Welcome to Image Boys Behaviour Graph–or, when this becomes an inevitable smash hit column, IBBG–where we celebrate 25 years of Image by making a very statistically accurate graph looking at what the boys are up to in this most momentous year in the history of the EXTREME bad boys of comics.
WHERE THEY WERE: 1992
Todd McFarlane
A man in search of a plaque, McFarlane was the grease in the gears (and a big dog too). The business brain, he wanted a home for his gothic spider-man gary-stu.
Rob Liefeld
A Labrador puppy in human form, this excitable boy had ideas (millions of’em), and was overwhelmed and inflamed by the power of paying it forward. Go team Extreme!
Erik Larsen
Knows exactly what the Dragon would and wouldn’t do. Looking for an escape from editorial mandate, set his eyes on the prize and tortoised it.
Jim Lee
“Everyone was always doing crazy stuff in the image offices. Todd was shirtless giving speeches– once I took my baby into a meeting!” –Jim Lee on the early days of Image
Whilce Portacio
A beautiful dreamer in search of an artists’ commune. Not a technical Founder due to family illness and bereavement, but (ironically) a true believer.
Jim Valentino
Mister Experience, no stranger to independent publishing; a dad-sized formal influence with a Miami Vice wardrobe. Half business, half comics, all power.
Marc Silvestri
Known as the handsome one because nobody was looking at Jim Lee. Knows his lane, which is the X-Men. “What if Colossus and Psylocke had six babies?” Strong jaw, strong eyebrows. Tall guy.
Eric Stephenson
Comics baby hired on a whim– the only one awake enough to suggest editorial input to Rob Liefeld. Not very good at it though. Prone to also editing himself; absolute wildman.
Robert Kirkman
A little baby child, starry-eyed at all these new incredible books! Oh boy! Could I do this when I grow up?
????Caveat: Where He Was At Entry: The Golden Boy. Coming off the success of that book. Makes more money than any of the founders; always trying to “get the boys back together.” Lied to everyone to get the Walking Dead published by Image
“IMAGE COMICS”
More newborn than even Stephenson, Image Comics was fresh from the hive-womb of its seven freedom-bound fathers. Made a lot of promises; broke a lot of promises. But boy, did it look exciting and feel like change!
THIS WEEK IN IMAGE:
Our very own Kat Overland’s spiritually adopted comics papa (he doesn’t know) Rob Liefeld is rebooting a very dad comic with the announcement that he’s bringing back Dave Cockrums classic comic the Futurians. He also did a brand new Cable cover that is essentially just *that* Cable cover. Classic. Rob also gets a crown for acknowledging the important work of That Bad Boy Image over on our Instagram. Thanks Daaaad!
Ol’ shirtless CEO himself Todd McFarlane was being cute on twitter drawing a very sweet captain underpants as a drawing lesson for (all caps) KIDS! I think he meant to put a link to a video but didn’t, which made this tweet EVEN CUTER.
Erik Larsen has been keeping himself busy in between drawing a sexy teen and her monster dad, by winning an Inkwell award for “best at doing everything”: writer drawer and everything elser on said sexy teen and monster dad book Savage Dragon. He also told off CBR for using bi-monthly wrong (technically), in a classic internet dad move.
And finally, power dad Jim Valentino is photo tracing himself for a variant cover of the now notorious Rat Queens book, supporting Kurtis “my best bud got charged with battery against his wife” Wiebe whilst emulating some of his wacky old work on some of that wild 90s Guardians of the Galaxy.