Dan Abnett, Tim Seeley and Greg Pak expand their reach with DC Entertainment!

Starting in February 2016, the ongoing creative teams for NEW SUICIDE SQUAD, AQUAMAN, and TEEN TITANS will feature some familiar faces from DC Comics’ lineup of writers and artists! Please welcome and congratulate Tim & Juan, Dan & Vicente, and Greg & Noel on their new projects! Kicking things off, NEW SUICIDE SQUAD #17 will be written by Tim Seeley (GRAYSON, BATMAN ETERNAL) and illustrated by Juan Ferreyra (GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT, BATMAN ETERNAL). These regular Gothamites visit the dark and unspeakably violent world of the Suicide Squad for a thrilling new storyline! We’re excited to see what they bring to the Squad!   Indentured super villain Harley Quinn has made covert contact with someone outside the walls of Belle Reve prison—and this mysterious savior has discovered the secrets of Amanda Waller and Task Force X.

Bestselling Line Expands with New Comic Series, Variant Covers and More!

DC Entertainment’s fan-favorite Bombshells designs take center stage in August with an all-new comic book series, the return of the popular variant cover theme, new statues from DC Collectibles, as well as new product offerings from Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Universe Online. The DC Comics Bombshells designs pay tribute to World War II vintage and historical depictions of classic characters. The Bombshells have become a sensation, and now fans can enjoy these wartime characters in new ways. DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS will join the Digital First comic line-up with a new ongoing series. Digital chapters will be available starting in July with the first print collection available August 12. Written by Marguerite Bennett and art by Marguerite Sauvage, DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1 introduces retro-bombshell versions of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl in an alternate reality where super-powered female heroes are on the front lines in WWII! The full line of Bombshells characters will be introduced as the story unfolds in the months ahead. "DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS is one of the wildest things I've ever had the pleasure to create--a story of the DC heroines, all the DC heroines, in a crisis that defines themselves as well as their generation," explains writer Marguerite Bennett. "I cannot possibly tell you how excited and grateful I am to be involved in a story this massive and inventive. The series will explore war stories, romances, mysteries, heists, action adventure, and horror in a way that only these characters could do--I cannot wait for this book to drop. Pun very much intended."

Jim Burns’ startling otherworldly visions have adorned the book covers of countless renowned SF authors, including George R R Martin, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Peter F Hamilton, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Silverberg, Joe Haldeman and many more. He also produced early concept ideas for movies such as Blade Runner. 

The Art of Jim Burns: Hyperluminal is a brand-new collection, spanning 40 years of his life. It contains a carefully chosen selection of his most iconic pieces and commentary from the man himself.

Coming From Titan Books, 26th September 2014, £24.99

The science fiction western series branded a hit

“Go buy this book.”  —Comic Book Resources “Copperhead is the best Image debut of the year and my favorite new comic.”  —Brian K. Vaughan Writer Jay Faerber (NEAR DEATH, DYNAMO 5), artist Scott Godlewski (Dracula: The Company of Monsters), colorist Ron Riley (NEAR DEATH, DYNAMO 5), and letterer/designer Thomas Mauer (UNDERTOW, UMBRAL) have won the hearts of readers with their new science fiction western series COPPERHEAD. Issue #1 has sold out completely and is being fast-tracked to a second printing to meet customer demand. "Scott, Ron, Thomas and I are blown away by the response Copperhead's gotten,” said Faerber. “We've been having a ton of fun in the mining town of Copperhead, and we're thrilled people are responding to it. The ride is just beginning!"

In COPPERHEAD #1 readers meet Clara Bronson, a single mother who takes the position as new sheriff in Copperhead, a small mining town on a distant planet. But while Clara might seem like an ordinary lady in all respects, she has one or two secrets she’s hiding… and secrets don’t last long in a small town like Copperhead.

Set in the 24th century and featuring Western archetypes through a sci-fi lens, COPPERHEAD is a fresh new series that Faerber described as “Deadwood meetsFirefly.” 

COPPERHEAD #1 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. It is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

Image Comics is pleased to announce that this first issue will be going back to print to meet customer demand. The second printing of COPPERHEAD #1 (Diamond Code AUG148041) will release on 10/8. 

COPPERHEAD #2 releases 10/8 as well and will be available for pre-order with Diamond Code JUN148095. 

This past Saturday, Dark Horse Comics, the premier independent publisher in the industry, took home an impressive number of awards at the twenty-seventh Harvey Awards ceremony.

The Harvey is one of the comic book industry’s oldest and most respected awards. Held annually at Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harvey Awards recognize outstanding achievements in over twenty categories. They are the only industry awards both nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.

Below is a list of Dark Horse’s wins.

Congratulations to all winners and nominees!

Best Colorist Dave Stewart, Hellboy: The Midnight Circus. Young Hellboy runs away from the BPRD, only to stumble upon a weird and fantastical circus and the few demons from Hell who inhabit it.

Best Anthology Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson. A three-time Eisner and Harvey Award winner, this legendary, premier anthology is back and here to stay!

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, by Vivek Tiwary. Also the 2014 Eisner Award winner for Best Reality-Based Work, The Fifth Beatle tells the untold true story of Brian Epstein, the visionary manager who discovered and guided the Beatles—from their gigs in a tiny cellar in Liverpool to unprecedented international stardom. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, The Fifth Beatle not only reveals an important, unsung chapter in the history of the Beatles—but it will inspire anyone who’s ever dared to believe in a dream.

Best Domestic Reprint Project

Special Award for Excellence in Presentation The Best of Comix Book: When Marvel Went Underground In 1974, Marvel publisher Stan Lee and underground pioneer Denis Kitchen collaborated on a series called Comix Book. Featuring underground comix by Joel Beck, Kim Deitch, Justin Green, Trina Robbins, Art Spiegelman (including the first national appearance of Maus), Skip Williamson, and S. Clay Wilson, this best-of collects them all!

Best Online Comics Work

October’s hardcover reproduces Charlie Adlard’s pencils for monumental story arc

Why this has piqued our interest. The Walking Dead is one of the strongest running franchises in comics and with All out War creators Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard changed the status quo of the series forever. To celebrate this Image are releasing a special Artist proof edition in October and from all signs it looks like a must have.

In October, fans of Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD will see the New York Times best-selling comic as never before with the publication of THE WALKING DEAD: ALL OUT WAR ARTIST PROOF EDITION. In this 248-page hardcover from Image Comics/Skybound, artist Charlie Adlard’s raw pencils for the twelve-issue arc are reproduced, uninked and unaltered from how they appear on his artboard. The ALL OUT WAR story arc marks a major turning point in THE WALKING DEAD, as Rick Grimes unites several communities to fight the villainous Negan and his “Saviors,” while around them the dead continue to roam. The future of the Survivors, Hilltop, and Kingdom communities depends precariously on Negan’s right-hand man, who has turned against him — and not everyone is going to see it through the war alive.

"I've always enjoyed books that show the ‘process,’ and All Out War certainly does that,” said Adlard. “Presenting the pencils as they are is an interesting thing, because they were done to show an inker what to do. So, at times, they are rough, fudged, incorrect...etc, but hopefully still provide an insight as to what goes into making a comic book.”

Adlard has penciled and inked more than one hundred issues of THE WALKING DEAD. Inker Stefano Gaudiano was brought onto the art team (which includes toner Cliff Rathburn and letterer Rus Wooten) at the start of the ALL OUT WAR story arc. 

“And just sometimes it's nice not to have a finished thing,” continued Adlard. “To be able to see the little bits of ‘magic’ occurring in the happy accidents of random pencil marks, which were never intended for anyone other than Stefano to see, where I wasn't caring that it would be seen by a wider audience, makes it all a little bit bolder.”

ALL OUT WAR has never before been collected in a single volume, and this edition presents the monumental story in a whole new way. THE WALKING DEAD: ALL OUT WAR ARTIST PROOF EDITION will be in comic book stores on October 1 and in bookstores on October 8. It is available for pre-order now.

October graphic novel sheds light on a small town’s darkness

Why this has piqued our interest; Nailbiter has been a great series to date, the story of the most infamous small town on the planet has been up there with the best of Image comics this year. We reviewed the first three issues and you can read them here 1, 2, 3. However if you are yet to delve into Buckaroo this trade may be the perfect place to start.

From the outside, Buckaroo, Oregon seems like a typical small town, but there’s something that makes it extraordinary. The setting of NAILBITER by Joshua Williamson (GHOSTED) and Mike Henderson (MASKS AND MOBSTERS), a new graphic novel coming in October from Image Comics is the hometown of sixteen of the world’s most heinous serial killers. Random chance? FBI profiler Eliot Carroll didn’t think so, and his investigations led him deep into Buckaroo’s secrets… where he disappeared without a trace. Now, Carroll’s best friend, army intelligence officer Nicholas Finch, has come to Buckaroo in search of him. The most obvious suspect is Edward “The Nailbiter” Warren — a psychopath acquitted of forty-five counts of first degree murder. Warren may be the key to finding Carroll — as well as the latest killer who has begun to menace Buckaroo.

“I’ve always wondered ‘why, and how?’ What happens in a person’s life that turns them into that kind of monster?” said writer Williamson of his interest in serial killers in an interview at Multiversity Comics. “Is it an event or are they born that way? It’s part of what we explore in the overall Nailbiter story.”

“[Nailbiter] really wended its way in directions we hadn’t predicted once sketches and designs started being kicked back and forth,” said artist Henderson of the creative process. “We both saw a twisting mystery though, rooted under the town of Buckaroo and affecting everyone in it in different (often horrible) ways.”

A mystery with the psychological horror of Hannibal and the surreal small-town claustrophobia of Twin Peaks, NAILBITER VOLUME 1: THERE WILL BE BLOOD will be in comic book stores on October 1 and in bookstores on October 14. It is specially priced at only $9.99 and available for pre-order now.

The third issue of the hit series sells out immediately, rushed to a second print

The third issue of Kyle Higgins (Batman, Nightwing), Alec Siegel (Captain America,Avengers), and Rod Reis’ (Justice League) all-new ongoing series C.O.W.L. has sold out and is slated for a second printing to meet customer demand. A runaway hit, C.O.W.L. has captivated superhero fans with its unique, moody tone and fresh spin on the superhero genre. Critics and leading industry professionals have embraced the new series enthusiastically and readers are hooked.

The Chicago Sun Times and IGN both praised the story for incorporating strikingly real issues for the characters and excellent character work. C.O.W.L. #3 explores the superheroes in depth and delves into Radia’s history, including her struggle to gain respect within and without the labor union. Meanwhile, Geoffrey uncovers more about C.O.W.L.’s dire plight and John’s investigation into the union takes a turn down a much darker path than anyone expected.

C.O.W.L. #3 has completely sold out at the distributor level, but may still be available in comic stores. It is currently available digitally on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, and on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

The second printing of C.O.W.L. #3 (Diamond Code JUN148316) will release on 8/27.

C.O.W.L. #4 (Diamond Code JUN140544) will hit stores on 8/27.

Early artwork from the new fantasy series by Zub and Cummings revealed

Writer Jim Zub (SKULLKICKERS, Samurai Jack), penciler Steve Cummings (Legends of the Dark Knight, Deadshot), and color artist John Rauch (INVINCIBLE) team up to create a rich and vibrant Tokyo in WAYWARD. However, this Tokyo just so happens to be filled with monsters of myth and legend laying in wait for one Rori Lane's arrival.

Rori’s a misfit teen who travels halfway across the world from Ireland to make a new home in Japan with her mother. From the get-go there are some cultural adjustments to be made and Rori feels like a fish out of water—but things take a turn for the weird when she begins glimpsing things, creatures, that no one else can see.
WAYWARD #1 arrives in stores on 8/27, and will be available for $3.50 with special variant covers by Alina Urusov (Birds of Prey), Jeff "Chamba" Cruz (Street Fighter), and Adam Warren (Empowered). The final order cutoff for retailers is 8/4.

Preview Art

Original graphic novel by Robbie Morrison and Charlie Adlard in September

Why this has Piqued our interest Charlie Adard has the ability to create some truly arresting art and from the previews shown here it looks like he will be creating a visual tale with a tonne of impact. The story itself will work within the context of World War 1 and if done well should be an interesting take on a rarely discussed area of the War.

“On a sunlit day in September 2013, 500 people attended a double funeral in the small alpine ski resort village of Peio, northern Italy. The bodies were those of two Austrian males, aged 17 and 18 years old. They weren’t, however, holiday-makers who had fallen victim to a tragic ski accident. Both had bullet-holes in their skulls and had been frozen in the snow and ice of the Presana glacier for almost 100 years. They were First World War soldiers who had fought in a relatively obscure part of that conflict, now known as the White War.” –From the introduction to WHITE DEATH

Image Comics is pleased to announce the September release of WHITE DEATH, a hardcover graphic novel by Robbie Morrison (2000 AD) and Charlie Adlard (THE WALKING DEAD). Set in the Trentino mountain range, WHITE DEATH follows Pietro Aquasanta, who, as a rifleman in the Italian army, returns to what was a realm of wonder adventure in his childhood during World War I, but has now become a sterile world of death and despair.

 “‘White Death’ is a slang term used to describe avalanches in French and Italian Alpine regions,” wrote Morrison in his introduction, “and in my head, the avalanche became a metaphor for war — a terrifying, irresistible force that remorselessly consumes and destroys everything in its path.”

Heightening the tone of isolation and destruction is Adlard’s art — smudged and scratchy black charcoal and white chalk on a stark gray background that depicts the horrors of trench warfare and hand-to-hand combat. WHITE DEATH pre-dates Adlard’s arrival on the comics phenomenon THE WALKING DEAD, but his work on it informed the direction of his career.“I could do my OWN thing,” Adlard wrote in his introduction. “This, to me at the time, was a revelation. I hadn't been aware very much of the concept of creator-owned comics and, yet, here I was, doing just that. White Death eventually formulated my world view and opinions on where I wanted my career to go after this.”

WHITE DEATH is a 104-page black-and-white hardcover graphic novel. It will be in comic book stores on September 3 and bookstores on September 16.

Preview Images

The second issue of Robert Kirkman’s hot new horror series
sells out immediately, goes to 2nd printing to meet demand

On track to match the worldwide success of THE WALKING DEAD, the second issue of Skybound/Image Comics’ OUTCAST BY ROBERT KIRKMAN & PAUL AZACETA has sold out completely and is slated for a second printing. The first new series written by Kirkman himself in years, this demonic possession-focused horror comic builds on the mystery and mounting terror in its second issue and has hooked fans of classic horror and the entertainment phenomenon THE WALKING DEAD. Robert Kirkman and Fox International Channels announced late last week that Cinemax has green lit the pilot for Outcast. More news regarding casting and production to follow in the upcoming weeks.

Still reeling from the revelations of issue #1, Kyle Barnes is faced with the implications of what he’s learned about demonic possession and the time during his childhood when his mother was possessed by evil. Kyle must put the pieces together and uncover the truth behind why he seems to attract darkness and demonic activity at every corner.

After the momentum-building, successful launch of OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #1, readers snapped up this second issue to unravel more of the mystery behind Kyle’s nature. The issue will go into a second printing in order to meet customer demand. For fans of digital editions, OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #2 remains available for purchase across all platforms, including the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) the official Image Comics iOS app, Comixology’s website (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play.

This second printing of OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #2 (Diamond Code JUN148240) will be available on 8/27.

OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #3 (Diamond Code JUN140563) will hit shelves on 8/27.

New hardcover edition collects first three volumes of acclaimed series

On Saturday, July 26 at San Diego Comic-Con, Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples announced to a packed audience at the SAGA panel the November release of SAGA: BOOK ONE, the first in a series of deluxe hardcover volumes of their award-winning and beloved Image Comics series. Collecting the first three paperback volumes of SAGA, the 500-page-plus BOOK ONE will feature brand-new cover art by Staples. It will be released on November 25, 2014.

As Vaughan and Staples revealed in their Comic-Con panel, the cover of each hardcover edition will feature the series’ main character, Hazel. BOOK ONE’s cover depicts Hazel breastfeeding as an infant.

"Saga is the story of Hazel, and each hardcover edition will feature her at a different stage of life in a new cover from co-creator Fiona Staples,” said writer Vaughan. “I have no idea how Staples will top this first one, which perfectly captures our heroine's first few months in the universe. But we're even more proud of what's under the cover, 500 pages of story and never-before-seen extras, including a weirdly detailed creator roundtable about how the team makes a complete issue of our comic, from daydreaming to shipping."

Vaughan’s and Staples’ announcement came the day after they received three Eisner Awards at the annual ceremony held during Comic-Con. SAGA received a Best Continuing Series Eisner, Vaughan received Best Writer, and Staples was awarded Best Painter/Multimedia Artist.

Telling the story of a family escaping an interplanetary war, SAGA is an ongoing comic book series, released monthly by Image Comics. It has won a Hugo Award, a British Fantasy Award, and multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards. All three volumes of SAGA have reached number one on the New York Times best sellers list, and volume one has been in the top ten for more than seventy weeks. SAGA's next issue, #22, will be in comic book stores on August 27. Three trade paperback collections are now available, and SAGA: VOLUME 4 will be in stores in December.

PRAISE FOR SAGA: “...a great, star-faring epic about space-crossed lovers in an interplanetary war, their baby, who has horns, and robots with televisions for heads. It is strange, sexy, funny, delightful, and probably un-filmable, certainly for grown ups, and on every page, new.” –John Hodgman “Vaughan’s witty dialogue is laced with universal commonalities—the sharp fingernails of babies, burping techniques, love—that ground the alien nature of the characters and heighten the sense that the war between planet and moon and the hatred between enemies is tragically pointless. Staples’s character designs are fantastic—even the weirdest aliens reveal human emotion—and her two-page spreads, whether of battle or of tree-grown rocket ships, are glorious.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Vaughan’s whip-snap dialogue is as smart, cutting, and well timed as ever, and his characters are both familiar enough to acclimate easily to and deep enough to stay interested in as their relationships bend, break, and mend. While Vaughan will be the star power that attracts readers, do-it-all artist Staples is going to be the one who really wows them. Her character designs dish out some of the best aliens around, the immersive world-crafting is lushly detailed and deeply thought through, and the spacious layouts keep the focus squarely on the personal element, despite the chaotic cosmos they inhabit. Add another winner to Vaughan’s stable of consistently epic, fresh, and endearing stories.” –Booklist (starred review)

“With each new issue, Vaughan and Staples top themselves in cinematic grandeur and intimate character development. By taking inspiration from issues faced by ordinary couples—dealing with ex-lovers, finding a babysitter, meeting the in-laws—Vaughan is able to keep the fantastic plot grounded in reality, creating characters that are instantly relatable, even though they have horns or wings.” –Oliver Sava, The A.V. Club

“There is literally nothing I can say that will convince you of how utterly tremendousSaga looks, courtesy of artist Fiona Staples, more than actually looking at it will. Every gonzo, insane concept writer Brian K. Vaughan comes up with, Staples manages to realize on page in a way that’s never been seen before, but seems somehow authentic. But it's her character work that’s most amazing; you could take out every single word balloon and caption and still know almost exactly what’s going on thanks to the pitch-perfect expressions on the characters' faces.” –Rob Bricken, io9.com

It was announced during Dark Horse’s “The Art of Video Games” panel at this year’s Comic Con International that Dark Horse would develop and manufacture a line of replicas based on the ships and vehicles which have appeared in the multi-million selling video game franchise, “Halo®!”

Furthering the arrangement between 343 Industries and Dark Horse, which has to date, produced two blockbuster comics series with canonical storylines written by writers from the video game franchise, this news is sure to excite gamers and collectors alike!

The product category was created in 2005 with the massively successful line of ships from Joss Whedon’s “Serenity,” which was soon followed by a popular line based on Bioware’s “Mass Effect” series, to great success and the unanimous approval of gamers, collectors, and comic fans!

“We are excited to be working with the team at 343 Industries,” Dark Horse product development head David Scroggy said. “We have already had some fruitful planning meetings. We are discovering we have a similar vision toward crafting a well thought-out program of ship and vehicle replicas that will resonate with the Halo community.”

“Dark Horse is already doing an amazing job bringing the Halo universe to life with us in the comics and we’re excited to partner with them in a brand new way to keep the surprises coming for fans,” said Kevin Grace, Halo Franchise Manager at 343 Industries.

While 343 Industries and Dark Horse are not yet ready to disclose which ships and vehicles will be included in the program, fans and retailers are encouraged to keep an eye on the news in the coming months for more information!

Artist Aaron Conley won the 2014 Russ Manning Newcomer Award at the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, held on Friday, July 25 at Comic-Con International. Conley is the artist The Sabretooth Swordsman, published by Dark Horse Comics. Former Manning Award recipient Jeff Smith (BONE) presented the award.

The Manning Award has been given out annually at the San Diego Comic-Con since 1982. It is presented to a comics artist who, early in his or her career, shows a superior knowledge and ability in the art of creating comics. It is named for Russ Manning, the artist best known for his work on the Tarzan and Star Wars newspaper strips and the Magnus, Robot Fighter comic book. Russ was a popular guest at the San Diego convention in the 1970s.

The first recipient of the award was former Manning assistant Dave Stevens. Other past recipients include Jan Duursema, Steve Rude, Scott McCloud, Art Adams, Eric Shanower, Dan Brereton, Jeff Smith, Gene Ha, Alexander Maleev, Goran Sudzuka, Eric Wight, David Petersen, Cathy Malkasian, Eleanor Davis, Marion Churchland, and Tyler Crook. For a complete list of Manning Award recipients, click here.

This past Friday, Dark Horse Comics, the number-one independent publisher in the industry, took home an impressive number of awards at this year’s Eisner Awards ceremony.

Below is a list of the company’s wins.

Congratulations to all winners and nominees!

Named for acclaimed comics creator Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards are in their twenty-sixth year of highlighting the best publications and creators in comics and graphic novels.

BEST PUBLICATION FOR EARLY READERS (UP TO AGE 7): Itty Bitty Hellboy, by Art Baltazar and Franco

BEST PUBLICATION FOR KIDS (AGES 8-12): Adventures of Superhero Girl, by Faith Erin Hicks

BEST ANTHOLOGY: Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson

BEST REALITY-BASED WORK: The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story, by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson, and Kyle Baker

BEST COLORING: Jordie Bellaire, The Manhattan Projects, Nowhere Men, Pretty Deadly, Zero (Image); The Massive (Dark Horse); Tom Strong (DC); X-Files Season 10 (IDW); Captain Marvel, Journey Into Mystery (Marvel); Numbercruncher (Titan); Quantum and Woody (Valiant)

The legendary horror movie series gets a new life with the home of creation and innovation

Action Lab Entertainment announced at their panel today at Comic Con International 2014 that they have secured the license to PUPPET MASTER,  bringing Blade, Jester and Tunneler back to the comics page.
The series will be written and edited by Shawn Gabborin (Fracture, Snowed In) with art by a roster of incredible talents hand picked by series creator Charles Band himself.

 Puppet Master is the story Andre Toulon, an elderly puppet maker who discovers an ancient Egyptian potion and uses it to bring his creations to life. At the height of World War II, Andre fled to America, pursued by Nazis.  In a last ditch effort to protect his secrets, the master packs the dolls away and takes his own life.  Years later a rogue psychic revives the dolls, leaving his associates to face off against the monstrous marionettes.  Decades (and a handful of "masters") later, the puppets are still raising hell in their own unique way.

The Puppet Master film series has enjoyed a worldwide cult following since1989 and spawned nine sequels including the most recent, Puppet Master X: Axis Rising.

Image Comics creators honored with awards, congratulates fellow creator-owned publishers for wins

Click heLast night’s Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2014 marked a clear victory for creator-owned comics in the industry with creator-owned work—published by Image Comics, as well as Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly, Vertigo, First Second, Cartoon Books, and Image Comics creators Scott Snyder, Jeff Smith, Matt Fraction, Paul Pope, and Sean Murphy for their projects with various other publishers—sweeping the awards. 

Image Comics was honored with four Eisner Awards: Best Colorist went to Jordie Bellaire (PRETTY DEADLY, NOWHERE MEN), Best Artist to Fiona Staples (SAGA), Best Writer to Brian K. Vaughan (SAGA), best new series was awarded to SEX CRIMINALS by Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky, and SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples took Best Continuing Series. 

Fellow comics publisher Fantagraphics took the Best Short Story (Untitled by Gilbert Hernandez), Best U.S. Edition of International Material (Goddam This War! by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Pierre Verney), Best Writer/Artist (Jaime Hernandez, Love and Rockets New Stories #6). In addition, Dark Horse won Best Publication for Kids, ages 8-12 (The Adventures of Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks). Collectively the wins denote the ever-growing importance and rising appreciation of creator-owned work.

“This year’s Eisner Awards only underscored the power and importance of creator-owned comics, and we couldn’t be prouder to be amongst this year’s winners,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “We work with some amazing men and women, and there’s nothing more gratifying than knowing others value their efforts just as much as we do.”

The Will Eisner Comic Industry awards are voted on by comics industry members and the awards ceremony is held in conjunction with San Diego Comic-Con International every year. This year Image Comics was honored with 17 nominations and four wins. re to edit.

Along with his award-winning ALEC saga, Eddie Campbell’s reputation as “the most natural storyteller in comics” is rooted in one other massive series: the mythical, masterful, wide-ranging yarn that is BACCHUS. You’ve been clamoring for years to see it re-released… and the time is now! The complete BACCHUS is now available, both from Top Shelf’s DRM-free digital store and from your favorite digital comics retailers. We’ve taken the ten canonical books of Bacchus and combined them into five hefty digital volumes, with new commentary from Eddie Campbell, yours to download for $7.99 each. Check it out on our digital deals page!