Karen Berger

Infobox Comics creator


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birthname = Karen Berger
birthdate = birth date|1958|2|26|mf=y
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nationality = American
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Karen Berger (born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known as the Executive Editor of DC Comics' Vertigo imprint.

Biography

Berger majored in English literature and art history at Brooklyn College, and upon her graduation in 1979, she entered the comics profession as an assistant to editor Paul Levitz at DC. She later became Levitz's editor when he was writing "Legion of Super-Heroes". More interested in horror comics, she soon became editor of "House of Mystery",Citation | last = Irvine | first = Alex | author-link = Alexander C. Irvine | contribution = House of Mystery | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The Vertigo Encyclopedia | pages = 88 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = New York | year = 2008 | ISBN = 0-7566-4122-5 | oclc = 213309015] and was instrumental in nurturing Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing" book, taking over the editing from co-creator Len Wein. She later helped bring Neil Gaiman's work to a mass audience by having him write "The Sandman".

The success of these titles, and her willingness to help the writers who worked with her push the envelope of what could be done in mass-circulation comic books, led to the creation of the mature-reader Vertigo line in 1993.

In 2007 Berger was named supervising editor (along with Senior Editor Shelly Bond) of Minx, a new comic book imprint published by DC. Minx published comics and graphic novels aimed at teenage girls until they were cancelled in 2008. [cite web
last = Schneider
first = Karl
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title = DC to launch "Minx" comic for girls
work = Mania: Beyond Entertainment
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date = 2006-11-29
url = http://www.mania.com/dc-to-launch-minx-comic-for-girls_article_52915.html
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accessdate = 2008-07-22]

Berger won the Inkpot Award in 1990, three Eisner Awards (1993, 1994 and 1995), and the "Comics Buyer's Guide Award" for Favorite Editor every year from 1997 through 2005.

ee also

* List of women in comics
* List of American comic creators

Footnotes

References

* [http://www.sequentialtart.com/archive/feb01/berger.shtml "Sequential Tart" (Feb. 2001): Interview]