United Media Unites Two Departments

By: Dave Astor United Media is merging its comic and column/text areas in a move that includes some personnel changes but no reduction in staff.

Lisa Klem Wilson, vice president and general manager of United, said the new Comics/Editorial Department will enable editors from the two formerly separate areas to work on and "bring different insights" to both art and text features. And, of course, some features include both drawing and words.

She added that the merger will allow United to make more use of the "tremendous" management skills of Marianne Goldstein, who was promoted to executive editor of the new department from executive editor of the columns/text area. Jake Morrissey, who worked at Universal Press Syndicate until 1998, was hired as managing editor of comics effective Jan. 27 while Neil Gladstone will continue as managing editor of the columns/text side.

When E&P Online asked what happened to United Vice President/Comics and Graphics Amy Lago, Wilson said she left the company at the end of 2002. Wilson added that this was Lago's decision and that she doesn't know what the former United executive is now doing. Lago could not be reached for comment.

Goldstein worked as an editor at the New York Daily News, among other places, before joining United.

Morrissey left Universal in 1998 to join Scribner, where he helped launch Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance Press imprint. He's also the author of the historical thriller A Weekend at Blenheim (St. Martin's/Minotaur) and is writing a work of historical nonfiction for William Morrow. Among the creators Morrissey edited at Universal were Gary Larson ("The Far Side") and Bill Watterson ("Calvin and Hobbes").

United, whose divisions include United Feature Syndicate and Newspaper Enterprise Association, is one of the country's largest syndication companies. Its most widely distributed features include "For Better or For Worse" by Lynn Johnston, "Dilbert" by Scott Adams, and "Peanuts" reruns by the late Charles Schulz.