Image Comics Publication History Chronologically With Pre Millennium #1’s For 30th Anniversary! Demythifying 1992 – 1994!
Over its first 7 years Image Comics launched over 375 #1’s. The company celebrates its 30th anniversary in April 2022. To commemorate this milestone, I am attempting to pull a listing of all the publisher’s #1’s from April 1992 to the end of December 1999. I’m sure missed a some below and would welcome your help making this list whole for 1992-1999 Image titles.
TwoMorrows has a great look at the found of Image Comics; while it’s out of print from them they still have digital versions available here; there’s also a DVD of the founding of Image available through Amazon.
It should also be noted that Image Comics founder and partner Jim Valentino has a book coming out about Image Comics from founding to now in the Official Image Timeline set for release in February 2022.
With that out of the way, there are some important caveats and notes concerning the #1’s list that follow today and over the coming weeks.
- In 1992 Image Comics was supported with distribution and logistics by Malibu Comics and, due to their commercial success, Image was able to leave Malibu in early 1993.
- Deathmate was co-produced by Valiant Comics and Image Comics with each company getting three books to produce with their respective characters; only two Image founders participated in this x-over and they were Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld.
- There are other co-produced works on the 1992-1999 lists including with other indy publishers such as Joe Quesada’s Event Comics as well as Marvel and DC Comics.
- Founder Rob Liefeld left voluntarily or was voted out of Image Comics in September 1996 Rob Liefeld and launched Awesome Comics in April 1997; I am counting this era’s books below as in July 2007 it is announced that Rob Liefeld was returning to Image Comics where he still remains to this day.
- However, in recent years it was revealed that Liefeld no longer owns Youngblood as investor Andrew Rev of Terrific Production LLC does; this likely has to due with the agreement Liefeld signed to get financing for Awesome Entertainment after he left Image Comics.
- Founder Jim Lee sold his WildStorm imprint to DC Comics in November 1998 and the agreement took effect in January 1999; I am still including their production up to end of 1999 on this list.
- There were indy darling series that went to Image Comics during this era including Jeff Smith’s Bone and Colleen Doran’s A Distant Soil; the former ran 9 issues at Image while the latter ran 27 issues over 27 years. While neither started with a new #1, they are counted below due to their importance as establishing Image Comics as home for indy creators not just super-hero comics.
- Other indy faves such as Mike Baron’s Badger and Serio Argones’ Groo also came to Image Comics, but sported new #1’s; the former went 11 issues at the publisher with the latter running 12.
- WWF and WCW wrestler, NWO founder and WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Kevin Nash also legitimized Image Comics with his Nash series in this 1992-199 period; it last two issues.
- While this may make the below list not wholly accurate on purpose, I have excluded pin-up books, Ashcans and “bikini” one-shots that were the craze in the 1990s not just at Image, but Marvel and others.
- While I did look at multiple online sources, such as those below, none appears to have a clear chronological listing; sources included:
As Image Comics had seven founders, I am including the 1992-1994 as my first chronological list as the last of the founders launched their first title in that year; the founders are below with their first Image title and the studio or imprint they created for their title(s):
- Rob Liefeld (Youngblood, Extreme Studios and Awesome Entertainment)
- Todd McFarlane (Spawn and Todd McFarlane Productions)
- Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon and Highbrow Entertainment)
- Jim Lee (Wild C.A.T.s, Homage Studios and WildStorm Productions)
- Jim Valentino (ShadowHawk and Shadowline)
- Marc Silverstri (CyberForce and Top Cow Productions)
- Whilce Portacio (Wetworks; it appears that he sold it to Jim Lee)
The preceding list was based on the order of the release of the respective founder’s first Image title launch.
While there were seven founders of Image Comics only four of the founders remain Image partners in 2021; everyone excluding Liefeld, Lee and Portacio; Robert Kirkman, creator of mega-hit pop culture juggernaut The Walking Dead and others through his Skybound Entertainment, was made an Image Comics partner in 2008.
Without further ado, her is what I pieced together concerning Image Comics’ 56 #1’s between 1992 and 1994. Please go to Image Comics Database to get the full creative teams for each title. The remaining years to 1999 will be covered here every Saturday and Sunday to the end of 2021.
1992
8 New #1’s.
April 1992
- Youngblood #1
May 1992
- Spawn #1
July 1992
- Savage Dragon #1
August 1992
- Wild C.A.T.s #1
- ShadowHawk #1
- Brigade #1
October 1992
- Cyberforce #1
November 1992
- Supreme #1
1993
36 New #1’s representing a 350% increase from 1992.
January 1993
- Pitt #1
April 1993
- Deathblow #1
May 1993
- Shaman’s Tears
- Brigade #1 (Volume 2)
- ShadowHawk II #1
March 1993
- The Maxx #1
- Stormwatch #1
- Darker Image #1
- The Tribe #1
- The Savage Dragon vs. The Savage Megaton Man #1
April 1993
- Youngblood Strikefile #1
- Bloodstrike #1
- 1963 #1
March 1993
- Wildstar #1
May 1993
- Trencher #1
June 1993
- Savage Dragon #1 (Volume 2)
- Union #1
- Wild C.A.T.s Trilogy #1
July 1993
- Superpatriot #1
NOTE: Special thanks for the flag by Andrew d’Entremont.
- Youngblood Yearbook #1
September 1993
NOTE: Deathmate x-over co-production between Image Comics and Valiant Comics.
- Deathmate Prologue
- Deathmate Yellow
- Deathmate Black
- Team Youngblood #1
- Images of ShadowHawk #1
- Savage Dragon / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1
October 1993
- Deathmate Blue
- Prophet #1
- Vanguard #1
November 1993
- Deathmate Red
NOTE: This book actually came out in 1994 well after February 1994’s Deathmate Epilogue despite November 1993 reference on the cover Deathmate Red.
- Cyberforce #1 (Volume 2)
- Wild C.A.T.s Special #1
- ShadowHawk III #1
December 1993
- Freak Force #1
NOTE: Special thanks for the flag by Andrew d’Entremont.
- Phantom Force #1
- Troll #1
- Trencher: X-Mas Bites #1
1994
38 new #1’s (including Deathmate Red) representing a 375% over 1992 #1’s and a 6% increase #1’s from 1993.
January 1994
- Codename: Strykeforce #1
- Stormwatch Sourebook #1
- Stormwatch Special #1
February 1994
- Deathmate Epilogue
- Gen13 #1
- The Pact #1
March 1994
- Batman / Spawn: War Devil #1
- The Kindred #1
April 1994
- Spawn / Batman #1
- Spawn / Savage Dragon #1
- New Men #1
- Boof #1
May 1994
- Youngblood Battlezone #1
April 1994
- Violator #1
June 1994
- Wetworks #1
NOTE: Due to the death of his sister the final Image Comics founder Whilce Portacio released his first series 2 years after the company’s official first title launched with Rob Liefeld’s Youngblood; Liefeld would actually release close to 10 #1’s before Wetworks hit stands. In that time two year window two other founders, Erik Larsen and Marc Silverstri, released second volume #1’s for their respective Savage Dragon and Cyberforce titles before Wetworks volume one launched.
July 1994
- Hellshock #1
- Doom’s IV #1
- Troll II #1
- Normalman / Megaton Man Special #1
- Boof & The Bruise Crew #1
August 1994
- Troll Once A Hero #1
- Brigade Sourcebook #1
- CyberForce Universe #1
September 1994
- Badrock & Company #1
- Wild C.A.T.s Adventures #1
October 1994
- Team 7 #1
- Black & White #1
- Wetworks Sourcebook #1
- Supreme: Glory Days #1
- Troll Halloween Special #1
November 1994
- Backlash #1
- Battlestone #1
December 1994
- Angela #1
NOTE: As of 2013 the character of Angela is no longer owned by Image Founder Todd McFarlane, but Marvel due to writer Neil Gaiman.
- The Legend of Supreme #1
- Battlestar Galactica: Starbuck #1
- Wildstorm Rarities #1
ShadowHawk Special #1
- Groo #1
NOTE: Sergio Argones brought his indy darling series Groo The Wanderer to Image Comics launching it simply as Groo with a new #1.
If I have missed any #1’s, please, let me know and I will update this list and appropriately credit you; this weekend will see 1995 and 1996 covered.
