Recently, he made a major jump over to the top-selling Star Wars group of books, where he's working on the manga adaptation of the Star Wars Trilogy and an ultra-top secret project known only as "Episode I." Dave's also working on another hush-hush, forthcoming project called The Territory that's sure to garner notice (you heard it here first).
Otherwise, Dave's busy hanging out with his cat, Harris, eating corn dogs, assembling those cool little paper robots from Chris Ware's Acme Novelty Library, watching South Park, and praying to the automotive gods that his orange '72 VW Bug can get him home just one more time.
Oh, and he hardly ever assembles joysticks late on Friday nights in the privacy of his own cramped apartment anymore. Rumor is he has a social life.
nicknames: lando (wow, that took some imagination.), cletus, "big fat," Funky Patty
Favorite comics: Acme Novelty Library, Land of Nod, and anything by Tony Millionaire or Dave Cooper.
Favorite books: Day of the Locust by Nathaniel West (Read it to find out what Homer Simpson did before he was on TV!)
Favorite movie this year: Margaret's Museum
Favorite music: I have a Clash tape in my car that I can't stop listening to.
Career goals or aspirations: To reprint all eight volumes of What's Michael?.
Career highlight: It's a toss-up between working with creators like Jay Stephens or David Lloyd.
Quote: "Sorry."