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Friday,
July 27 10:30-11:30, Room 6A.
Oh, yeah. It's in San Diego.
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Comic-Con
2007:
The Seven Soldiers of
Image Comics Reunite
Last
weekend Image Comics and TwoMorrows Publishing made a promise
of an event that no one could have predicted. Well, let's
let them tell it first:
The
original seven founding members of Image Comics will appear
together at Comicon International: San Diego on Friday,
July 27, from 10:30-11:30am in Room 6A,
at the "Image Founders Panel." The panel will
be hosted by George Khoury (author of TwoMorrows Publishing's
new book "Image Comics: The Road to Independence,"
available at www.twomorrows.com).
In
1992, seven artists shook the foundation of the comic book
industry when they left their top-selling Marvel Comic titles
to jointly form a new company named Image Comics. With no
certainty of success, they formed a home that would allow
themselves and other artists the opportunity to tell their
stories without any censorship or editorial restraints.
Even more importantly, Image would finally give creators
full ownership of their properties. In an industry that
began with artists working in sweatshop-like conditions,
Image remains a living beacon for any creator that dares
to dream.
Appearing
at the panel will be Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld,
Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim
Valentino. This will be the first time that the original
seven founding members of Image Comics have ever appeared
on a panel together.
One
part of that stuns me -- they've never been on a panel together?
Not even in the beginning? That's amazing. Originally, by
the way, this had been scheduled for a room seating 500,
but mysteriously, more people wanted to attend. So now it's
up to room 6A, which seats 1000. Stop scoffing, mom, 1000
people will want to hear comics people talk.
For
those unsure if they'll be able to attend, we've managed
to look into the future and brought back the highlights
of the event.
The
seven founders enter to thunderous applause as fans leap
to their feet. As they take their seats, six of the founders
turn to Whilce Portacio and ask who he is. He assures them
that, yes, he did co-found Image with them.
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"I
was there. I swear it."
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An incredulous
Jim Lee asks, "Really?" Once again, Portacio insists
that he had a role, and reminds Lee that he's currently
drawing Wetworks for Wildstorm. To which Lee asks,
"Really?"
When
asked to relive the high points of the old days, Rob Liefeld
admits that his greatest and saddest moment with Image was
the same one, the day that he decided to change the company's
name to Maximum Press.
Though
it hurt him to fire the other six co-founders, he knew that
the company had to keep growing. Later he gave them an olive
branch by allowing them to form a company of their own,
and that they could use the name Image for the new product
if they wanted.
Jim
Valention looks like he's about to protest, but Erik Larsen
holds him back and smiles that smile. You know the one.
At one
point, an audience member asks if Image turned out to be
everything they had hoped. In a low sonorous tone, Todd
McFarlane grumbles into the microphone, "Not really.
I'm tired of comics. I'm tired of toys. I'm tired of my
balls. What I really want to get into is real estate development."
He reaches
behind him for a portfolio. "These are my designs for
an innovative housing development I call 'Spawndominiums.'
I'm sure they'll be really popular, but then I'm going to
do the ones i really wanted to do all along. In those, your
living quarters are more of a feeling, a shadow, a hint
of some unease but that maybe you’ll get a good night’s
sleep, if only you could see it out of more than a corner
of your eye." He pauses, "They'll start in the
low 200s..."
Eventually,
talk turns to the future plans for these creators. Valentino
mentions that he's continually writing and drawing new books,
to which Lee asks, "Really?"
Lee
leans forward into his microphone and announces that he
is currently thinking about a panel that he will be drawing
for All-Star Batman and Robin #6, which was actually
scheduled to arrive in stores the previous Wednesday.
Leifeld
announces the imminent publication of the completely original,
not derivative at all, All-Star Ultimate Youngblood
Extreme Maximum, scheduled for release on December
22, 2012 with a script by sci fi great Cordwainer Bird,
pencils by Jack Kirby and inks by Jim Lee.
Until
now, Marc Silvestri has stayed pretty quiet. With great
solemnity, he announces that he will be joining the priesthood.
This announcement is later rescinded after someone informs
Mr. Silvestri that he will not actually be able to work
his way up the ladder into a secret organization that carries
guns and is attended by a cloister of nuns with wimples,
g-strings, and ginormous breasts.
Erik
Larsen just shrugs and says, "the future holds more
great comics." Then he smiles that smile. You know
the one.
Erik,
call us.
Buy
Image Comics: The Road To Independence at Amazon.com!
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