THE TEAM
LAURA CHACÓN
MAD CAVE STUDIOS FOUNDER
Laura has been the voice of reason since the beginning. Without her support, Mad Cave wouldn’t be where it is today.
MARK LONDON
CEO AND CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER
Everything he does at Mad Cave is the result of a commitment he made to his amazing wife to pursue his passion and follow his dreams. Always read the best comics first.
MARK IRWIN
PRESIDENT
Mark Irwin, a graduate of the Joe Kubert School, is now the President of Mad Cave Studios. A true comic book rock and roller, Mark has written and/or edited books about The Beatles, David Bowie, Rush, Motorhead, and more.
CHRIS FERNANDEZ
PUBLISHER
Chris Fernandez is the Publisher at Mad Cave and has also edited titles including Stargazer, Dry Foot, Nottingham, and Battlecats. Outside of comics, he likes to spend his time playing soccer, reading up on current interests, and exercising with his partner and two brindle pups; Zuko and Han.
MIKE MARTS
EVP AND EDITOR IN CHIEF
Mike Marts is a seasoned industry insider with over 30 years experience in the comic book and entertainment business.
CECILIA MEDINA
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
With over 25 years of experience managing various companies, Cecilia has brought her experience over to help keep Mad Cave on track.
KURT NELSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Kurt Nelson brings Mad Cave 25 years of experience in selling comics, games and collectibles to the mass market, specialty and hobby channels.
ALLISON POND
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
With a passion for storytelling and building hyper-engaged communities, Allison Pond has led the branding and marketing for Mad Cave Studios and its imprints, Maverick and Papercutz, since 2020.
GIOVANNA T. OROZCO
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Six years ago her passion for films, novels, comics and music brought her to the Cave.
Chas! Pangburn
Senior Editor
Chas! Pangburn is an award-winning editor, writer, and letterer. He’s been fortunate to collaborate with publishers across the industry, but he found a forever home in Mad Cave. In his free time, an angry corgi bosses him around for long walks throughout Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lauren Hitzhusen
Maverick Senior Editor
Lauren Hitzhusen has a Masters in publishing and has been in love with comics since high school and the world of comics for much, much longer. A fan of cats, coffee, D&D, and the Latin language, she is thrilled to be part of the Mad Cave Studios team as the senior editor of Maverick. Previous editing/writing credits include Valiant Entertainment, ScreenRant, Houstonia, CultureFly, and Sunday Riley.
James B. Emmett
Senior Editor
James Emmett has worked in the comic book industry for well over a decade. He has edited work for Marvel Entertainment, Image Comics, 451 Media, Mezco Toyz, and more! His free time is spent debating with friends about Drag Race or an old episode of Buffy, reading, listening to podcasts, and failing to stay up to date on new TV shows.
ADAM WALLENTA
EDITOR
Adam Wallenta has worked in the comic book industry and in children’s publishing for almost 30 years as an artist, author, editor and publisher. He is the co-creator of the Ringo Award-winning Punk Taco graphic novel series with his son, and the official Public Enemy comic book series with Chuck D, among many others. Adam is also a professional educator and loves making music and gardening.
Christina Harrington
EDITOR
Christina Harrington is a writer and editor living in the Hudson Valley of New York with her husband, their dog, Rocket, and too many comic books. She received her M.F.A. in writing from Sarah Lawrence College, and has almost ten years of experience working in the industry, first in the X-Men editorial group at Marvel Comics, before moving on to AfterShock Comics, as managing editor. In her free time, Christina can be found hiking the Shawangunk Mountains, tasting local craft beer, and trying to get her dog to stop barking.
HOLLY AITCHISON
TRADE MARKETING MANAGER
Comics bard Holly Aitchison (they/she) has called comics home since birth but joined the industry formally in the mid 2010s. They love acting as cheerleader to great stories and creators. The Chicago native is based out of a tiny Los Angeles apartment ruled over by three cats and many precarious stacks of books.
MAYA LOPEZ
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER
Creative marketing specialist with a passion for creating genuine, human experiences in digital spaces. Loves exploring new places, watching anime, and taking long walks to cute coffee shops.
Frank Silva
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
At the office, Frank wears many hats and helps out in different ways including outreach and research. When not working, he’s either reading comics, or studying for a Marketing degree. He’s thrilled to be at Mad Cave, pursuing his childhood dream of working in the comic industry.
SPENSER NELLIS
MARKETING COORDINATOR PAPERCUTZ
Spenser Nellis is a lifelong comic book fan and is happy to give back to the medium he loves as the Marketing Coordinator at Papercutz Graphic Novels, where he helps introduce the next generation of readers to their next favorite comic.
Geoffrey Lapid
Sales And Marketing Specialist
Geoffrey Lapid is a publishing professional with over 10 years of experience working with comic books, graphic novels, and children’s picture books. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Leah Spann
Publishing Operations Specialist
With a background in science fiction and fantasy publishing, Leah Spann is proud to bring her nerdiness and love of a well-organized spreadsheet to the Mad Cave team. In her spare time, she plays TTRPGs, takes on sewing projects well above her skill level, and revels in the joy of discovering enchanting stories in all media.
James Faccinto
Papercutz Publicist
James Faccinto is the founder and principal of Full Complement Communications. He has worked in literary publicity for over six years. He is located in Los Angeles, where he spends as much time outside as possible.
Miguel Angel Zapata
Design Director
Graphic designer, comicbook letterer and illustrator. Specialized in editorial design for comics books and novels.
Diana Bermudez
Graphic Designer
Being part of the Mad cave group is a great learning opportunity, every day you learn something new about comics, this is really fascinating for the growth of my career as a designer.
David Reyes
Graphic Designer
David Reyes is a Bogotá graphic designer passionate about branding, lettering and vector illustration, Happy to be in Mad Cave Studio a group of people committed and passionate about the world of comics.
Adriana T Orozco
Interactive Media Designer
Adriana loves to learn about the comics world, but it was her passion for movies, books and storytelling that brought her to the Mad Cave Team.
Nicolas Zea Arias
Audiovisual Producer
I’m Nicolas Zea, audiovisual creator, VFX and motion designer, delighted to work with Mad Cave Studios and its great team passionate about comics.
Stephanie Hidalgo
Office Manager
Stephanie Hidalgo has a degree in forensic science, is a lifelong comic enthusiast, Spider-mans biggest fan, and cat lover. She works in the Miami studio and is happy to be part of the Mad Cave family.