From: [m c mahan] at [celo.cs.unca.edu] (Scott McMahan -- Genesis mailing list owner) Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.info Subject: Image FAQ Date: 19 Dec 1993 05:58:19 GMT [ I posted this on Saturday, but it doesn't seem to have made it. Sorry about all of this. We've just had a brand new news server installed here at Dartmouth. -mod] <> |\/| requently | | | | sked | | |__| M A G E uestions by Scott McMahan, author of the Cyber Reviews Usenet review column; additional contributions by Greg McElhatton, and additional information verification by Drew Harris (who wrote the "Image: The Next Generation" article for WIZARD) Last update: Dec 17, 1993 <- Oct 27, 1993 12-17-93: New updates include Wildstar, a Youngblood chronology, and Ripclaw information. 'Deathmate Red' entry deleted. One time only update: The Cyberforce Trade Paperback, solicited for September release, is now planned for Dec 28th release. This is not firm and may be pushed back a week or three. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions answered in this document... I heard that Image had cancelled titles! What is the story? What is the story behind Brigade #4? Youngblood chronology Has been released? Did I miss it? Is Dale Keown Danglers: series that didn't materialize... (Darker Image, Bluudwuulff, Doom's IV, ad infinitum) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. I heard that Image had cancelled titles! What is the story? A. Image has cancelled several titles due to several reasons. Some Image claim were in breach of contract because Image had hired them to produce on-time monthly comics for the Image banner. Some for low sales (they claim). The exact reasons behind this mass cancellation were never really put forth. Since all Image projects affected were creator owned (creators own trademarks and copyrights to the characters), they may be published by the creators under any imprint. This is the list of the statuses of the various affected titles: Shaman's Tears: Image said this was cancelled after issue #5. Since #5 was going to be the beginning of a new story cycle (and feature Grell's own character Jon Sable Freelance), Mike Grell said that ST was going to be over with #4. But, since then, hurricane Andrew hit Grell's colorists' house -- making #3 late, and Image cancelled it outright. Grell is going to continue the series: it will be from Malibu's new imprint for creator-owned comics (which debuts in January 1994) called Bravura. Grell also has plans for Bar Sinister, a spin-off book featuring the animal-human creatures in Shaman's Tears. There are also plans to make a new Jon Sable title. Stupid: This series by Hilary Barta was cancelled outright. Since it was a parody of Image, it will not be picked up by another publisher. Barta is a close friend of Marc Silvestri and his name appears in the thanks-yous for Cyberforce. Apparently that wasn't enough to help him. Trencher: Cancelled after #5. This book will be picked up by Blackball comics, the old Atomeka Comics with a new name. A Christmas Special is planned for December. Giffen also continues to work for Image: he is currently doing a 3 issue run of Images of Shadowhawk (the story arc in #1-#3), and Rob Liefeld's Bloodstrike. Giffen is also slated to do a Cosmic Image future title with Jim Valentino. Tribe: Image said that this book would be cancelled after #5. Stroman and Johnson, however, cancelled the series after #1. From #2 onward, it will be published by Axis Comics, the new label founded by Stroman and Johnson to publish Tribe. #1 is the only issue of tribe released by Image. #2 has been published by Axis. (This story is clear as mud: Image press releases show that *Image* cancelled Tribe after #1. Stroman and Johnson believed they could publish #2 and #3 under Image's banner, and solicited Tribe #4 as the first Axis issue, but then the axe fell so that Tribe #2, not #4, was the first Axis issue.) Wildstar: although the press has reported this series as "cancelled", it had always been solicited as a 4 issue limited series and will continue through #4. Image and Gordon/Ordway have hinted at future Wildstar series published by Image, although this seems highly unlikely. Originally, way back when, the Wildstar mini-series was first begun, it was to be a prelude to an ongoing series much like the Image 7's mini-series. It was going to be about the bounty hunters who appeared in the mini-series. Post cancellation, Gordon & Ordway have flip flopped. Ordway now claims that he was too busy to work on a monthly series anyway. Gordon claims that they never intended to have Image publish the monthly series. Al Gordon HAS said that he is currently looking for a NEW publisher to publish other WILDSTAR mini-series. Ordway won't be drawing it; since he does have a co-ownership in the characters, he gets to approve everything before it ever shows up. UPDATE: as of WildStar #4, the lettercol claims that the ongoing series it going to come in 1994 and be *published by Image*. Ordway will not be drawing this, the artist has not been named. Pitt: this book is a 4 issue mini-series that has not been cancelled. Despite its lateness, Image claims that Keown was not under contract to publish a monthly book. And he certainly hasn't. The Maxx: this title is very confusing, since the press hasn't really reported anything on it. Apparently Sam Keith has carte blanche to publish as many issues as he wants. He himself will decide when the series has ended. Q. What is the story behind Brigade #4? A. Issue #4 of the Brigade mini-series was to have as a flip book the conclusion to the Youngblood mini-series. Due to Rob Liefeld's lateness, the book was delayed so much that Brigade #1 of the ongoing series was completed. #1 was published *before* #4, which among other things meant #4 was completely spoiled by the references to it in #1. Finally, Liefled got Chap Yeap to draw the conclusion of Youngblood for him, and #4 was published. The order in which to read the Youngblood books is: Youngblood #0 -> Brigade #0 -> Youngblood #1-4/Brigade #1-4 both mini-series -> Brigade #1/Bloodstrike #1 Blood Brothers crossover (Brigade #2-4, Bloodstrike #2-4) This will give you the basic working knowlege of the Youngblood universe. The comics were *not* released in this proper order, but since all are now released, they should be read this way to get the maximum sense out of the story. Q. Has been released? Did I miss it? A. This applies to any Image comic: How could anyone miss an Image release? If it were released, don't you think you'd have seen it somewhere? Image titles are seriously overordered and every comic shop usually has a surplus of them. Keep in mind that just about every Image comic is 2 months late (minimum). Q. Is Dale Keown A. None of the rumors about Keown being on drugs, dying, being imprisoned or whatever are true. He did use the proceeds from Pitt #1 to build a recording studio, and is a musician in addition to being a comic artist. Q. What titles have never materialized? A. There've been tons of them. Notable ones include... Darker Image: The four issue mini-series was called off after #1. The official reason was that the series was intended to introduce the three main characters (Maxx, Deathblow, and Bluudwuulff) and once the Maxx and Deathblow titles were started it was no longer necessary. This doesn't really hold water as a reason because the story in Darker Image #1-4 was a prelude to the ongoing titles, and not having read the story makes the titles hard to follow. (Deathblow, also, has been scaled back to a quarterly book -- no plans for an ongoing Cybernary series have been announced, so the fate of the Cybernary may never be known.) Bluudwuulff: Rob Liefeld's incredible point-for-point ripoff of DC's Lobo will apparently never receive its own title. Gen-X: renamed Gen-13 when faced with lawsuits from Marvel (who seem to think they have a trademark on the letter X), the title is in limbo. They plan to release it, but it isn't out! NOW SLATED FOR FEBRUARY 1994. Doom's IV: in one of the biggest marketing failures ever, Doom's IV was advertised only with its logo, not with any details concerning what the title was about. No one cared, and the title wasn't released. There are plans for 1994 -- don't hold your breath, however. Ripclaw: an ever-promised but never released mini-series, it is delayed until 1994 now. If then! *TWO* Ripclaw mini-series are planned for 1994. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get the Facts: Don't spread rumors! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Psyche! Say whatever you like.)