Image Comics

Image Comics was founded in 1992 when seven artists left Marvel to start their own company: Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, and Whilce Portacio. The departure was driven by frustration over creator rights. Image was built on a core premise: creators retain full ownership of their work, with the company serving as a publishing partner rather than a rights holder.

Now headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Image operates as a coalition of studios, giving creators significant freedom over their projects. This structure has attracted top talent and produced acclaimed work across superhero, horror, science fiction, fantasy, crime, and literary fiction.

Major titles include Spawn by Todd McFarlane, The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples, Invincible by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, and Savage Dragon by Erik Larsen. Several properties have been adapted for film and television, with The Walking Dead becoming a major TV franchise.

Image proved that creator-owned publishing could compete with larger publishers and helped establish creator rights as a central industry concern.