TODD McFARLANE Discusses What It Takes to Get Started at Image Comics

With the debate raging lately over creator vs company rights, co-founder Todd McFarlane tells us what it takes to get your creator owned product going at Image Comics.

By Hawksblueyes - Feb 20, 2012 01:02 PM EST

Filed Under: Comics

Over the last few weeks it seems we've been bombarded with news concerning lawsuits challenging comic character rights. Reports concerning numerous characters, their creators and respective comic companies have been an everyday occurrence.

NEWSaRAMA had the opportunity to sit down with fan favorite Spider-Man artist and SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane, who also happens to be one of the men who spearheaded the Creator Owned movement at Image Comics in the early 90's. Now, 20 years after it's inception, Image co founder McFarlane had plenty to say on the topic of creator rights. He also offers his opinion concerning various lawsuits that have been making recent headlines. What follows is just a small portion of the interview in which McFarlane tells us some of the tribulations you can expect to encounter when starting your own creator owned title at Image.

From NEWSaRAMA...

I think that when we came out of the gate and we offered the deal to creators who wanted to jump on board the bandwagon, it was the best deal that was out there, and 20 years later, it's still the best deal. Nobody offers what we offer right now. You know?

The down side of it, which is frustrating to me, as a guy who just always wanted to get out of his cage and at least try to run around free for awhile, is that a lot of people aren't willing to take that leap. Because we don't own anything at Image, we also don't pay you anything. So it's all on you to start with. So you can put a book out at Image, and you can own it, but you've got to put a team together, convince everybody to do it or just fund it yourself or whatever. But they don't get any money from the sales of that until we solicit, sell it and we collect it and give it back to you.
So that means there's about a three to four month window where you have to sustain yourself somehow. Somehow. I don't know how you do it, one way or the other.

But from my perspective, I would beg, borrow and steal any and everything that I could. I'd hit up my mom, my dad and my relatives. I mean, anything I could to get enough money to eat macaroni and cheese so that I could survive and keep the electricity on for three months and hope that when that book finally hits the shelf and I collect the money, because I'm going to get the pre-orders, that I can now basically do this book for a hundred issues. And I've run into, sadly from my perspective, way too many guys that have let 90 days of living a bit of a lower standard of life dictate the next 10 years of their life. It's incomprehensible to a guy like me. Are you kidding me? I'd live on the streets for 90 days to just get that opportunity.

And in a bizarre way, they've actually offered to sell their idea to us if we give them a paycheck. And I'm thinking, wow, that's counter to why you'd want to work with Image. Our whole point is for you to own it. Own it yourself.

Hawksblueyes: There is much, much more to this interview with McFarlane at NEWSaRAMA.com. To read it in it's entirety (and I recommend you do) click on the link below.

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26 Comments

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 1:59 PM

I thought the same thing tea. I'm not a huge fan of his either but love or hate him, there aren't many people with more insight on what it takes concerning character rights. The rest of the interview should really be read if you have any interest at all on the topic. Great interview.

marvel72 - 2/20/2012, 2:04 PM

that was very intresting indeed,i didn't know thats how image did things.

Mugwamp - 2/20/2012, 2:16 PM

Maybe he was just being honest. It's a nasty business and you do what you have to do.

Lert - 2/20/2012, 2:20 PM

he had to make money in his character figures alone! Now in sports.. waiting for MMA figures

thewolfx - 2/20/2012, 2:21 PM

hes needs to make a spawn movie that lives up to spawns awesomeness

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 2:29 PM

Not to change the subject tea but did you catch the Phineas Horton reference in Captain America:The First Avenger?

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 2:43 PM

His name was written in huge letters across the top of the Human Torch Display.I had noticed the Torch before but never the name. I noticed it this weekend and was wondering if it was placed there as a future reference.

After all, when he created the first Torch he was working for Victor Timely aka KANG.

I've seen nothing else remotely close to any Big Villain references in any of the other films. Kang could certainly explain a lot.

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 2:55 PM

Yeah, if they're e paying attention to comic cannon at all (and it seems that they have been so far)with their references, I would think that would place Kang on Earth during that time. I could see that image as a flashback in caps head when Kang tells him he was there.

Tevii - 2/20/2012, 3:10 PM

Great article. Todd knows his S#it

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 3:22 PM

Both of your thoughts are very possible tea. Having removed Red Skull from the picture SHIELD could be looking at other suspicious scientists from that time period.

Also, they've made it very clear that there are huge gaps in between the events that took place in Captain America. So the Human Torch/Namor/Vision idea is also viable.

What caught my eye is that it was in great big letters as if we were meant to catch it. If so, it means something.

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 3:28 PM

I love games involving feet.

Ghostt - 2/20/2012, 3:31 PM

people don't like his art? weird. He's frackin talented and his run on Amazing Spiderman was fantastic

Hawksblueyes - 2/20/2012, 4:12 PM

knossis: Exactly. If your character was a bullet, Image would be the gun willing to shoot you out. No pun intended.

YES tea, DAMNIT! AND HOOVES!

novaprime - 2/20/2012, 5:19 PM

Were the fffkkkk is that spawn movie and anime u promised and that That Great Haunt anime u promised..

Howlett - 2/20/2012, 5:41 PM

the comics of my childhood, Image comics.

JasonCYates - 2/20/2012, 7:40 PM

So, help me understand.....If you have to do everything yourself, WHAT'S THE POINT IN GETTING INVOLVED WITH IMAGE IN THE FIRST PLACE?????????????????

Rendishen - 2/20/2012, 8:41 PM

This was a good read! thank you for posting this article.

ZombieOverEasy - 2/21/2012, 4:41 AM

I remember when Image launched...guy at the comic shop said it would be dead in 3 months. LoL I wish I could go back in time and bet him otherwise.

Hawksblueyes - 2/21/2012, 5:48 AM

Jason: Image publishes and distributes your book for you. You can have the best book in the world but if nobody knows about it, it won't sell. Image makes sure there are multiple copies of your book in every comic shop that carries the Image brand.

Nomis: Kane is favorite also, closely followed by Larson.

TODD McFARLANE Discusses What It Takes to Get Started at Image Comics

With the debate raging lately over creator vs company rights, co-founder Todd McFarlane tells us what it takes to get your creator owned product going at Image Comics.

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