Usually, when I get ready to go to a con, I tell you why you should go. Well, that's a little silly when it comes to San Diego Comic-Con. So Instead, we'll just get right to previewing what some of our favorite publishers are up to.
Here's what's going on for Image Comics...
It's pretty much impossible to miss the Image Comics booth at any con they attend. I almost titled this preview "...Towers over Comics..." because that thing is so big it looks like at any moment it will be used to try and crush a superhero or something. On the other hand, it's a great way to locate things! Image's booth number is #2729 and they're also associated with Top Cow (booth #2629).
Image is best known for Walking Dead and Saga and Spawn, of course, but they do so many books that it's impossible to list them all, but current favorites for me include Farmland, Hack/Slash Revolution, Prism Stalker, and the revival of Bloodstrike. Here's a few of the exclusives you can find:
IMAGE FIRSTS DEADLY CLASS #1 by Rick Remender & Wes Craig, featuring a SYFY cast photo cover, FREE
As I mentioned above, Farmhand is one of my favorite new books coming out from Image. It's really creepy and weird and even if you weren't a huge fan of Chew, it's worth checking out. If you really liked issue one, grabbing this cover is definitely a thing you should do.
I love pins, and these pins look cool. I've read Witchblade on and off over the years and Sunstone is an interesting look at a complex relationship involving sexual preferences that tend to be given a really poor shot in comics (think Malice). I wish our friend Annie hadn't left for overseas, or I'd have gotten her the Witchblade one for sure!
Image brings the big names for their signings, starting with Mr. Walking Dead himself. Here's the ones that I think would be of most interest to our readers:
SIGNINGS AT THE IMAGE COMICS BOOTH (#2729)
Image wants you to know the following:
**TICKETED denotes signings require wristbands. Wristbands will be given out at the booth as soon as the convention floor opens on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets will be available for attendee badge holders only. There will be a limit of 3 items per person for ticketed signings unless otherwise noted. No CGC, CBCS, or other witnessing/grading.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Robert Kirkman & Chris Burnham (DIE!DIE!DIE!) [Skybound] **TICKETED**
THURSDAY, JULY 19
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Rob Guillory (CHEW, FARMHAND)
11:00 – 11:45 AM
Joshua Williamson (BIRTHRIGHT, NAILBITER) [Skybound]
1:00 – 1:45 PM
Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK)
2:00 – 2:45 PM
Sina Grace (NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, SELF-OBSESSED)
Steve Orlando (CRUDE, UNDERTOW) [Skybound]
4:00 – 4:45 PM
WHERE WE LIVE multi-contributor signing featuring: Erika Schultz, Amy Chu, Aaron Campbell, Rafael Albuquerque, Matt Hawkins, Brian Haberlin, David Walker & many more.
FRIDAY, JULY 20
10:00 – 10:45 AM
Jeff Lemire (DESCENDER, A.D.: AFTER DEATH, ROYAL CITY, GIDEON FALLS) **TICKETED**
11:00 – 11:45 AM
Donny Cates (REDNECK, ATOMAHAWK, GOD COUNTRY, THE GHOST FLEET, BUZZKILL) [Skybound]
12:00 – 12:45 PM
Tomm Coker (THE BLACK MONDAY MURDERS)
Justin Greenwood, Landry Walker (THE LAST SIEGE)
1:00 – 1:45 PM
Dean Haspiel (THE RED HOOK)
Jason Howard (CEMETERY BEACH) [Skybound]
2:00 – 2:45 PM
Rick Remender (DEADLY CLASS, LOW, BLACK SCIENCE, DEATH OR GLORY, FEAR AGENT, SEVEN TO ETERNITY, TOKYO GHOST) **TICKETED**
3:00 – 3:45 PM
Mirka Andolfo (UNNATURAL)
John Layman (CHEW, LEVIATHAN)
Jeremy Haun (THE BEAUTY, THE REALM)
4:00 – 4:45 PM
Robert Kirkman (OBLIVION SONG, THE WALKING DEAD, OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA) [Skybound] **TICKETED and restricted to: 3-item limit**
SATURDAY, JULY 21
11:00 – 11:45 AM
Robert Kirkman (OBLIVION SONG, THE WALKING DEAD, OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA) [Skybound] **TICKETED and restricted to: 3-item limit**
12:00 – 12:45 PM
Babs Tarr (MOTOR CRUSH)
1:00 – 1:45 PM
Marjorie Liu (MONSTRESS) **TICKETED**
Image loves to use the #WeBelieve tag right now, and it's the recurring them for their panels this year. They all look great, but as I mentioned, not sure how much panel time I''ll have. Here's their schedule:
Thursday, July 19 @ 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Room 23ABC
#WeBelieve in Fantasy
Creators conjure magic on a monthly basis, stretching the boundaries of reality to explore resonant themes under a veneer of high fiction. This group of creators has taken a legacy of wands, wizards, and incantations and tailored it to a modern context, where shape-shifting teen baristas search for missing love and reckless rockers parlay with infernal forces. Let this panel of spellbinding talent, including Sam Humphries (BLACKBIRD), Grace Ellis (MOONSTRUCK), Jeremy Haun (THE REALM), Johnnie Christmas (FIREBUG), Megan Hutchison (ROCKSTARS), and other special guests enchant you as they explain the alchemy behind their latest comics.
Friday, July 20 @ 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Room 23ABC
#WeBelieve in Horror
Image Comics has ushered in a new era of horror with cerebral writers and visceral artists elevating sequential-art dread to claustrophobic heights. From Jeff Lemire's atmospheric character piece, GIDEON FALLS, to John Layman's kaiju free-for-all, LEVIATHAN, comics are evolving terror to new personal, socially minded levels. Join a roster of the most sinister storytellers including Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell, and José Villarubbia (INFIDEL), Will Dennis (the editor of WYTCHES, GIDEON FALLS), and other special guests to discover how they're altering an entire genre.
Saturday, July 21 @ 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Room 7AB
#WeBelieve in Suspense
Comic scribes wield character, dialogue, and panels with clockwork precision, leading readers through a gauntlet of plot beats designed to ratchet tension and escalate stakes. In concert with artists, these storytellers operate outside budget constraints to orchestrate explosive dramas without any limits save their own imaginations. Listen to a panel of thrill gurus including Donny Cates (REDNECK), Mirka Andolfo (UNNATURAL), Steve Orlando (CRUDE), Jacob Semahn (NO. 1 WITH A BULLET), Megan Hutchison (ROCKSTARS), and Dean Haspiel (THE RED HOOK) as they deconstruct their approach to weaving the tightest suspense in comics.
Sunday, July 22 @ 1:45 – 2:45 p.m., Room 5AB
#WeBelieve in Craft
Image hosts a stable of creators who have honed their skills through countless comics, publishers, and media. With their creator-owned projects, these writers and artists build on expansive careers to deliver the apex of comics craftsmanship. Join a murderer’s row of career myth-makers including Joe Casey (NEW LIEUTENANTS OF METAL, MCMLXXV), Justin Greenwood (THE LAST SIEGE), Kickliy (PERDY), and Shannon Wheeler (MEMOIRS OF A VERY STABLE GENIUS) as they chart the paths they traveled to arrive at their current projects.
Bonus Round: Image PR also helpfully gave this list of their creators in Artist's Alley:
IMAGE COMICS' CREATORS IN ARTIST ALLEY:
Chris Burnham - HH-18
Juan Gedeon - AA-15
Sanford Greene - FF-21
Joe Harris - EE-20
Tom Neely - AA-05
Dustin Nguyen - CC-01
Jimmie Robinson - EE-22
Landry Q. Walker - EE-19
While I am sometimes stupefied by the sheer volume of Image books, it's completely true to say, "Image has a comic for everybody." I'm sure in addition to the signings and panels, their staffers on hand would be happy to pick the comic that's just right for you.
