New Creator-Driven Publisher Adds to Multiple Departments
Los Angeles, CA (October 7th, 2025) – Ignition Press, the creator-driven comic book and graphic novel publisher, is proud to announce a third round of key hires to expand its team this year ahead of New York Comic Con. New team members include: Daniel Crary as Director of Sales, Steph Hocutt as Marketing Manager, Nicki Naff as Operations Manager, and Nora Ornstein as Assistant Editor.
Daniel Crary is thrilled to be joining the industry leading team at Ignition Press as Director of Sales. Prior to Ignition, Crary was Director of Marketing at Oni Press and Director of Community Engagement and Events at Vault Comics. Crary brings his passion for creator first marketing and a history of deep retailer relationships to his new role. Additionally, he has worked with the Hero Initiative, BINC, and The CBLDF helping to organize fundraisers and hosting auctions and events in support of their vital work.
Steph Hocutt joined Ignition Press as Marketing Manager in August and in her new role will oversee marketing and publicity alongside Director of Marketing Bre Sarpy. Hocutt started her career at BOOM! Studios, leading the team’s publicity, marketing, and social media over the course of seven years on such projects as Lumberjanes, Something is Killing the Children, and BRZRKR. She then joined the Direct Market Sales Team at Penguin Random House, where she spearheaded marketing efforts to support retailers for their large catalog of publishers. Most recently, she managed the marketing behind the new PRH imprint Inklore, focused on manga, manhwa, and scroll-to-print comics. She’s excited to bring the variety of skills she’s learned at both publisher and distributor levels to the marketing team at Ignition Press.
Nicki Naff joined Ignition Press as Operations Manager in July and brings 15 years of experience in warehousing and distribution, primarily at Cintas, to her role at Ignition Press. She looks forward to utilizing her skills in supply chain logistics, data management, and customer service to grow Ignition Press’s wholesale and direct-to-consumer business channels.
Nora Ornstein joined as Assistant Editor in August and in her newly created role will help shepherd the publisher’s numerous upcoming projects to completion, under the direction of senior editor Maggie Howell and editor-in-chief Jamie Rich. Ornstein began her comics career at Humanoids Inc. in the early days of 2020 before pivoting to freelance work in the film industry and as a journalist. She is thrilled to be making her long awaited return to the comics industry alongside the dynamic team at Ignition Press. Ornstein looks forward to helping bring your next favorite book to store shelves.
Ignition Press was co-founded by publishing and media industry veterans Eric Gitter (CEO), Filip Sablik (Publisher), Jamie S. Rich (Editor-in-Chief), and Jeremy Haun (Creative Director) in July 2024 and began publishing creator-driven original series mid-2025. To stay up to date on Ignition Press news, sign up at www.ignitionpress.com.