Yesterday, DC laid off 3% of its workforce. Most notably among its cuts is Mark Chiarello, an artist/colorist who eventually spearheaded and edited some of DC’s most prestigious special projects over the past twenty years. While it is never good to see a company cut staff, cutting someone of Chiarello’s talents is especially upsetting.
From Darwyn Cooke’s “The New Frontier” to Jim Lee’s definitive DC work, “Batman: Hush,” Chiarello had a knack for helping talent do their best work, and shepherd important work from outside of the monthly grind. His “Solo” and “Wednesday Comics” projects, especially, showed what creators could do when they were freed of some of the usual trappings.
Chiarello was also involved in a somewhat infamous project, “Before Watchmen,” but one that would be incredibly important in terms of it breaking down the walls around ‘untouchable’ material at DC. Whether or not you support this decision, DC trusted Chiarello to be the one holding it together, which is a testament to his talents.
So, looking back at his 25+ years at DC, which one had the most impact? Vote in our poll, and let us know why you voted the way you did in the comments!
