Stepan Shmytinsky
Multitask comic book industry professional.
Male, 34, Russian
+7(911)837-00-30
job@stepan.cool
  • 10 years in publishing;
  • More than 500 book projects as an editor, translator, designer, typesetter;
  • Maximum print runs — 140 000 books of one title;
  • Organiser of 3 annual entertainment festivals;
  • Launching publishing houses from scratch in Russia and the US, launching and managing a comic book store;
  • Working as a license manager with giants like Disney, Marvel, Warner Media, Viacom and more;
  • 4 iOS apps as a project manager;
  • 8 successful crowdfounding campaigns that brought in around 900 000$;
  • Content maker for social media with over 100,000 subscribers;
  • Around 30 lectures about comic book art and history per year;
  • Own agency with the best comics authors from ex-USSR;
  • 3 recorded albums as a musician.
I can find a contact of literally any comic-book culture related person, then sign a contract and lead this project from the early idea to the bookshelves.
2019 - 2022, Publishing house ‘EKSMO’ (the biggest PH in Russia)
  • License manager. Working with The US (Marvel, BOOM!, Dark Horse, Disney), Europe (Mediatoon, Humanoids, Delcourt), Asia (Kodansha, Tencent, Bilibili).
  • Editor in chief of indie imprint ‘ComFederation’. Developing new marketing cases to present classic books for the market, searching for young talents.

2017 - 2019, Publishing house ‘ComFederation’
  • CEO. Developing brand new publishing house with its own and very specific publishing catalogue based on my own taste. Reaching self-sufficiency in one year. Over 150 books published in two years. Then the brand was successfully sold to the biggest publisher in Russia.
  • Talent scout. 30+ young talents discovered and promoted. Produced indie bestsellers that were sold with more than 5 print runs. First pro-feminist comic book published in Russia.
  • Crowdfounding manager. 8 successful compaigns for popular and specific books: Daredevil, Wolverine, Judge Dredd, Masterpiece Comics, Prison Pit.
  • YouTube show host. Was an interviewer with many worldwide popular writers and artists, such as Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Brian K Vaughan (Saga, Y the Last Man), Brian Lee O'Malley (Scott Piligrim) and others. Had my own new books review show.

2016 - 2018, Big Fest
  • Organising an annual entertainment festival. Music stage and special guest management. Invited Alex Hirsch (Gravity Falls), Patric Mchale (Over The Garden Wall), Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Ryan North (Adventure Time) and many others.

2012 - 2016, Publishing house ‘Comme Il Faut’, comic book store 28oi.ru
  • Editor, designer, typesetter, translator, print manager. Over 200 books published. First works with Marvel, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon.
  • Managing comic book store, online and offline. Launching branch store in Moscow.
  • Taking part and then organising multiple annual entertainment festivals in St. Petersburg — Micro Comic Con (each season, since 2011).

+ self-employed projects:
  • iOS applications project manager: tear-off calendar with beer labels, casual games KRNG Rampage and Gorshkometr, creepy bridges guide.
  • Drawing strips and caricatures as a guest artist, being published in small comic book fanzines.
  • Consulting about launching publishing houses, searching for contacts.
  • Lectures about comic book culture and history over the world and in Russia particularly.
Just a few famous partners logos:

A few personal details:

  • Fluent English, can keep correspondence going in any language with a little help from Google Translate;
  • In 2010 graduated from St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications as an engineer of telecommunications;
  • Married to an IT-girl Vita, and together we are happy owners of the cutest dog ever, wheaten Kartoshka;
  • Sports — running and cycling;
  • 13 years of playing folk music instruments (balalayka, bagpipe and so on) in a punk-rock band Garlic Kings;
  • 15 years of driving experience (crossed Europe and The US a few times).
Made on
Tilda