Image Comics

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher. It was initially founded in 1992 by seven of Marvel Comics’ best-selling artists. It has served as a sanctuary where creators could publish their works without giving up the copyrights to their creator-owned intellectual properties. Along with Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, Image Comics is one of the four largest comic book publishers in America.

Image’s best-known series include Spawn, The Darkness, Witchblade, The Walking Dead, Pitt, The Savage Dragon, Shadowhawk, Youngblood, Supreme, Wild C.A.T.s, Gen, Wetworks, Cyberforce, Invincible, and the third volume of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

In the early 1990s, several of Marvel Comics illustrators grew progressively more and more irritated that the work they had created was being merchandised. And while working as freelancers they were getting only page rates for their labor and meek royalties. In December 1991, a group of these illustrators approached the Marvel president (Terry Stewart) and demanded outright that the company give them creative control and ownership over their work. Needless to say, Marvel did not meet their demands.

The founders of Image Comics include seven artists: Erik Larsen (known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man), Jim Lee (X-Men), Rob Liefeld (X-Force), Todd McFarlane (Spider-Man), Whilce Portacio (Uncanny X-Men)., Marc Silvestri (Wolverine), and Jim Valentino (Guardians of the Galaxy). Of those seven founders, only six opted to become full partners: Larsen, Lee, Liefeld, McFarlane, Silvestri, and Valentino. There are currently only five partners in Image Comics: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino.

These founders created Image Comics under two provisions. 1: Image does not own a creator's work; the creator does. 2: No Image partner would ever interfere, creatively or financially, with any other's work.

Image itself owns almost no intellectual property except the company trademarks: its name and its logo. In light of the second rule, each Image partner headed his own studio. These studios all published under the Image banner, but each was autonomous from any central editorial control. Because Poracio opted out of becoming a full partner in the company, Image was founded with six separate studios.

• Wildstorm Productions, owned by Jim Lee
• ShadowLine, owned by Jim Valentino
• Extreme Studios, owned by Rob Liefeld
• Top Cow Productions, owned by Marc Silvestri
• Highbrow Entertainment, owned by Erik Larsen
• Todd McFarlane Productions, owned by Todd McFarlane