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Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski Wrote Comics Under 'Akira Yoshida' Pen Name

Comic news site Bleeding Cool reported and confirmed on Tuesday that Marvel Comics editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski used the pen name Akira Yoshida to write comics for the publisher in 2005 and 2006. Bleeding Cool writer Rich Johnston confirmed with Cebulski about his use of the pseudonym, which Cebulski admitted.

As Akira Yoshida, Cebulski wrote such comics as Thor: Son Of Asgard and Elektra: The Hand. Some of the comics that Cebulski penned, such as Wolverine: Soul Taker, and Elektra: The Hand, are set in Japan. As Yoshida, he also wrote the Conan and the Demons of Khitai series for Dark Horse.

When Cebulski was writing under the Akira Yoshida pen name, he was already an associate editor at Marvel Comics, at a time when Marvel Comics had a policy where editors were not allowed to be paid for writing comics. Bleeding Cool alleged that under the pen name, Yoshida may have been paid for writing comics, contrary to company policy at the time.

Bleeding Cool claimed that Cebulski had admitted to using the pseudonym to Marvel earlier this year. Cebulski also gave Bleeding Cool this more recent statement:

I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year. It wasn't transparent, but it taught me a lot about writing, communication and pressure. I was young and naïve and had a lot to learn back then. But this is all old news that has been dealt with, and now as Marvel's new Editor-in-Chief, I'm turning a new page and am excited to start sharing all my Marvel experiences with up and coming talent around the globe.

Marvel confirmed to entertainment news source Variety that the company is aware that Cebulski did publish comics under the name Akira Yoshida. Marvel declined to give Variety an official statement on the situation.

Marvel had announced on November 17 that Cebulski was the company's new editor-in-chief effective immediately. Before assuming the role, Cebulski worked as the company's Vice President of International Brand Management and Development, Asia, while based in Shanghai. While vice president he oversaw a deal with Kodansha in Japan.

Marvel said that as editor-in-chief Cebulski "will be working closely with comics partners like Panini, NetEase, Daum and Kodansha to expand the everyday Marvel Comics experience for fans across the world."

Cebulski once worked at CPM Manga and he launched his own company, Fanboy Entertainment, before joining Marvel. Among his projects at Marvel (under his real name) were the Marvel Mangaverse series and Marvel Fairy Tales. Cebulski was credited as translator or editor for many localizations of manga and anime, including Nadesico, Plastic Little, Boogiepop Phantom, and Record of Lodoss War: The Grey Witch.

Source: Bleeding Cool (Rich Johnston)