The Image Revolution - H 2013
The formation of Image Comics in 1992 was a monumental shift for the comics world.
Seven artists — some superstars such as Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane, some rising stars — broke away from Marvel and formed their own creation, which they wholly owned, controlled and, in some cases, made millions off of.
In a certain light, you could compare it to the dismantling of the studio system, which, with its contract system, locked in actors unfairly and had their lives controlled by moguls.
Of course, Image’s golden age faded, and the company didn’t always live up to its early promises, but now that golden era is the focus of a documentary by director-producer Patrick Meaney, producer Jordan Rennert and exec producers Julian Darius and Mike Phillips.
Called The Image Revolution, the doc uses new interviews as well as vintage early ’90s VHS footage to tell the story of the creation of the company and its newfound relevancy today as a depot for new creations and home for comics such as The Walking Dead.
“The founding and subsequent history of Image is just a great story, with seven huge personalities at the center. Twenty years out, all the wounds have healed, so it seemed like a great time to look back and get an unvarnished account of a really tumultuous, exciting time in comics history,” said Meaney.
The filmmakers began shooting at last year’s Image Expo and have been trying to track as much footage from the early days as they can.
“This was a time when a bunch of kids, people who were 30 at the oldest, created multimillion-dollar companies staffed by a bunch of teenagers, who were all making crazy amounts of money and putting out comic books that sold more than at any other time in history,” said Meaney. “It’s fascinating to watch how the seven founders adapted to their fame and success and struggled to deal with the responsibility.”
Here’s the exclusive look at the trailer:
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