Dafna Pleban — Editing Underwater, Building Creative Teams, and the Economics of Storytelling (#83)

Think Like A Game Designer

About Dafna Pleban

Dafna Pleban is a veteran comic book editor and narrative developer whose career spans over 15 years across original and licensed publishing. Best known for her work at BOOM! Studios, Dafna has overseen hundreds of issues, helping launch award-winning titles like Lumberjanes, Fence, Seven Secrets, and Goldie Vance. She’s worked with major creators including Tom Taylor, Mark Waid, and Kieron Gillen, and has shepherded beloved franchises such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dune, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, and Power Rangers.

Dafna’s creative journey began at UCLA, where she majored in English after pivoting from microbiology and discovering her strengths lay in storytelling, not science labs. A lifelong comics fan, she broke into the industry through sheer hustle—running a podcast to score a press pass to Comic-Con, then turning that passion project into a marketing job at BOOM! and eventually into an editorial career.

In this episode, Dafna reveals what it really means to be an editor in comics—from juggling creators and licensors to surviving the relentless pace of monthly publishing. We talk about the role of stress in the creative process, the economics behind launching a successful comic, and how great editors build trust, teams, and stories that resonate. Whether you’re looking to pitch your first comic or just want a glimpse behind the curtain of franchise storytelling, Dafna’s journey offers a masterclass in making creativity sustainable.

Find Some of the Comic’s Dafna’s Worked on Here.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit justingarydesign.substack.com/subscribe