Image Comics: The Road to Independence

by George Khoury, Jim Lee

In 1992, seven artists shook the comic book industry when they left their top-selling Marvel Comic titles to jointly form a new company named Image Comics. Out of the gate, millions of readers flocked to the energetic adventures by these creators, as together they ushered in the Image Age, where comics would sell in the millions, and a comic book artist could become a mass media celebrity. Image The Road to Independence is an unprecedented look at the history of this important comic book company, featuring interviews and art from popular Image founders Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. Also featured are many of finest creators who over the last 15 years have been a part of the Image family, offering behind-the-scenes details of the company's successes and failures. There's plenty of rare and unseen art, helping make this the most honest exploration ever taken of the controversial company whose success, influence and high pr

Genres: Nonfiction, Comics, History

280 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2007

About the author

George Khoury has written and edited the Eisner-nominated Kimota!, The Extraordinary Works of Alan Moore, True Brit, and Comic Book Fever. He served as senior editor to the award-winning Comic Book Artist magazine and as a regular contributor to the popular Modern Masters series. In the last 20 years, he's been a freelance writer for magazines, newspapers, and internet.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read for comic book geeks like me who started collecting in the 1990's. George Khoury does in-depth interviews with (almost) all the founders and creators involved with the launch of independent comics' juggernaut Image Comics and it makes for a fascinating read.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE book on the Seven. It contains very in-depth interviews by all of Image's founders & those who joined the company and made waves within the comics industry. But instead of being a book one should read to gush over their comic "idols" within the industry, it should be more of a "How-to-start-a-Comic-Company-and-NOT-make-the-mistakes-these-guys-did" guide for those who are trying to kick start their own Indy Comic Company. You can learn a lot from this. You can learn how to be a team and not let egos destroy what you are striving to create as an Indy Company. I highly recommend this book.