IMAGE COMICS FOUNDERS REUNITE
AT EMERALD CITY COMICON 2017
TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY
Rare gathering of original founders set for Friday, March 3rd 

Image Comics and ReedPOP, the leading producer of pop culture events are pleased to announce that original Image Comics company founders Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, and Whilce Portacio will reunite at Emerald City Comicon 2017 to celebrate the company’s milestone 25th anniversary. The panel will be moderated by Walking Dead creator and Image Comics partner, Robert Kirkman.

The Image Comics founders will come together for a very special ECCC panel on Friday, March 3rd from 1:00–2:30 PM. The panel will focus on the origin story of the company when, 25 years ago, a group of comics artists looked at the difference between what they were capable of and what they were being given, and left the promise of steady work for new pastures. The result was Image Comics, which has grown from an upstart group to a comics publisher that has changed the course of the industry. Image's 25th anniversary year begins with this special event, a rare gathering that is not to be missed.

Following the panel, there will be an exclusive signing with the Image Comics founders in the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel located next door to the Washington State Convention Center from 3:00–4:30 PM. ECCC will coordinate a ‘lottery system’ where badge-holding fans will submit their names and a lucky 300 fans will win a limited edition poster and admission to have it signed by the founders. Lottery applications are open on the Emerald City Comicon website until February 21st.

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 creator-owned comics to the forefront of industry change and, after 25 years of amazing storytelling freedom, Image Comics celebrates the milestone anniversary all year long with ongoing promotions, events, and festivities.

For more details on Image Comics at ECCC, including the full list of panels, signings, show variants, and attending creators, check back for updates at: www.imagecomics.com.

Emerald City Comicon is the premier comic book and pop culture convention in the Northwest taking place in downtown Seattle at the Washington State Convention Center. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this year’s show will take place March 2 – 5, 2017. For tickets and additional show information, please visit www.EmeraldCityComicon.com. 

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

ABOUT REEDPOP
ReedPOP is a boutique group within Reed Exhibitions exclusively devoted to organizing events, launching and acquiring new shows, and partnering with premium brands in the pop culture world. ReedPOP is dedicated to celebrations of popular culture throughout the globe that transcend ordinary events by providing unique access and dynamic personal experiences. The ReedPOP portfolio includes: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) West, East, South and Australia, Emerald City Comicon (ECCC), BookCon, Oz Comic-Con, Comic Con India, Paris Comic Con, Star Wars Celebration, Star Trek: Mission New York, TwitchCon, ComplexCon, UFC Fan Expo and more. The staff at ReedPOP is a fan-based group of professionals uniquely qualified to serve those with whom they share a common passion. ReedPOP is focused on bringing its expertise and knowledge to world communities in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, India and Australia. (www.reedpop.com)