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Marvel fans are baffled by new editor-in-chief's admission he wrote under a Japanese pseudonym

C. B. Cebulski confirmed he wrote as 'Akira Yoshida' 13 years ago.

Gianluca Mezzofiore

on November 29, 2017

Marvel fans are baffled by new editor-in-chief's admission he wrote under a Japanese pseudonym

C.B. Cebulski a.k.a. 'Akira Yoshida' Credit: Masatoshi Okauchi/REX/Shutterstock

In a case that has many people baffled in the comics community, the new Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, has admitted to writing under a Japanese pseudonym 13 years ago.

C. B. Cebulski confirmed to Bleeding Cool, which broke the story, and then Vulture that he created comics as "Akira Yoshida", the writer of high-profile Marvel miniseries including Thor: Son Of Asgard and Wolverine: Soultaker:

I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year. It wasn’t transparent, but it taught me a lot about writing, communication and pressure. I was young and naïve and had a lot to learn back then. But this is all old news that has been dealt with, and now as Marvel’s new Editor-in-Chief, I’m turning a new page and am excited to start sharing all my Marvel experiences with up and coming talent around the globe.

The revelation is a testament to the tenacity of Bleeding Cool journalist Rick Johnston, who chased the story for more than ten years. In 2006, Johnston reportedly asked Cebulski, who at the time was Marvel associate editor, whether he wrote using the Yoshida pseudonym. Cebulski denied everything.

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The lengths that Cebulski went to in order to conceal his real identity are just incredible, according to Bleeding Cool account.

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He even fabricated a backstory for CBR.com about "Yoshida" -- called one of Marvel's "most prolific writers" -- growing up in Japan reading manga and spending parts of his childhood in the U.S., then kick-starting his career at small Japanese comic publisher named Fujimi Shobo.

Once, Marvel bosses thought they'd met "Akira Yoshida" in person visiting their offices, but it was reportedly just a Japanese translator on an unconnected visit. They were simply convinced they met the legendary comic writer.

This is why Marvel editor Mike Marts, in a 2015 blog post penned by writer Brian Cronin to dispel urban legend surrounding comic books, could firmly declare he had lunch with "Yoshida":

You bet--I've had lunch with the guy--very nice guy. He's a very cool guy. When we had lunch he showed me pictures of his immense Godzilla memorabilia collection--I was jealous!

Rumours around "Yoshida" snowballed since this summer, when ex-Marvel editor Gregg Scheigel released a podcast alluding to the whole hoax. This tweet by Image Comics brand manager David Brothers finally pushed Cebulski to comment: