“Working with the great team at Heavy Metal has been a bucket list experience! The company’s name and brand symbolizes the innovation of genre storytelling and the collection of distinctive veteran and new talents,” Illidge said Thursday in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter about his new position. “It’s an honor to be part of a team dedicated to igniting the company, bringing top-notch creators from around the globe to the Heavy Metal landscape, and paving the way for a new era as the true leader in sequential storytelling for science fiction, fantasy, and horror.”
Added Heavy Metal CEO Matt Medney: “When David [Erwin] introduced me to Joseph, I was enamored by his attitude and spark. Most times you don’t come across people like Joseph. His talents go far beyond editing and his spirit provides an infectious smile across the whole company. From Batman to Taarna, I am confident that Joseph will bring a quality of work to Heavy Metal that the brand deserves and needs.”
Llarena also provided a statement on his promotion, saying, “You know you’re living a dream when excitement for your job increases every day. It is a really exciting time at Heavy Metal under Matt’s tutelage between bringing in David and really focusing our efforts on quality stories, it’s a fun time to be here. To victory!”
