Skybound Announce Katii O’Brien as New Senior Editor

Blake Kobashigawa Promoted to VP, Publishing Operations 

Today Skybound Entertainment, the creator-first, multiplatform studio behind mega hit franchises Invincible, The Walking Dead, and the Energon Universe, announced its latest hire for its comics division, Senior Editor Katii O’Brien, as well as the promotion of Blake Kobashigawa to VP, Publishing Operations.  

“Skybound has the best editors in comics, and we’re proud to have Katii O’Brien join as Senior Editor. Katii’s edited some of my favorite comics of the past decade, and it’s thrilling to see her cooking up my new favorites already,” said Sean Mackiewicz, SVP, Publisher. “Skybound also has some of the biggest and best franchises in comics, including Invincible and Hasbro’s Energon Universe, and Blake Kobashigawa supercharges our publishing plans and gets our titles into the hands of readers all over the globe.” 

As Senior Editor, Katii O’Brien will be taking over Capes, the latest addition to the bestselling Invincible Universe, as well as developing a new slate of original and licensed projects from the comics’ top creators.  

Prior to joining Skybound, O’Brien was lead editor at Dark Horse Comics on the critically acclaimed universes of Hellboy, Lands Unknown, Outerverse, and related titles. In her eleven years at the publisher, O’Brien distinguished herself from her time as assistant editor to become one of the creative leaders at the company. 

“I’m so thrilled to join Skybound, home of some of the greatest comics ever made, and to be part of a team that is committed to telling incredible stories by expanding legacy titles in exciting ways as well as launching original, new books.” said O’Brien. “I look forward to many years of working with this passionate team and a host of amazing creators.” 

In addition to O’Brien’s hire, Blake Kobashigawa has been promoted to VP, Publishing Operations of Skybound’s comic arm. Since joining the company in 2023, Kobashigawa has taken Skybound’s best-in-class licensing program to new heights, growing the Energon Universe’s global publishing footprint and expanding partnerships with Universal Studios, LEGO, and Marvel. His new role will focus on operational efficiency and publishing planning, as well as strategic growth through traditional and non-traditional distribution channels, new product development, crowdfunding, and foreign licensing.  

Recent highlights of Skybound’s original editorial output include Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley’s hit series Invincible Universe: Battle Beast, which remains a fixture in the reprints schedule, and the Eisner-nominated original series, Ghost Pepper, by Ludo Lullabi. Skybound has also continually seen undeniable success across its key licensing partnerships. With leading toy and game company Hasbro, Skybound continues to see growing success with the much-anticipated launch of M.A.S.K. #1 by Dan Watters & Pye Parr, with preorders that have surpassed previous Energon Universe series launches;the revitalized Larry Hama’s G.I. JOE: A Real American Hero; and three of the top four most-funded comics Kickstarter campaigns of all time. With Universal Products & Experiences, Skybound has seen chart-topping sales of its Universal Monsters line, with the seventh miniseries, Blood of the Wolf Man, launching in June. This year Skybound also launched Super Creepshow, a new anthology, based on Greg Nicotero’s Shudder TV series produced and licensed by Evoke Entertainment. 

Skybound also maintains the robust adaptation of original comics IP, with the hit adult animated series Invincible now in production on season 5 for Prime Video and the newly released fighting game Invincible VS, which recently surpassed 1M players, as well as continued expansion of The Walking Dead universe onscreen. The company continues to announce key licensing, content, and product partnerships across video games, film, tv, audio, and merchandise, in addition to its comics slate, published by Image Comics.