Graphic Designer

Dark Horse Comics•Milwaukie, OR

1d•$40,000 - $55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Dark Horse Comics is a growing company with a dynamic Design department. We are looking to add more talented designers to our team to help us make books both large and small, simple and complex; design product packaging and, at times, concept products themselves; do the production work required to maintain our extensive backlist and evergreen titles; and create the ongoing variety of marketing and sales tools to promote and advertise Dark Horse and its many exciting projects. My questions for you are… Do you have book design experience incorporating high-end quality graphics with four-color printing? Have you doodled your own comic book logo for your fantasy fanzine? Do you love fine-tuning your typography so it presents “just so”? Do your friends, instructors, and coworkers admire your strong organization, research, and concepting skills? Do you have an interest in paper products and popular culture and the portfolio to back it up? If so…we would love to meet you and see your work. The projects we do include (but are not limited to): logo design, trade book design, 200-page (or more) art book design, packaging, digital and print sales and marketing materials, style guide creation, 3D product mockups, product photography and video, publishing and advertising resizes, typesetting of novels, miscellaneous collateral, and more. We are a Mac and Adobe CC environment, with Google Suite and Airtable for file and project management. We’re a hybrid department with an onsite work requirement. We offer a creative, fun, and casual work environment. This is a permanent position after a 120-day probation period. Salary is dependent upon experience. The work we do can be specialized and unique. The art director will critically review your work samples to make an assessment of whether the work you are presenting can extrapolate into our work. A curated sample deck is ideal, with examples of: logo design, typography, advertising layout, multiple page document layout, Photoshop and Illustrator skills, product photography (including postproduction), packaging, and product design. Any typographic illustration skills, a text-heavy piece, and any 3D modelling design are good to share too.. The more thought you direct into your samples, the better that will communicate what you will bring to Dark Horse and what your strengths and passions are. Whether you are a seasoned designer looking for a new team or a new designer fresh from your design program, we are looking for designers who are the right fit and excited about the work we do. You never know if this will be you, so please give a second read of the posting, look at our books and products, and send us a packet letting us know you are interested. Note that this is a Production Design position, NOT an illustration position.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will be an able learner and meet the following expectations: Is a talented, motivated, and team-focused graphic designer
Is a strong communicator, has strong organizational skills, and is good with details
Demonstrates the ability to multitask and work efficiently under tight deadlines
Demonstrates skill in working in a complex production environment
Works well in a team environment and also independently
Has great design sense, strong concept, and design-as-craft skills
Is interested in popular culture, including video games and entertainment
Takes direction well and in a spirit of collaboration
Enjoys publishing, a commercial-focused environment, and Dark Horse itself
Great communication skills (both verbal and written). Bonus for being a good question asker!
Detail oriented, organized, and a critical thinker
Strong layout, color, and typographic skill
Knows proper file management and setting up files for press
Understands basic marketing and branding concepts
Exhibits high proficiency in InDesign (ideally three years), Photoshop, and experience in Illustrator
Four-color printing experience, including knowledge of blacks and trapping

Nice To Haves

A working knowledge of Blender or another 3D modelling application
Knowledge in specialty printing and packaging, including exotic materials, templates, and treatments
Knowledge in art/design history and genre publications
Experience with product photography, After Effects, or Final Cut Pro