Posts Tagged ‘comic books’

Twenty years ago, seven plucky artists, at the time some of the biggest names in comics, said goodbye to the inherent stability of working for Marvel Comics, packed their bags and marched headlong into the great unknown: independent comics. But this was to be a far cry from most of the indie books of the day. No black & white, no self-reflection, no long, meandering tales about the meaning of life, the universe and everything. No, these indie books were looking to make a splash, to shake up the status quo of the industry. These books would be in full color and filled with action and adventure the likes of which had previously been seen only at Marvel and DC. This was indie publishing on a grand scale. And to much of the industry’s surprise, it worked. But not only did it work, it thrived. Sure, there have been ups and downs over the intervening years as the industry was rocked by the bursting of the speculator bubble in the mid-to-late ’90s and the rise of the Internet gave way to piracy and the digital revolution. But the company those seven artists created weathered the storms and has come out on top, 20 years later, as one of the last bastions of true creator-owned independent comic book publishing, a haven for creativity and collaboration rarely witnessed at the larger, corporate-owned publishers where protecting their IPs is more important than pushing the boundaries of storytelling.

Last weekend saw the culmination of that 20 year march as the first ever Image Comic Expo was held in Oakland, Calif. A celebration of the independent spirit, ICE commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the formation of Image Comics with a keynote address by publisher Eric Stephenson, who waxed nostalgic about the beginnings of the company and laid out his vision for its future, creator spotlight panels and signings, and oodles of new books announced, books, much like the Great Marvel Exodus of 20 years ago, written and drawn by some of the biggest names in the industry: Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Frank Quitely, Brian Wood, Steve Niles, Tony Harris and a whole lot more.

While Marvel and DC, despite reboots, relaunches and Hollywood blockbusters, trot out the same old stories week after week, month after month and year after year, Image continues to pave the way to a future of new stories and new ideas. Unshackled by the creative constraints of the Big Two, creators are able to let loose and tell their tales however they see fit. And if the past 20 years is any indication, the future is very bright indeed.

Check out a rundown of some of the most exciting new comics announced at ICE after the jump.

Read more: Comic Book Fix: Image Comics Expo 2012 Roundup