“This opportunity excites me to no end,” Waid said in a statement about the new position. “I’ve seen what Humanoids is about to unleash, and it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever seen in this industry. I had to be a part of it. The chance to work closely with younger, diverse talent with strong voices — to learn as well as to teach — is electrifying.”

Humanoids CEO and publisher Fabrice Giger added, “Mark Waid has written some of the most popular and most influential stories in the history of comics. To bring a writer like Waid into the fold ? to both write new stories and to help us develop and refine other projects ? speaks to the ambition and seriousness of our plans for the future.”

More information about those plans will be revealed at the company’s panel at New York Comic Con, titled “Humanoids 20th Anniversary in America,” the official description of which teases, “New projects! New heroes! Hot creators! A bold new direction ushering in a new era in comics.” That panel takes place Friday, Oct. 5, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 1A02.

In advance of that panel, Humanoids has released the logo of the new initiative, called H1, and also has launched a new Twitter account for the program.

“So what are we cooking up with these two incredible creators?”Humanoids Senior Editor Fabrice Sapolsky teased in a statement to accompany the H1 reveal. “Fans will have to wait until New York Comic Comic Con to find out, but suffice it to say that the comic book industry has never before seen anything like what we have planned with Cassaday, Waid and a jaw-dropping lineup of comic book creators.”

New York Comic Con runs Oct. 4-7 at the Javits Center.