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News Archives: February 2009
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IMAGE COMICS BRINGS IT HOME THIS WONDERCON WEEKEND!
Image Comics announces plans for their hometown show, including the greatest comic book cover of all time!
This weekend thousands of comic fans will flood San Francisco's Moscone Hall for WonderCon 2009 to meet their favorite creators and the publisher who brings it better than any other, the Bay Area's very own Image Comics!
"It’s always fun to travel to conventions, but nothing beats the hometown show," Image Comics Founder and Illustrator of the WonderCon Exclusive SAVAGE DRAGON #145 Erik Larsen said. "It may not be the biggest, but it’s certainly one of the best! Plus, it’s a particularly important con for me as this week marks the big relaunch of SAVAGE DRAGON! I’m excited to hear what the fans have to say about the big issue!”
Throughout the weekend Larsen along with VIKING's Ivan Brandon, ELEPHANTMEN's Richard Starkings & Moritat, DARKNESS' Michael Broussard and Top Cow Productions Publisher Filip Sablik and will be available at the Image Comics booth signing autographs and selling exclusive items! However, the convention doesn’t truly begin until Friday’s Image Comics Show at 3-4 PM in room 103 featuring Larsen, Starkings, THE GREAT UNKNOWN’s Duncan Rouleau and Champions Online writer John Layman with the first word on an all-new project! In addition, the already much coveted SAVAGE DRAGON #145 variant featuring President Barack Obama taking on Osama Bin Laden will be available starting Friday for a very limited amount of time with a select few fans randomly winning a copy during the Friday panel. If that’s not enough GODLAND’s Joe Casey, PHERONE’s Viktor Kalvachev, NEW BRIGHTON ARCHELOGICAL SOCIETY’s Mark Andrew Smith and many more will stop by the booth!
Image Comics can be found at booth #407 during Wondercon, February 27 - March 1st 2009, taking place in the San Francisco Moscone Center.
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ROB LIEFELD'S RETURN TO YOUNGBLOOD INSTANTANEOUSLY SELLS OUT!
Liefeld's return to YOUNGBLOOD sells out in less than twelve hours!
Rob Liefeld's return to YOUNGBLOOD with President Barack Obama exploded with a nearly instantaneous sell-out despite a very significant over print.
"WOW! It's very exciting and a great honor to come back and the result be an instant sell out for the book! I'd also like to thank President Obama for picking such a great new line up for YOUNGBLOOD, obviously he has the magic touch," said Liefeld. "That said, YOUNGBLOOD #8 is just the prelude to a much larger story. If you liked it, you're going to be blown away by the next issue in May. Given YOUNGBLOOD's status as a government sanctioned superteam, you can bet on our nation's newest President being involved from the very beginning!"
The YOUNGBLOOD appearance by President Obama marks the very beginning of Liefeld's return to his seminal creation. Starting in May, Rob will return to the book in full force, full time as he takes over the writing and illustrating duties to present a whole new direction for the team. This news comes on the heels of mega-director Brett Ratner (X-MEN 3, RUSH HOUR) announcing he'll be taking the reins of the upcoming YOUNGBLOOD feature film.
YOUNGBLOOD #8 2nd Printing, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in-stores March 11th, 2009.
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ERIK LARSEN CREATES THE GREATEST COMIC BOOK COVER OF ALL TIME FOR WONDERCON'S EXCLUSIVE SAVAGE DRAGON #145!
Wondercon exclusive SAVAGE DRAGON #145 variant may be the best cover ever illustrated!
Fans attending this year's WonderCon are in for a treat as the convention will exclusively feature the greatest comic book cover of all time, SAVAGE DRAGON #145!
"I had no idea what I was getting into, but the moment I finished the cover I told myself: 'Erik, you just created the greatest comic book cover of all time' and it turns out I was totally right," Erik Larsen said. "Lets face it, President Barack Obama punching out Osama Bin Laden with a huge American flag in one hand while Savage Dragon frees Lady Liberty from a Weapon of Mass Destruction is as good as it's ever going to get."
Despite Larsen's humble nature, the WonderCon variant will no doubt be the greatest comic book cover ever printed, due in no short order to our nation's 44th President kicking the ass of his greatest nemesis. The cover's status is augmented by the fact a very limited run of 1000 will be made available and never reprinted. Fans wishing to purchase a copy can only do so by attending San Francisco's WonderCon.
The SAVAGE DRAGON #145 WonderCon Exclusive will only be available at the Image Comics booth at WonderCon, February 27th, 28th and March 1st.
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THE NEW ERA OF YOUNGBLOOD BEGINS TOMORROW COURTESY OF SERIES CREATOR ROB LIEFELD AND PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!
The future of Youngblood starts now as Rob Liefeld returns!
The bold new era of YOUNGBLOOD begins tomorrow as series creator Rob Liefeld takes the reins and reveals President Barack Obama's shocking lineup of the long-running superhero team!
"Since YOUNGBLOOD's very first issue back in 1992, the series has always had a real world, political connection by taking on such issues as the first Iraq war and really exploring just what it would mean to be a government sanctioned superteam," Liefeld said. "Bringing Obama into the picture is a necessary extension of YOUNGBLOOD's history and I couldn't imagine a better way to start my full-time return to the series."
YOUNGBLOOD began the Image revolution in early 1992 and was the first creator-owned comic book to sell over a million copies right out of the gate by bringing a whole new perspective to what superhero comics were capable of. Rob's creations took the medium by storm by influencing an entire generation of creators and, most recently, Brett Ratner as the famed director behind such blockbuster films as Rush Hour and X3 announced he will be taking the property to new heights by kick-starting the YOUNGBLOOD film franchise. Tomorrow's issue not only features a six-page back up story setting up Rob Liefeld's full-time return to the series with May's YOUNGBLOOD #9, but also an already much coveted variant cover featuring our nation's 44th President.
YOUNGBLOOD #8, a 32-page full color comic book for $2.99, will be in-stores tomorrow.
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PRESIDENT OBAMA COMES TO COMICS WITH THIS WEEK'S YOUNGBLOOD #8 AND SAVAGE DRAGON #145!
YOUNGBLOOD #8 and SAVAGE DRAGON #145 are in stores THIS week!
The future of the Image universe is the in the hands of the leader of the free world, President Barack Obama, as this week sees the release of both YOUNGBLOOD #8 and SAVAGE DRAGON #145!
YOUNGBLOOD #8: One era of Youngblood comes to an end as another begins with President Obama choosing the all-new team's lineup! The future of Youngblood will never be the same in this prelude to Rob Liefeld's full return to this series this May!
SAVAGE DRAGON #145: The much anticipated relaunch of Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon is finally here as Dragon makes his return to the Chicago Police Department with Chicago's other favorite adopted son, our nation's 44th President, is there to welcome him!
YOUNGBLOOD #8 and SAVAGE DRAGON #145, both 32-page full-color comic books for $3.50, are in stores February 25th.
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EVERYONE ON EARTH MUST OWN I KILL GIANTS THIS MAY!
Image Comics releases the trade paperback everyone who breathes oxygen needs to buy this May: Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura's I KILL GIANTS!
This May, Image Comics releases Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura's complete I KILL GIANTS trade paperback while declaring everyone on the planet Earth should buy it since it's so damn good.
"I'm really flattered Image would make that kind of claim, so much so Ken and I are humbled beyond words and hope people like it as much as Image thinks they will," Kelly said. "Ken certainly did a phenomenal job with the art and I like to think it's pretty good as a whole. Then again, there's a lot of people on Earth. Maybe only half the population should buy the collection and recommend it to friends if they think it'll appeal to them. That's still a lot of people. At least three billion."
I KILL GIANTS tells the heart-wrenching story of Barbara Thorson, a girl whose own family can't tell if she's insane or actually the giant slayer she claims to be. During its seven issue run, fans were won over by Joe Kelly's impeccable storytelling and JM Ken Niimura's charming visuals, creating what the publisher believes will be one of the shining stars in its strong line of perennial collections for several centuries to come.
Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson said, "While Image prides itself on its entire line of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, we feel I KILL GIANTS is a title all six billion people on Earth will enjoy, whether they're already comics fans or not. I'm personally buying six copies to hand out to various friends and family members – and I get them for free!"
I KILL GIANTS (MAR092427), a 184-page black and white tradepaperback for $15.99, will be in stores May 13th, 2009.
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KIRKMAN TEASER #9: CONQUEST CANNOT BE STOPPED!
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KIRKMAN TEASER #8: FIND THE TRUTH!
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KIRKMAN TEASER #7: GROWN UP!
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IMAGE COMICS PRINTS PLENTY FOR THE BEST JUMPING ON POINT EVER, NEXT WEEK'S SAVAGE DRAGON #145!
Plenty of copies will be available for next week's highly anticipated release!
Next week Image Comics releases SAVAGE DRAGON #145, the ultimate jumping on point for Image's second longest-running series, featuring Dragon's return to the Chicago police force and a special appearance by President Barack Obama, with more than enough copies printed to meet demand.
"A lot of people have been milking the reprint game for all it's worth by keeping their print runs tight in order to guarantee a sellout and I'd rather not engage in such tomfoolery. I want people read my comic instead of chasing after elusive back issues on eBay," Erik Larsen said. "While we've gone through multiple printings on SAVAGE DRAGON #137, which featured the first cover appearance of Barack Obama back when he was a candidate, we've now printed more than double our expectations for sell through in order to ensure there are plenty of copies to go around. This relaunch has been years in the making and it'd be a darned shame if anyone was unable to try out the series. New fans, lapsed fans and everyone in-between can pick this issue up to jump on board the series. With an appearance by President Barack Obama – it's the patriotic thing to do!"
SAVAGE DRAGON #145 has gained the media spotlight for the last several months with sources like The New York Times, NBC News, The Chicago Tribune, MTV, USAToday and even Fox News covering the issue's bold new beginning and the nation's 44th President welcoming back Chicago's other beloved adopted son to their police force. Given the anticipation for the issue, initial orders have broken records for the series in the last several years and instead of keeping the print run conservative, Image Comics has printed more than is necessary to make sure everyone has an opportunity to grab a copy.
SAVAGE DRAGON #145 (OBAMA COVER: DEC082233, OFFICER DRAGON COVER: DEC082232), a full color 32-page comic book for $3.50, will be in stores February 25th, 2009.
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SHADOWLINE'S NEW CRIME SERIES OVERLOOK PROMISES TO ROB, KILL AND MAIM THIS APRIL!
Shadowline's April debuting three-issue mini-series brings hard-boiled crime just the way you like it!
Image Comics' Shadowline makes sure crime fans of comics like SIN CITY and CRIMINAL have it good this April as writer Joshua Williamson and artist Alejandro Aragon introduce them to the hard-boiled noir of OVERLOOK!
"OVERLOOK takes everything I love about crime novels, movies and comics and distills them into three issues of some of the most brutal comics I've ever written," Williamson said. "Even better, Alejandro completely mastered conveying OVERLOOK's beautifully twisted noir with only his brush to help him. I cannot believe some of the things we're getting away with in this book. My fellow crime fans will be most pleased."
In the town of OVERLOOK, a dirty prize-fighter by the name of Mickey "The Nickel" Nicholson will do anything for a buck. Mickey is hired by one of OVERLOOK's most notorious mobsters to infiltrate an underground boxing outfit and find a massive stash of stolen "rainy day" money and kill the wayward wife responsible. In return, a target of Mickey's choice will be assassinated by the mobster, no strings attached. It's the deal of the century, but like any deal in OVERLOOK, there's much more than you could ever bargain for.
OVERLOOK #1 (FEB092436), a 32-page black and white three issue mini-series for $3.50, will be in stores April 8th.
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KIRKMAN TEASER #6: TRACK
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KIRKMAN TEASER #4: THE INVINCIBLE WAR WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING!
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KIRKMAN TEASER #3: TODD MCFARLANE IS BACK!
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BRETT RATNER BRINGS ROB LIEFELD'S YOUNGBLOOD TO THE BIG SCREEN!
Rush Hour director puts YOUNGBLOOD movie on the fast track to becoming a feature film!
This past Monday Variety announced Rob Liefeld's seminal superhero hit, YOUNGBLOOD, is on the fast track to the big screen courtesy of Rush Hour director Brett Ratner!
"Ratner is an A-list director whose blockbuster movies explode on the top box office charts and, more importantly, relates over the top action to the masses in ways no other director can - in other words, he's the perfect director for YOUNGBLOOD," Liefeld said. "It's taken me nearly twenty years to find a director completely in synch with everything a YOUNGBLOOD movie would require and it was definitely worth the wait. I don't doubt YOUNGBLOOD will evolve superhero movies in ways no one will ever see coming!"
YOUNGBLOOD launched Image Comics in 1992 and instantaneously created the creator-owned revolution with it's genre-smashing storylines and explosive artwork. The original series, now collected in YOUNGBLOOD VOL. 1 HC, presented a superteam like none other at the time, featuring superheroes as celebrities who had more in common with pop stars, actors and product endorsing athletes. Until now the team has never transitioned to film, but they're currently targeted to do so by 2012, the twentieth anniversary of YOUNGBLOOD and the formation of Image Comics.
YOUNGBLOOD VOL. 1 HC, a 152-page full-color hardcover for $34.99, is available now!
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KIRKMAN TEASER #2: ENDGAME
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IMAGE COMICS ESCAPES TO NEW YORK!
Image Comics announces their plans for New York Comic Con 2009!
Image Comics will be returning to the New York Comic Con, February 6th to 7th, at booth #1403 and promises their biggest appearance in the Big Apple with exclusives, announcements and their largest roster of creators yet!
Throughout the convention the Image Comics booth will be home to signings galore, a convention exclusive cover of the superhero debut JERSEY GODS and an array of creators including Rob Liefeld (YOUNGBLOOD), Whilce Portacio (SPAWN), Frank Cho (LIBERTY MEADOWS), Richard Starkings (ELEPHANTMEN), Glen Brunswick (JERSEY GODS), Josh Williamson (JOHNNY MONSTER) and Vinny Navarette (DEAR DRACULA).
Special events will include Thursday's Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Welcome Party co-sponsored by Image Comics and Dark Horse, Saturday's Apes & Babes: The Frank Cho Spotlight & the iFanboy/ROLFThing/1Up/PopGun Meet-Up Party and Friday's The Image Comics Show: Breaking Into Comics on Friday, February 5th featuring Liefeld, Portacio, Joe Kelly (I KILL GIANTS), Steve Seagle (SOUL KISS) and Joseph Michael Linsner (DAWN, DARK IVORY) discussing the road they've taken to get to where they are now and where they're going from here! The Image Comics Show will also be the epicenter of announcements from Image Comics, including the big secret behind Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane's HAUNT!
Image Comics can be found at booth #1403 during the New York Comic Con, February 6-9th, 2009.
IMAGE COMICS NEW YORK COMIC CON 2009
COMPLETE SCHEDULE
SPECIAL EVENTS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th
IMAGE COMICS AND DARK HORSE PRESENT THE COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND WELCOME PARTY!
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Side Bar
120 E. 15th Street (Near Union Square)
Enjoy drinks, free sliders for early arrivals, and door prizes! Admission will be $5 and up for CBLDF members, $10 and up for non-members. Attending artists will include: Colleen Doran, David Mack, Rantz Hoseley, Dean Haspiel, Mike Cavallero, Nikki Cook, Mahmud Asrar, Brahm Revel and many more!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th
NEW YORK COMIC CON MEETUP
Hosted by iFanboy, ROFLThing, 1UP and Popgun
7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m
Stitch Bar & Lounge
247 West 37th Street (Between 7th and 8th Avenue)
Revision3’s weekly comic book show iFanboy, ROFLThing, 1UP and Image Comics' Harvey award-winning anthology Popgun invite you mix and mingle with fellow fans, internet celebrities and many of your favorite Image creators including Scott Kurtz (PVP), Jay Faerber (DYNAMO 5), Rantz Hoseley (COMIC BOOK TATTOO) and many, many more.
PANELS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6th
IMAGE COMICS SHOW: BREAKING INTO COMICS
6:00 - 7:00 PM – Room 1A06
It's the dream of nearly every comics' fan to break into the industry, but to most the task seems all too impossible! Sit down with some of your favorite Image Comics creators including Rob Liefeld (YOUNGBLOOD), Whilce Portacio (SPAWN), Joseph Michael Linsner (DAWN, DARK IVORY), Steve Seagle (SOUL KISS) and JOE KELLY (I KILL GIANTS) as they take a look at the road that turned them into superstars and what the future holds! Features announcements to rock the world of comics for the next year, including the secret behind Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman's HAUNT!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th
APES & BABES: THE FRANK CHO SPOTLIGHT!
5:30-6:30 PM – Room 1A06
NYCC Special Guest Frank Cho, one of comics most celebrated comic book artists of the last decade, presents an unprecedented live retrospective on his entire career: from making his name on the Image Comics hit, LIBERTY MEADOWS, to taking superhero fandom by storm with SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL MIGHTY AVENGERS and the upcoming NEW ULTIMATES. Featuring rare art from April's APES & BABES: THE ART OF FRANK CHO BOOK ONE, published by Image Comics!
SIGNINGS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6th
1:00 - 2:00 PM: Jay Faerber (DYNAMO 5)
2:00 - 3:00 PM: COMIC BOOK TATTOO featuring Eric Canete, Jon Tsuei, Ryan Kelly, Colleen Doran, Ming Doyle, Mark Sable, Andre Szymanowicz, Elizabeth Genco, Ivan Brandon, Nikki Cook and Neil Kleid
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Jamie McKelvie & Kieron Gillen (PHONOGRAM)
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Ryan Bodeheim (RED MASS FOR MARS) & Harold Sipe (SCREAMLAND)
5:00 - 6:00 PM: Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Sara Bechko (HEATHENTOWN)
6:00 - 7:00 PM: Jamie McKelvie & Kieron Gillen (PHONOGRAM)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7th
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Sara Bechko (HEATHENTOWN)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Jay Faerber (DYNAMO 5) & Yildiray Cinar (NOBLE CAUSES)
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Ryan Bodeheim (RED MASS FOR MARS) & Harold Sipe (SCREAMLAND)
1:00 - 2:00 PM: Joe Kelly (BAD DOG, I KILL GIANTS), J.M Ken Niimura (I KILL GIANTS), Steve Seagle (SOUL KISS)
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Joseph Michael Linsner (DAWN) & Eva Hopkins (DARK IVORY)
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Joseph Weissman & Seth Lapeck (LILLIM)
4:00 - 5:00 PM: COMIC BOOK TATTOO featuring G. Willow Wilson, Eric Canete, Jon Tsuei, Ryan Kelly, Colleen Doran, Ming Doyle, Mark Sable, Mike May, Elizabeth Genco, Jonathan Hickman, Adisakdi Tantimedh, Derek McCulloch and Kelly Sue DeConnick
5:00 - 6:00 PM: Jamie McKelvie & Kieron Gillen (PHONOGRAM)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8th
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Jamie McKelvie & Kieron Gillen (PHONOGRAM)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: COMIC BOOK TATTOO featuring Eric Canete, Jon Tsuei, Colleen Doranm Sonia Leongm Emma Vicellim Mark Sablem Elizabeth Genco Andre Szymanowicz and Neil Kleid
12:00 - 1:00 PM: Joe Kelly (I KILL GIANTS), J.M. Ken Niimura (I KILL GIANTS), Steve Seagle (SOUL KISS)
1:00 - 2:00 PM: Joseph Michael Linsner (DAWN) & Eva Hopkins (DARK IVORY)
2:00 - 3:00 PM: Ryan Bodeheim (A RED MASS FOR MARS) & Harold Sipe (SCREAMLAND)
3:00 - 4:00 PM: Jay Faerber & Mahmud Asar (DYNAMO 5)
4:00 - 5:00 PM: Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Sara Bechko (HEATHENTOWN)
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KIRKMAN TEASER #1: STALK
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THE NEW YORK COMIC CON SPOTLIGHTS THE APES AND BABES OF LIBERTY MEADOWS CREATOR FRANK CHO!
New York Comic Con Special Guest Frank Cho to be subject of a live interview and retrospective for a one-time-only event!
LIBERTY MEADOWS creator and NEW ULTIMATES illustrator Frank Cho will be the subject of a live interview and retrospective of his entire career at The New York Comic Con during the APES & BABES: THE FRANK CHO SPOTLIGHT, Saturday, February 7th at 5:30 PM in Room 1A06.
"This panel will be everything about me you were ever afraid to ask," Frank Cho said. "From my college strips to getting LIBERTY MEADOWS picked up at Image all the way up to working on ULTIMATES 4 to everything in between, if you love my stuff - and I know you do - you gotta come on over!"
APES & BABES: THE FRANK CHO SPOTLIGHT presents an unprecedented live retrospective on one of comics most celebrated comic book artists of the last decade. From the days making his name on the Image Comics hit, LIBERTY MEADOWS, to taking superhero fandom by storm with SHANNA THE SHE-DEVIL MIGHTY AVENGERS and the upcoming NEW ULTIMATES. The panel will also feature previews and rare art from April's APES & BABES: THE ART OF FRANK CHO BOOK ONE HC and the first word on all-new LIBERTY MEADOWS!
APES & BABES: THE FRANK CHO SPOTLIGHT will take place Saturday, February 7th at 5:30 PM in Room 1A06. Additionally, APES & BABES: BOOK ONE HC (FEB092387), a 144-page full-color hardcover for $29.99, will be in stores April, 22nd 2009.
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