Top Cow Productions: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 13:40, 20 June 2006

Top Cow Productions (TCP) is an imprint of Image Comics founded by Marc Silvestri in the 1992. During Image's initial stages, Silvestri shared a studio with Jim Lee, where he created his first creator-owned comic, Cyberforce, as part of Image's initial line-up.

After setting up his own studio, Top Cow expanded into other comics, launching Codename: Strykeforce, a new Cyberforce series and various spin-offs. The company attracted various professionals known across the industry, including artist Brandon Peterson, writer Garth Ennis and former Marvel staffer David Wohl. It also helped launch the careers of various writers and artists, such as Christina Z., Joe Benitez, Michael Turner and David Finch. Turner and Finch have since worked for DC and Marvel Comics.

In 1996, Top Cow was briefly moved away from Image during a power struggle with Image associate Rob Liefeld, returning shortly afterwards, when Liefeld left the company. At the same time, Top Cow was abandoning superheroes and moving into a darker subsegment of the fantasy genre, with new properties Witchblade (where Turner had his first smash hit) and The Darkness (where Marc Silvestri returned to artist duties). Due to the success of "Witchblade" Top Cow began cashing in on Turner giving most to all books Turner variants, producing multiple "clone artists" and soon enough Top Cow began cashing in on T&A.

Due to the success of these titles, Top Cow, which was now functioning like a regular publishing company, launched a line of creator-owned comics, that included Turner's Fathom and Aphrodite IX. Unfortunately, problems with deadlines and royalties forced Michael Turner to leave the company, and Top Cow went back to focus on their chief properties. Silvestri tried the concept once more with a new imprint, Joe's Comics, created exclusively for J. Michael Straczynski, launching Rising Stars and Midnight Nation, but once again disagreements led to the imprint's demise.

Top Cow is also known for bringing Tomb Raider's Lara Croft to comics, with various graphic novels written and drawn by some of the industry's best known creators, including former writers Dan Jurgens and Paul Jenkins and artist Andy Park. The cartoon Battle of the Planets is another licensed property where Top Cow has invested, thanks to the collaboration of cover artist Alex Ross.

In recent years Top Cow has been taking one hit after another. First the loss of Turner, who could be considered their main asset and then the "Rising Stars" conflict projected a bad image on the company. Secondly, while "Witchblade" has been revitalized by Ron Marz and moved away from its T&A roots and is getting crtitcal acclaim "The Darkness", the companies other flagship title, was forced into hiatus due to low sales and lack of set direction and creative team. New books "V.I.C.E." and "The Necromancer" were cancelled (though the later may come back if TPB sales go well) and "Hunter/Killer" is expected to go under once Marc Silvestri leaves the book. It is beginning to seem as though Top Cow can not carry any title other than "Witchblade". Also bad TPB policies and erratic production schedules have reflected badly on the studio.

The company's next attempt will be a relaunch of Cyberforce helmed by Ron Marz (who seems to be all thats keeping the company alive) and the controversial Pat Lee. Whether or not Pat Lee's controvertial past at DreamWave will affect the book's sales has yet to be seen.

Top Cow titles

21
Aphrodite IX
Ascension
Ballistic
Battle of the Planets (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
Butcher Knight
City of Heroes (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
Codename: Strykeforce
Common Grounds
Cyberforce
The Darkness
Down
EVO
Fathom
Fear Effect
Freshmen
Hunter-Killer
The Magdalena
Midnight Nation (Joe's Comics)
Myth Warriors
The Necromancer
Nine Volt
Proximity Effect
Ripclaw
Rising Stars (Joe's Comics)
Spirit of the Tao
Tokyo Knights
Tom Judge: The Rapture
Tomb Raider (licensed to but not owned by Top Cow)
Universe
V.I.C.E.
Wanted
Weapon Zero
Witchblade

External links

Top Cow

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 Top Cow is also known for bringing ''[[Tomb Raider]]'''s [[Lara Croft]] to comics, with various graphic novels written and drawn by some of the industry's best known creators, including former writers [[Dan Jurgens]] and [[Paul Jenkins]] and artist [[Andy Park]]. The cartoon ''[[Battle of the Planets]]'' is another licensed property where Top Cow has invested, thanks to the collaboration of cover artist [[Alex Ross]].
-In recent years Top Cow has been taking one hit after another. First the loss of Turner, who could be considered their main asset and then the "Rising Stars" conflict projected a bad image on the company. Secondly, while "[[Witchblade]]" has been revitalized by Ron Marz and moved away from its T&A roots and is getting crtitcal acclaim "The Darkness", the companies other flagship title, was forced into hiatus due to low sales and lack of set direction and creative team. New books "V.I.C.E." and "The Necromancer" were cancelled (though the later may come back if TPB sales go well) and "Hunter/Killer" is expected to go under once Marc Silvestri leaves the book. It is beginning to seem as though Top Cow can not carry any title other than "Witchblade". Also bad TPB policies and irratic production schedules have reflected badly on the studio.
+In recent years Top Cow has been taking one hit after another. First the loss of Turner, who could be considered their main asset and then the "Rising Stars" conflict projected a bad image on the company. Secondly, while "[[Witchblade]]" has been revitalized by Ron Marz and moved away from its T&A roots and is getting crtitcal acclaim "The Darkness", the companies other flagship title, was forced into hiatus due to low sales and lack of set direction and creative team. New books "V.I.C.E." and "The Necromancer" were cancelled (though the later may come back if TPB sales go well) and "Hunter/Killer" is expected to go under once Marc Silvestri leaves the book. It is beginning to seem as though Top Cow can not carry any title other than "Witchblade". Also bad TPB policies and erratic production schedules have reflected badly on the studio.
 The company's next attempt will be a relaunch of Cyberforce helmed by Ron Marz (who seems to be all thats keeping the company alive) and the controversial [[Pat Lee]]. Whether or not Pat Lee's controvertial past at [[DreamWave]] will affect the book's sales has yet to be seen.