Erik Larsen

This is the stuff that fanboy's dreams are made of. Six issues written by Robert Kirkman, penciled by Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Rob Liefeld, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, and While Portacio all at once. Starring Spawn, Cyberforce, Witchblade, Youngblood, ShadowHawk(s) I & II, Savage Dragon, and Portacio's newest creation - Fortress. Plus guest appearances galore by Spawn's villains, The Darkness, etc.  I can't explain it any better than Kirkman did here:

 "Each artist is going to do the layouts for one issue," Kirkman explained. "Those guys will get the script for the issue and they'll be the one breaking it down into pages. Then once the story's laid out, they're going to be mailed all over the country, and everybody's going to be drawing their characters onto the pages. This is the future. It's going to be a lot of work, and I don't know -- maybe we'll have to give FedEx a credit in the book. But this just shows that anything can be done. "

I'm pretty sure nothing like this has been attempted before, from the couple pages I've seen (below), it looks pretty seamless. Its easily the biggest crossover/superhero event in a long, long time for Image. The thing that gets me even more excited is the possible reestablishment of the Image universe as one world (minus Jim Lee's creations and WetWorks obviously) where the characters interract with each other on a more regular basis than crossoverissues. Who knows maybe Chapel will get re-retconned into being the murderer of Al Simmons?

Image Comics announces its 2008 San Diego Comic Con plans!

Comic Con Intentional 2008 kicks off next week in San Diego, and Image Comics has announced its plans for the big event!

Image Comics will kick off the convention Thursday night as the primary sponsor for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's San Diego Comic Con Welcome Party at the Westgate Hotel, including an amazing gift bag including the FOUR EYES PREVIEW BOOK,  an exclusive meeting of the Drink & Draw Social Club, featuring Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian, and many more special guests. In addition, Image creator Brian Posehn will be headlining the COMEDIANS OF COMEDY show at Spreckles on Saturday at 8:30 PM, with tickets available at the Image Comics booth.

This year's IMAGE COMICS SHOW (Friday, 4:00-5:00 PM, Room 7AB) will be the panel to be at, as a discussion led by THE WALKING DEAD's Robert Kirkman, YOUNGBLOOD's Rob Liefeld, TOP COW's Marc Silvestri, SAVAGE DRAGON's Erik Larsen, SHADOWLINE's Jim Valentino and SPAWN's Whilce Portacio reveals the biggest announcement Image Comics has made since its inception. The panel will be followed up by a special event held at the Image Comics booth featuring an extremely limited, San Diego Comic Con exclusive print signed by all present! The panel will also include the first word on the future of THE WALKING DEAD and just what Portacio's non-SPAWN project is!

Tori Amos will be the center of attention on Saturday, starting off with a COMIC BOOK TATTOO-centric panel  (room 6B) hosted by READING COMICS author and music writer, Douglas Wolk and also features editor Rantz Hoseley, David Mack, Elizabeth Genco, Ted McKeever and Kelly Sue DeConnick.  This will be followed by a signing in Autograph Area 2 limited to two hundred fans, who may receive a ticket with purchase of a COMIC BOOK TATTOO from the Image Comics pavilion.

On the con floor Image creators such as LIBERTY MEADOWS' Frank Cho, YOUNGBLOOD's Rob Liefeld, AMORY WARS & COHEED AND CAMBRIA's Claudio Sanchez, SCUD THE DISPOSABLE ASSASSIN's Rob Schrab, the crew behind Tori Amos' COMIC BOOK TATTOO, INVINCIBLE's Ryan Ottley and the entire SHADOWLINE crew will be exhibiting throughout the weekend with signings by THE WALKING DEAD's Robert Kirkman, DARK IVORY & DAWN's Joseph Michael Linsner & Eva Hopkins, I KILL GIANTS' Joe Kelly, SPECIAL FORCES' Kyle Baker, the team behind LUCHA LIBRE, COMEDIANS OF COMEDY's Brian Posehn and an very rare appearance by THE SWORD's Jonathan & Joshua Luna.

In addition, the Image booth will be the source of quite a few exclusives, including two signed & numbered prints - one for THE WALKING DEAD and another for SCUD THE DISPOSABLE ASSASSIN - that will not be made available anywhere else! Other exclusives include giveaways such as posters & bookmarks for titles such as INVINCIBLE, AMERICAN FLAGG!, RED ROCKET 7, THE NOCTURNALS and many more! Also given away will be downloads of the all new INVINCIBLE animated series in conjunction with MTV New Media!

The Image Comics Booth (#2729) can be found at Comic Con International, July 23rd to the 27th at the San Diego Convention Center.

LIMITED EDITION SIGNED & NUMBERED PRINTS

THE WALKING DEAD - Signed & numbered by Robert Kirkman - Strictly limited to 250!
SCUD THE DISPOSABLE ASSASSIN - Signed & numbered by Rob Schrab - Strictly limited to 250!

THURSDAY, JULY 24th

10:00 - 11:00 AM: Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area) Table 2
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Moritat (Elephantmen) Table 4
10:30 - 11:00 AM: Joe Kelly (Four Eyes, I Kill Giants) Table 1
11:00 AM  - 12:00 PM: Hector Casanova & Harold Sipe (Screamland) Table 3
12:00 - 12:30 PM: Dan Brereton (Nocturnals) Table 1
12:00 - 3:00 PM: Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible) Table 2
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Mark Haven Britt (Full Color) Table 3
3:00 - 4:00 PM: CB Cebulski (Drain, Wonderlost) Table 3
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Claudio Sanchez (Amory Wars, Coheed & Cambria) Table 4
3:30 - 4:00 PM: Alex Grecian & Riley Rossmo (Proof) Table 1
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Steven Grant & Victor Riches (The Safest Place) Table 2
5:00 - 7:00 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon) Table 1
5:00 - 6:00 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces) Table 2
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Matt Fraction (Casanova) Table 2

FRIDAY, JULY 25th

SPECIAL EVENTS

THE BIG NEWS

4:00 - 5:00 PM THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW - ROOM 7AB: Featuring the biggest announcement Image Comics has made since the original seven founders formed the company! Be there as as Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible), Marc Silvestri (Witchblade), Whilce Portacio (Spawn), Rob Liefeld (Youngblood), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon) and Jim Valentino (Shadowline) get together to talk about where Image has gone and what the future holds.


5:30-7:00 PM - TOP SECRET IMAGE COMICS SPECIAL EVENT - IMAGE COMICS SIGNING AREA: In the wake of The Image Comics Show's earth-shattering news, this event will take place at the Image signing area to commemorate the big announcement with a special gathering of creators. Features an extremely limited edition, San Diego Comic Con-only print signed by all present!

PANEL
 
STUDIOSPACE PANEL, ROOM 3: Join Howard Chaykin (American Flagg!), Tommy Lee Edwards (1985) and Bryan Talbot (The Tale of One Bad Rat) as they discuss Image's hit STUDIO SPACE book, moderated by the book's editor and co-writer Joel Meadows.

SIGNINGS

10:00 - 11:00 AM: Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants, Four Eyes) Table 1
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Alex Grecian & Riley Rossmo (Proof) Table 2
10:00 - 12:00 AM: Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible) Table 3
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Moritat (Elephantmen) Table 4
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Dan Brereton (Nocturnals) Table 1
12:00 - 2:00 PM: Brian Posehn (Comedians of Comedy) & Gerard Duggan (Infinite Horizon) Table 2
1:00 - 3:00 PM: Joseph Michael Linsner & Eva Hopkins (Dawn, Dark Ivory) Table 4
12:30 - 1:30 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area) Table 3
1:00 - 2:00 PM: CB Cebluski (Drain, Wonderlost) Table 1
2:00 - 3:00 PM: B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick), Scott Chantler (Hawaiian Dick) and Seth Peck ('76) Table 2
2:00 - 5:00 PM: The Luna Brothers (Sword, Girls, Ultra) Table 1
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Hector Casanova & Harold Sipe (Screamland) Table 3
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Mark Haven Britt (Full Color) Table 4
3:00 - 5:00 PM: Jerry Frissen, Robert Silva & Bill (Lucha Libre) Table 2
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Rick Spears (Repo), Ivan Brandon (24Seven) Table 3
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Matt Fraction (Casanova) Andy MacDonald (Comic Book Tattoo, 24Seven) Table 4

SATURDAY, JULY 26th

SPECIAL EVENTS

THE BIG NEWS - ENCORE

11:30 - 1:30PM - TOP SECRET IMAGE COMICS SPECIAL EVENT ENCORE - IMAGE COMICS SIGNING AREA This special encore event is final chance to meet the players behind the biggest announcement Image has made since its inception and purchase the extremely limited, San Diego-only print with the first image behind this massive news!

TORI AMOS

11:30 - 12:30 PM - LIVE FROM COMICON, TORI AMOS & COMIC BOOK TATTOO - ROOM 6B: 17 years ago, history was made at Comicon, when a kid gave Neil Gaiman a tape of her music.  Now, Indie music icon and multiplatinum recording artist Tori Amos comes to comicon to talk about COMIC BOOK TATTOO, the new 480 page coffee table format anthology from Image comics with over 50 stories based on songs and music from her entire discography.  Tori is joined by project editor Rantz Hoseley, as well as some of the contributing creators including: David Mack, Elizabeth Genco, Ted McKeever and Kelly Sue DeConnick.  Seating is limited, so be there early to hear Tori, the panel and moderator Douglas Wolk talk about the long journey that resulted in one of the most exciting comic projects of the decade!

2:00 - 4:00 PM - THE TORI AMOS SIGNING - LIMITED SIGNING - AUTOGRAPH AREA 2: Tori Amos will be signing the first 200 copies of COMIC BOOK TATTOO purchased at the Image Comics Comic Book Tattoo Booth (#2729) for this very limited signing session!

SIGNINGS

10:00 - 11:00 AM: STUDIOSPACE with Tim Bradstreet, Tommy Lee Edwards and Bryan Talbot Tables 1 & 2
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces) & Andy MacDonald (Comic Book Tattoo, 24Seven)
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Alex Grecian & Riley Rossmo (Proof) Table 3
2:00 - 6:00 PM: Luna Brothers (The Sword) Table 1
2:00 - 3:00 PM: B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick), Scott Chantler (Hawaiian Dick), Seth Peck ('76) Table 2
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Rick Spears (Repo) Table 3
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria, Amory Wars) Table 4
3:30 - 5:30 PM: Brian Posehn (Comedians of Comedy) & Gerard Duggan (Infinite Horizon) Table 2
3:30 - 5:30 PM: Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Walking Dead) Table 3
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Moritat (Elephantmen) & Ivan Brandon (24Seven) Table 4
5:00 - 6:00 PM: Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria, Amory Wars) Table 4
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon) Table 1
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Joe Kelly (Four Eyes, I Kill Giants) & Ivan Brandon (24Seven) Table 2
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Matt Fraction (Casanova) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area) Table 3
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Hector Casanova & Harold Sipe (Screamland) Table 4

SUNDAY, JULY 27th

10:00 - 11:00 AM: Joe Kelly (Four Eyes, I Kill Giants) Table 1
10:00 - 11:00 AM: CB Cebulski (Compass) Table 2
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Dan Brereton (Nocturnals) Table 1
12:00 - 2:00 PM: Brian Posehn (Comedians of Comedy) & Gerard Duggan (Infinite Horizon) Table 2
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Claudio Sanchez (Amory Wars, Coheed & Cambria) Table 3
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Andy MacDonald (Comic Book Tattoo) Table 4
1:30 - 4:30 PM: Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible) Table 4
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Alex Grecian & Riley Rossmo (Proof) Table 1
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Rick Spears (Repo) & Ivan Brandon (24Seven) Table 3
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Matt Fraction (Casanova) Table 1

As announced at Wizard World Chicago this weekend, Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen is stepping down from his current position and will be replaced by Executive Director Eric Stephenson, effective immediately.

"Being the publisher has been a blast, but it's long past time I put my focus on what matters most to me - creating new comics," said Larsen. "We accomplished the goals I set out for the company, and it's long past time for me to go back to doing what I do best. Even more so, I feel Eric deserves the position as he's completely instrumental in our company's recent success. It's an honor to hand him the reins."

Stephenson's background with Image goes back to the inception, as Jim Valentino's assistant. He later went on to work as the managing editor of Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios before returning to Image as Director of Marketing in 2001. Stephenson became Executive Director in 2004.
Stephenson added, "Even after over sixteen years of working with Image off and on, I'm more excited about the company now than I've ever been. The unprecedented variety of creators, genres and formats we've been publishing really reflects what I love so much about this medium, and I'm looking forward to carrying on and growing upon this tradition."

Anyone in the area?  Let us know how it is.

Image Comics comes to Charlotte, NC's HeroesCon!

Here's the lowdow for Image at the New York Comic-Con.

Image Comics makes its first full debut at this years' New York Comic Con!

This upcoming weekend, Image Comics makes its first full debut at New York Comic Con, celebrating with an announcement packed panel and guests galore!

"For whatever reason New York has been a tough city to hold a convention, but the folks behind the New York Comic Con have pulled it off better than anyone could imagine," said Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen. "I've really enjoyed every year I've attended and thought it was long past time Image Comics had a complete set up, including one of our now famous Image Comics Shows!"

In addition to signings with creators such as AMORY WARS/Coheed Cambria's Claudio Sanchez, SPECIAL FORCES' Kyler Baker, DYNAMO 5's Jay Faerber, BILLY DOGMA's Dean Haspiel, SUBURBAN GLAMOUR's Jamie McKelvie, Shadowline President Jim Valentino and Image Comics Publisher & SAVAGE DRAGON creator Erik Larsen fans will also be able to purchase a selection of Image's library, which includes what may be the very last opportunity to ever buy an original, first printing WALKING DEAD VOL. 1 DELUXE HC.

Furthermore, this years' Image Comics Show (Saturday at 2-3 PM, ROOM: 1E16) features three generations of Image creators discussing the rise of creator owned comics and what it means for the future of the industry. Panelists include Image founders, Erik Larsen & Jim Valentino, DYNAMO 5's Jay Faerber and newer names such as AMORY WARS' Claudio Sanchez & HAZED's Mark Sable. It wouldn't be an Image Comics Show without a number of announcements, including the biggest change on SPAWN since Todd McFarlane left the title.

The New York Comic Con will take place Friday, March 18th to Sunday March 20th. Image Comics can be found at booth 1407.

SIGNING SCHEDULE

FRIDAY
3-4 PM: Mark Sable (Hazed, Fearless, Grounded), Chris Burnham (Nixon's Pals), B. Clay Moore (Hawaiian Dick, '76)
4-5 PM: Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung, PopGun) & Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram)
5-6 PM: Dean Haspiel (Billy Dogma), Michel Fiffe (Panorama), Michael Cavallaro (Parade with Fireworks)
6-7 PM: Mike Oeming & Bryan JL Glass (Mice Templar)
7-8 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon, Image Comics Publisher) & Jim Valentino (Vignettes, Shadowline President)

SATURDAY
10-11 AM: Mark Sable (Hazed, Fearless, Grounded) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area)
11 AM -12 PM: Gerry Duggan & Phil Noto (Infinite Horizon)
12 - 1 PM: Claudio Sanchez (The Amory Wars, Coheed & Cambria)
1 - 2 PM: Todd Dezago & Craig Rosseau (Perhapanauts)
2 - 3 PM: THE IMAGE COMICS SHOW! - ROOM: 1E16
2 - 3 PM: Rob G, Rick Spears (Repo), Vasilis Lolos
3-4 PM: Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants) & Salgood Sam (Sea of Red)
4-5 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces, Bakers: Babies & Kittens) & Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung)
5-6 PM: Harold Sipe & Hector Casanova (Screamland)
6-7 PM: Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon, Image Comics Publisher), Mike Oeming and Bryan JL Glass (Mice Templar)

SUNDAY
10 - 11 AM: Paul Maybury (Aqua Leung) & Jamie McKelvie (Suburban Glamour, Phonogram)
11 - 12 PM: Harold Sipe & Hector Casanova (Screamland)
12 - 1 PM: Jay Faerber, Yildiray Cinar, Mahmud Asar (Noble Causes, Dynamo 5)
1 - 2 PM: Kyle Baker (Special Forces, Bakers: Babies & Kittens), Fred Hembeck (Hembeck) & Mark Sable (Grounded, Hazed, Fearless)
2 - 3 PM: Jim Valentino (Vignettes, Shadowline President) & Glen Brunswick (Killing Girl, Gray Area)
3 - 4 PM: Todd Dezago and Craig Rosseau (Perhapanauts) & Gerry Duggan and Phil Noto (Infinite Horizon)4 - 5 PM: Erik Larsen (Image Comics Publisher, Savage Dragon) & Chris Burnham (Nixon's Pals)

Who reads Savage Dragon?  I used to really like the comic.  I like how Erik Larsen made a deal with himself to continue working on it without missing deadlines, etc.  He's really been serious about it.  That's great that he still cares about his creation.  I do have to admit that I haven't been reading it regularly.  There was a time that I really needed to cut back on the amount of comics I was buying with the constant increase in price.  Then after a while, I felt like I had missed too much to get back into it.  I don't like missing things.  If I miss the first few minutes of a movie, then I won't want to watch it.  Guess I need one of those "jumping on points" that are always popping up.  What I really need is more time to read all the good stuff out there. 

story, art, & cover ERIK LARSEN

32 PAGES, FC, $2.99

"ENTER: PRISM"
The Savage Dragon's quest to find his wife leads him to Seattle where he meets Prism and the Centurions. Dragon's tour of the Image
Universe continues.

This has a whole bunch of creators working on it.  Obviously that cover by Mike Allred immediately grabs my attention.  Man oh man, I just may have to pick it up.

                                                                                                POPGUN, VOL. 1 OGN

by MIKE ALLRED, DAVE CROSLAND, ERIK LARSEN, COREY LEWIS, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JIM MAHFOOD, KHARY RANDOLPH, JAMIE S. RICH and many more! Cover MIKE ALLRED

400 PAGES, FC, $29.99

Featuring the work an all-star line-up that includes MIKE ALLRED,
ERIK LARSEN, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JIM MAHFOOD and more, POPGUN acts as the ultimate graphic mix-tape by combining big name creators doing work fans never expected and an array of the industryís rising stars. The anthology crosses the protected borders of every genre,
fulfilling the desires of anyone hungry for the pungent taste of creativity.

MIKE ALLRED, CHUCK BB, MIKE BULLOCK, BENITO CERENO, DAVE CROSLAND, TOBY CYPRESS, BRANDON GRAHAM, SHEPHERD HENDRIX, JONATHAN HICKMAN, EVA HOPKINS, JOE KEATINGE, ERIK LARSEN, JASON LATOUR, COREY LEWIS, JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER, JIM MAHFOOD, DEREK McCULLOCH, CHRIS MORENO, MORITAT, KHARY RANDOLPH, RICK REMENDER, JAMIE S. RICH, MARK SABLE, TIM SEELEY, M. ZACHARY SHERMAN, MARK ANDREW SMITH, RICHARD STARKINGS, JAMES STOKOE, NICK STAKAL, DOUG WAGNER and more!