Michael Zametkin Hobson (December 8, 1936 – November 12, 2020) was an American publisher who was an executive vice president for

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

Life and career

Hobson was born on December 8, 1936, and adopted on February 13, 1937, by a single woman, Laura Z. Hobson, future author of ''

Gentleman's Agreement ''Gentleman's Agreement'' is a 1947 American drama film based on Laura Z. Hobson's best-selling 1947 novel of the same title. The film is about a journalist (played by Gregory Peck) who pretends to be Jewish to research an exposé on the wid ...

'' (1947) and other novels. A graduate of

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

and

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

, Michael Hobson began his career at

Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries, it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emil ...

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Massachusetts. After stints at ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' and as a

literary agent A literary agent is an agent who represents writers and their written works to publishers, theatrical producers, film producers, and film studios, and assists in sale and deal negotiation. Literary agents most often represent novelists, screenwr ...

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...

, Hobson joined the Scholastic Publishing Company. He worked in various positions at Scholastic, ultimately as publisher of its

paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...

book clubs. Hobson then joined

as executive vice president. He was responsible for editorial, marketing, distribution and production of Marvel's comics, magazines and graphic novels. Hobson went on to run Marvel's international business as managing director of Marvel Europe, including its companies in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, as well as its publishing and licensing operations throughout the rest of Europe. Hobson then returned to the U.S., where he became president of

Parachute Publishing Parachute Press is a division of Parachute Publishing, a packager of book series for children and teenagers. The four women listed as the company's principals are all themselves authors of children's books (among others), and Jane Stine is marrie ...

, a packager of fiction and non-fiction book series for teens and preteens. In 2009, Hobson joined Cracked Entertainment, Inc., as senior adviser to assist in the redesign of the then 45-year-old ''

Cracked Cracked may refer to: Television * ''Cracked'' (British TV series), a 2008 British comedy-drama television series that aired on STV * ''Cracked'' (Canadian TV series), a 2013 Canadian crime drama series that aired on CBC * "Cracked", a Season 8 ( ...

'' magazine. Hobson married Ann Gould in 1965.Michael Z. Hobson to Wed Ann Gould
''The New York Times,'' November 14, 1965, p. 122. The couple had two children. Hobson died at 83 years old from heart failure.

References

1936 births 2020 deaths American publishers (people) Harvard College alumni Marvel Comics people Phillips Exeter Academy alumni {{Publish-bio-stub