Welcome Irene Velentzas!
Irene Velentzas to Join Conundrum Press Imprint Emanata as Editor
June 2, 2025 – Conundrum Press today announces the appointment of comics editor, scholar,
and journalist Irene Velentzas to the role of Editor with Emanata, Conundrum’s young adult
imprint. Velentzas will be joining imprint founder Sal Sawler as Co-Editor until December 2026.
At that time, Sawler will fully transition into a new career in youth education and Velentzas will
fully take over the imprint and its acquisitions. As a scholar of graphic medicine and the former
Comics & Graphic Novels Editor for HighWater Press, Velentzas will bring her experience to
acquiring compelling, character-driven fiction and non-fiction graphic narratives created by
underrepresented comics artists living within colonial Canada. She will assume the role on June
1, 2025.
Sal Sawler, Founder of Emanata said: “I’m looking forward to working alongside Irene for the
next year and a half. Developing Emanata and working with so many talented artists continues to
be a true honour, and I know Irene will do an amazing job carrying the imprint forward when it’s
time to pass the torch.”
Irene Velentzas said: “I am thrilled to be joining Conundrum Press – a pillar of Canadian comics
for the past three decades. I have long admired Conundrum’s unwavering commitment to
nurturing original voices and artistic visions within the literary graphic novel industry. I hope to
continue Conundrum’s commitment to highlighting and supporting impactful artistic voices and
perspectives through my role as Editor with Emanata Press. I look forward to working alongside
Sal Sawler, Andy Brown, and Conundrum’s brilliant artists to bring transformative graphic
literature to young adult readers.”
Andy Brown, Publisher of Conundrum said: “Conundrum is overjoyed to have an editor for our
YA graphic novel imprint as skillful and experienced as Irene. I know she will work diligently
with our founding editor Sal Sawler to get up to speed, but then I’m sure she will quickly give the
imprint her personal touch. Welcome!”
More about Irene Velentzas
Irene Velentzas is a critical writer for The Comics Journal and an enthusiastic comics moderator.
She has interviewed such comics luminaries as Peter Kuper, Daniel Clowes, Jeff Smith, Kate
Beaton, Derf Backderf, Nate Powell, Tom Gauld, Jeff Lemire, Joe Ollmann, and Jillian Tamaki
among others. She is a comics scholar and the coeditor of Mental Illness and Sexuality in
Comics, a special issue published by the Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. Her former
roles include Editor of Comics & Graphic Novels with HighWater Press, Programming Manager
for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, and Grants and Fundraising Officer for the Canada Comics
Open Library.
In 2024, Velentzas founded Tunnel Vision Press, an independent literary comics publisher
devoted to amplifying the artistic merits of the comics medium by bringing readers impactful
stories told in thought-provoking ways. While Tunnel Vision Press is currently closed for
submissions it is open for one-on-one consultation services for graphic narratives at all stages of
conception and completion. Velentzas will be continuing her work with Tunnel Vision Press as
she assumes her new responsibilities with Emanata. She will also be completing her doctoral dissertation on “Representations of Mental Illness in Comics” over the coming year while continuing to balance her other moderating, writing, and public speaking engagements.
More about Conundrum Press
Conundrum Press is located in Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia, the ancestral and unceded territory of the
Mi’kmaq People. The press was founded by publisher Andy Brown in 1996, amidst the political
turmoil and cultural vibrancy of Tiohtiá;ke/Montreal. Originally a publisher of chapbooks, short
stories, novels, comics, and zine collections, Conundrum began exclusively publishing literary
graphic novels in 2010. While Conundrum is proud to have published many award-winning
comic artists, the press also remains committed to discovering new voices in the graphic novel
field. Conundrum Press is grateful for the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts,
the Province of Nova Scotia, and the Government of Canada.
Media inquiries contact: Andy Brown, andy@conundrumpress.com.