#image day

The Weekly Haul: Week of February 1st, 2017

This week proved to be one of the largest "cheaper" weeks for me in terms of new comics. The usual Superman issue, and The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom. And of course, not gonna pass on 25-cent new issues…even something like Vampirella that I’d normally avoid (except the Vampirella/Aliens crossover not too far back). As part of a store promotion, snagged Jupiter’s Legacy (and hoping I don’t…

Celebrate Image Day On Wednesday, February 1st @imagecomics #imageday #ThankYouImageComics

Image Comics Celebrates 25 Years of Excellence

By Staff Reports

On February 1, 1992, seven comics superstars Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino came together to form their own company that would change the landscape of comics forever. Current partners McFarlane, Valentino, Kirkman, Larsen, and Silvestri collectively have brought…

New Post has been published on http://www.theusofn.com/image-comics-reveals-11-jaw-dropping-25th-anniversary-variant-covers/

IMAGE COMICS REVEALS 11 JAW-DROPPING 25TH ANNIVERSARY VARIANT COVERS

February’s variants will pay tribute to iconic Image covers

Image Comics is thrilled to reveal the first 11 of 15 homage variants planned for February’s 25th anniversary theme month—“tribute covers” celebrating iconic cover images from throughout the company’s history.Each month of Image’s 25th year will boast a theme for special anniversary variants, beginning with Wednesday, February 1st—the exact date of Image Comics’ founding in 1992, and the date of this year’s “Image Comics Day.”

“One of the great things about celebrating our 25th anniversary is that it creates an opportunity for us to look back at over two decades of history-making comics and showcase some of the wonderful work that made Image what it is today,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Everyone in the Image family is a fan at heart, and this month’s tribute variants give the participating creators a chance to show their admiration for some of comics’ greatest creator-owned triumphs by putting their own unique spin on classic images from that rich and varied past for a collection of covers as fun as they are stunning.”

Available in stores on Wednesday, February 1st:

Rick Remender and Wes Craig’s DEADLY CLASS #26 commemorating Marc Silvestri’s CYBER FORCE #1 (Diamond Code NOV168917)

Available in stores on Wednesday, February 8th:

Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta’s EAST OF WEST #31 commemorating Rob Liefeld’s TEAM YOUNGBLOOD #19 (Diamond Code NOV169165)

Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #26 commemorating Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s SEX CRIMINALS #1 (Diamond Code NOV169053)

Available in stores on Wednesday, February 15th:

Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s INVINCIBLE #133 commemorating Rob Liefeld’s YOUNGBLOOD #1 (Diamond Code NOV169172)

Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw’s GOD COUNTRY #2 commemorating Erik Larsen’s SAVAGE DRAGON #1 (Diamond Code NOV169169)

Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Elizabeth Breitweiser’s KILL OR BE KILLED #6 commemorating Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD #1 (Diamond Code NOV169051)

Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s SEX CRIMINALS #16 commemorating Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #1 (Diamond Code NOV169052)

Robert Kirkman’s THE WALKING DEAD #164 commemorating Jim Lee’s WILD C.A.T.S. #1 (Diamond Code NOV169171)

Available in stores on Wednesday, February 22nd: 

Charles Soule and Ryan Browne’s CURSE WORDS #2 commemorating Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker’s INVINCIBLE #1 (Diamond Code NOV169173)

Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen’s DESCENDER #19 commemorating  Dale Keown’s PITT #2 (Diamond Code NOV169174)

New Post has been published on http://www.theusofn.com/he-walking-dead-163-highest-ordered-comic-in-nearly-two-decades/

HE WALKING DEAD #163 HIGHEST ORDERED COMIC IN NEARLY TWO DECADES

25¢ promotion successfully expands readership, pre-orders exceed 730,000

Image Comics partner and pop culture phenomenon Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard’s THE WALKING DEAD #163 is the Direct Market’s highest ordered comic in nearly 20 years.

As final orders rolled in this week from Diamond Comic Distributors, THE WALKING DEAD #163 pre-orders exceeded 730,000 copies—without the aid of subscription box numbers to bolster the overall total—making the goal of expanding readership through a promotional 25¢ price point an overwhelming success.

THE WALKING DEAD #163’s orders overtake every other high-charting comic in print today and surpass the orders of the Batman: The 10-Cent Adventure one-shot that topped Diamond’s unit sales charts in January 2002.

Coming on the heels of the bestselling “THE WHISPERER WAR” storyline, this issue marks the beginning of the “CONQUERED” story arc in the long-running blockbuster series and provides the perfect opportunity for discovery for new readers or fans of the hit AMC TV show to get hooked on the comic series.

Image Comics enjoys a close relationship with the Direct Market comics retailers, often incorporating retailer feedback gained through always-open lines of communication, into the company’s overall sales approach. Rather than simply circulate marketing messaging to fans encouraging consumers visit their local comic shop, Image Comics’ 25¢ initiative—which begins with the special 40-page THE WALKING DEAD #163 and continues with INVINCIBLE #133 and OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #25—is a definitive and quantifiable move to pay it forward to retailers who have long supported growing the creator-owned readership.

The mission behind this promotion was not based solely on helping isolated titles gain a boost, but by increasing overall exposure through some of Image’s best-known titles. “The Direct Market helped make THE WALKING DEAD, INVINCIBLE, and OUTCAST the successful series they are today, and acknowledging that support is a big part of our agenda as Image turns 25 this year,” explained Kirkman. “Comic book stores have made it easier for us to accomplish everything we’ve done since our last anniversary, so giving back just makes sense, even though it means we’re not making a dime off these books.

“Don’t get me wrong: Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudiano, Cliff Rathburn, and Rus Wooton are all being compensated as usual for their contributions to THE WALKING DEAD #163, but neither myself nor Image will profit off this issue. As with most of our decisions at Image, we’re looking instead at the long-term benefits of getting more readers into stores and more of the world’s best creator-owned comics into those readers’ hands.”

Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics, added: “When we first began discussing how to celebrate our 25th anniversary, one of the first ideas that came up was offering some of our best titles at 25¢ in an effort to reach as many readers as possible. We knew we’d be selling the books at a loss—no matter how high the orders—but our number one goal is always to get books in front of as many readers as possible, and the best way to do that is by giving comic book stores something they can quite literally put in people’s hands for pocket change.”

THE WALKING DEAD #163 will be available in stores on Wednesday, February 1st—just in time for fans to celebrate “Image Day”.

INVINCIBLE #133 (Diamond Code DEC160639) will be available in stores on Wednesday, February 15th. Final order cutoff is Monday, January 23rd.

OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA #25 (Diamond Code DEC160664) will be available in stores on Wednesday, February 22nd. The final order cutoff for comics retailers is Monday, January 30th.

Image Comics partner and pop culture phenomenon Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard’s THE WALKING DEAD #163 is the Direct Market’s highest ordered comic in nearly 20 years. As final orders rolled in this week from Diamond Comic Distributors, THE WALKING DEAD #163 pre-orders exceeded 730,000 ...