History Creator / Image

[[quoteright:128:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image-comics-logo_4682.jpg]]
Image is a comic book company founded in 1992 by seven famous artists from Creator/MarvelComics after a dispute over creator's rights. Their goal was to publish "creator-owned" comic books not controlled by a central editor, and it consisted of six studios (one person decided not to be a full partner) that would be completely autonomous from each other.

The original titles were:
* Todd [=McFarlane=]'s ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}''
* Erik Larsen's ''[[TheSavageDragon Savage Dragon]]''
* Jim Lee's ''[[WildCATS [=WildC.A.T.s.=]]]''
* RobLiefeld's ''{{Youngblood}}'' and ''{{Brigade}}''
* Marc Silvestri's ''{{Cyberforce}}''
* Jim Valentino's ''{{Shadowhawk}}''
* Whilce Portacio's ''{{Wetworks}}'' (which actually got delayed until 1994)

Image eventually became famous for publishing NinetiesAntiHero books, very far towards the cynical end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, and for a bad case of non-webcomic ScheduleSlip, sometimes delivering issues as much as nine months late. Also, none of the partners had any business experience. Still, while the NinetiesAntiHero fad lasted, the Image titles were a massive success, but now they mostly look like DarkAge disasters with an excess of sex and violence and somewhat... questionable art.

At first success was so intense that series were added, either ex-novo (like Sam Keith's ''ComicBook/TheMaxx'', Dale Keown's ''Pitt'', Nick Manabat's ''Cybernary'') or being "filiated" from the original ones like ''Codename: Strykeforce'' (from ''Cyberforce''), ''Freak Force'' (from ''Savage Dragon''), ''Deathblow'' and ''Team 7'' (from Jim Lee's ''[=WildC.A.T.s.=]'' universe), and ''Glory'' and ''{{Supreme}}'' (from ''Youngblood''), but soon after things began to fall apart.

Image eventually lost two founders: Rob Liefeld was fired, and Jim Lee sold his {{Wildstorm}} Studios to DCComics after leaving Image[[hottip:*:There was even a CrisisCrossover, ''Shattered Image'', devoted to writing Wildstorm's titles out of the Image universe, and vice versa.]]. Over the years, Image started GrowingTheBeard: they got a central editor to help control the schedule, and the quality of the art and maturity of the storylines started looking up somewhat. They also hired some other writers and with this they got some more diversity, with titles like Jeff Smith's ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'', Creator/KurtBusiek's ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' and Robert Kirkman's ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. Kirkman has recently been bumped up to the equivalent of founder status, replacing Jim Lee. ''Spawn'' and ''Savage Dragon'' are also still published, and are better-regarded than in their heyday, whilst Image is giving a chance to many writers whose ideas would never be published by the "Big Two". Still, Image is very much remembered for its gritty [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] series. Their main competitor nowadays is Creator/DarkHorseComics rather than Marvel and DC, as both companies tend to release similar off-the-cuff, independent works.
----
!!Comics published by Image:
[[index]]
* ''NineteenSixtyThree''
* ''ComicBook/{{Ant}}''
* ''TheAstoundingWolfMan''
* ''ComicBook/AstroCity''
* ''ComicBook/BattleChasers''
* ''ComicBook/BattlePope''
* ''BlackCherry''
* ''BombQueen''
* ''ComicBook/CarbonGrey''
* ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}''
* ''{{Chassis}}''
* ''{{Chew}}''
* ''CommonGrounds''
* ''CreatureTech''
* ''ComicBook/TheDarkness''
* ''ComicBook/DestroyerDuck''
* ''DeathMate'' (crossover with Valiant)
* ''ComicBook/{{Drain}}''
* ''{{Dynamo 5}}''
* ''{{Fell}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Elephantmen}}''
* ''ComicBook/FallOutToyWorks''
* ''Comicbook/{{Fatale}}''
* ''{{Firebreather}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Gear}}''
* ''{{Gen 13}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Girls}}''
* ''ComicBook/GladstonesSchoolForWorldConquerors''
* ''ComicBook/HackSlash''
* ''{{Halcyon}}''
* ''{{Haunt}}''
* ''IKillGiants''
* ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''
* ''ComicBook/JackStaff''
* ''ComicStrip/LibertyMeadows''
* ''Comicbook/{{Madman}}''
* ''{{MageTheHeroDiscovered}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheMaxx''
* ''MegatonMan''
* ''ComicBook/MidnightNation''
* ''ComicBook/MorningGlories''
* ''NobleCauses''
* ''ComicBook/{{North40}}''
* ''ComicBook/OrcStain''
* ''ComicBook/{{The Perhapanauts}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Phonogram}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Powers}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Prophet}}''
* ''ComicBook/RisingStars''
* ''ComicBook/{{Saga}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheSavageDragon''
* ''{{Screamland}}''
* ''ScudTheDisposableAssassin''
* ''ShadowHawk''
* ''Webcomic/{{Skullkickers}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheStrangeTalentOfLutherStrode''
* ''ComicBook/SuperDinosaur''
* ''{{Supreme}}''
* ''TheSword''
* ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheBullyPulpit''
* ''[[Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (Vol. 3)
* ''Comicbook/TheWalkingDead''
* ''Comicbook/{{Wanted}}''
* ''WildCATS''
* ''WildGuard''
* ''Comicbook/{{Witchblade}}''
* ''ComicBook/WynonnaEarp''
* ''{{Youngblood}}''
* ''YoungbloodJudgmentDay''
[[/index]]
----

* ''{{Powers}}''

* ''AstroCity''

Image eventually lost two founders: Rob Liefeld was fired, and Jim Lee sold his {{Wildstorm}} Studios to DCComics after leaving Image[[hottip:*:There was even a CrisisCrossover, ''Shattered Image'', devoted to writing Wildstorm's titles out of the Image universe, and vice versa.]]. Over the years, Image started GrowingTheBeard: they got a central editor to help control the schedule, and the quality of the art and maturity of the storylines started looking up somewhat. They also hired some other writers and with this they got some more diversity, with titles like Jeff Smith's ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'', Creator/KurtBusiek's ''AstroCity'' and Robert Kirkman's ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. Kirkman has recently been bumped up to the equivalent of founder status, replacing Jim Lee. ''Spawn'' and ''Savage Dragon'' are also still published, and are better-regarded than in their heyday, whilst Image is giving a chance to many writers whose ideas would never be published by the "Big Two". Still, Image is very much remembered for its gritty [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] series. Their main competitor nowadays is Creator/DarkHorseComics rather than Marvel and DC, as both companies tend to release similar off-the-cuff, independent works.

[[quoteright:128:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image-comics-logo_4682.jpg]]
Image is a comic book company founded in 1992 by seven famous artists from Creator/MarvelComics after a dispute over creator's rights. Their goal was to publish "creator-owned" comic books not controlled by a central editor, and it consisted of six studios (one person decided not to be a full partner) that would be completely autonomous from each other.

The original titles were:
* Todd [=McFarlane=]'s ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}''
* Erik Larsen's ''[[TheSavageDragon Savage Dragon]]''
* Jim Lee's ''[[WildCATS [=WildC.A.T.s.=]]]''
* RobLiefeld's ''{{Youngblood}}'' and ''{{Brigade}}''
* Marc Silvestri's ''{{Cyberforce}}''
* Jim Valentino's ''{{Shadowhawk}}''
* Whilce Portacio's ''{{Wetworks}}'' (which actually got delayed until 1994)

Image eventually became famous for publishing NinetiesAntiHero books, very far towards the cynical end of the SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism, and for a bad case of non-webcomic ScheduleSlip, sometimes delivering issues as much as nine months late. Also, none of the partners had any business experience. Still, while the NinetiesAntiHero fad lasted, the Image titles were a massive success, but now they mostly look like DarkAge disasters with an excess of sex and violence and somewhat... questionable art.

At first success was so intense that series were added, either ex-novo (like Sam Keith's ''ComicBook/TheMaxx'', Dale Keown's ''Pitt'', Nick Manabat's ''Cybernary'') or being "filiated" from the original ones like ''Codename: Strykeforce'' (from ''Cyberforce''), ''Freak Force'' (from ''Savage Dragon''), ''Deathblow'' and ''Team 7'' (from Jim Lee's ''[=WildC.A.T.s.=]'' universe), and ''Glory'' and ''{{Supreme}}'' (from ''Youngblood''), but soon after things began to fall apart.

Image eventually lost two founders: Rob Liefeld was fired, and Jim Lee sold his {{Wildstorm}} Studios to DCComics after leaving Image[[hottip:*:There was even a CrisisCrossover, ''Shattered Image'', devoted to writing Wildstorm's titles out of the Image universe, and vice versa.]]. Over the years, Image started GrowingTheBeard: they got a central editor to help control the schedule, and the quality of the art and maturity of the storylines started looking up somewhat. They also hired some other writers and with this they got some more diversity, with titles like Jeff Smith's ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}'', Creator/KurtBusiek's ''AstroCity'' and Robert Kirkman's ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''. Kirkman has recently been bumped up to the equivalent of founder status, replacing Jim Lee. ''Spawn'' and ''Savage Dragon'' are also still published, and are better-regarded than in their heyday, whilst Image is giving a chance to many writers whose ideas would never be published by the "Big Two". Still, Image is very much remembered for its gritty [[TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] series. Their main competitor nowadays is Creator/DarkHorseComics rather than Marvel and DC, as both companies tend to release similar off-the-cuff, independent works.
----
!!Comics published by Image:
[[index]]
* ''NineteenSixtyThree''
* ''ComicBook/{{Ant}}''
* ''TheAstoundingWolfMan''
* ''AstroCity''
* ''ComicBook/BattleChasers''
* ''ComicBook/BattlePope''
* ''BlackCherry''
* ''BombQueen''
* ''ComicBook/CarbonGrey''
* ''ComicBook/{{Bone}}''
* ''{{Chassis}}''
* ''{{Chew}}''
* ''CommonGrounds''
* ''CreatureTech''
* ''ComicBook/TheDarkness''
* ''ComicBook/DestroyerDuck''
* ''DeathMate'' (crossover with Valiant)
* ''ComicBook/{{Drain}}''
* ''{{Dynamo 5}}''
* ''{{Fell}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Elephantmen}}''
* ''ComicBook/FallOutToyWorks''
* ''Comicbook/{{Fatale}}''
* ''{{Firebreather}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Gear}}''
* ''{{Gen 13}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Girls}}''
* ''ComicBook/GladstonesSchoolForWorldConquerors''
* ''ComicBook/HackSlash''
* ''{{Halcyon}}''
* ''{{Haunt}}''
* ''IKillGiants''
* ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}''
* ''ComicBook/JackStaff''
* ''ComicStrip/LibertyMeadows''
* ''Comicbook/{{Madman}}''
* ''{{MageTheHeroDiscovered}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheMaxx''
* ''MegatonMan''
* ''ComicBook/MidnightNation''
* ''ComicBook/MorningGlories''
* ''NobleCauses''
* ''ComicBook/{{North40}}''
* ''ComicBook/OrcStain''
* ''ComicBook/{{The Perhapanauts}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Phonogram}}''
* ''{{Powers}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Prophet}}''
* ''ComicBook/RisingStars''
* ''ComicBook/{{Saga}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheSavageDragon''
* ''{{Screamland}}''
* ''ScudTheDisposableAssassin''
* ''ShadowHawk''
* ''Webcomic/{{Skullkickers}}''
* ''ComicBook/{{Spawn}}''
* ''ComicBook/TheStrangeTalentOfLutherStrode''
* ''ComicBook/SuperDinosaur''
* ''{{Supreme}}''
* ''TheSword''
* ''ComicBook/TalesFromTheBullyPulpit''
* ''[[Comicbook/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesMirage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' (Vol. 3)
* ''Comicbook/TheWalkingDead''
* ''Comicbook/{{Wanted}}''
* ''WildCATS''
* ''WildGuard''
* ''Comicbook/{{Witchblade}}''
* ''ComicBook/WynonnaEarp''
* ''{{Youngblood}}''
* ''YoungbloodJudgmentDay''
[[/index]]
----

[[index]]

[[index]]

* ''ComicBook/{{TheStrangeTalentOfLutherStrode}}''

* ''ComicBook/TheStrangeTalentOfLutherStrode''

* ''WynonnaEarp''

* ''BattlePope''

* RobLiefeld's ''{{Youngblood}}'' and ''ComicBook/Brigade''
* Marc Silvestri's ''ComicBook/Cyberforce''

* Whilce Portacio's ''ComicBook/Wetworks'' (which actually got delayed until 1994)

* RobLiefeld's ''{{Youngblood}}'' and ''Brigade''
* Marc Silvestri's ''Cyberforce''

* Whilce Portacio's ''Wetworks'' (which actually got delayed until 1994)

* ''Comicbook/TheDarkness''
* ''DestroyerDuck''

* ''ComicBook/{{The Perhapanauts}}''

[[/index]]

* Marc Silvestri's ''{{Cyberforce}}''

* Whilce Portacio's ''{{Wetworks}}'' (which actually got delayed until 1994)