"Chris' impeccable track record as an editor reflects the quality of stories that we aim for with all Skybound projects," said Mackiewicz in a statement. "He is an ideal addition to our team as our comic book slate continues to grow."

"You'd have a hard time finding someone more well-liked in comics than Chris," stated Kirkman. "His mark on the comics industry is undeniable. I've admired his work from afar for many years and am thrilled for him to be part of the Skybound team."

Ryall surprised the comics publishing industry in March when he stepped down from his post at IDW after having spent 14 years at the company. Under his helm, IDW became the fifth-largest publisher in the North American comic book market, with a number of imprints, including Top Shelf Productions, an independent publisher IDW acquired in 2015.

Ryall also worked on the creative side of the business, writing on comics such as Transformers, Shaun of the Dead, Kiss and Rom.

"As a fan of genre material and comic books all around, working with Skybound Entertainment is a natural fit for me," said Ryall. "I'm excited to work with the team in place at Skybound and expand an already phenomenal library of content."

Skybound publishes comics such as Walking Dead, Oblivion Song and Outcast and recently launched the Skybound Books imprint, in partnership with Simon & Schuster's Atria Books. The company is also behind the Walking Dead television franchise and has several movie projects set up at Universal. The company has a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios, maintains a gaming division with Skybound Interactive and is working in the VR space with a trio of series.