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Taking The High Road Out Of Hell: Tim Seeley Paying Debt Owed To ‘Hack/Slash’ Artists Out Of His Own Pocket

Published

14 years ago

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Like any good break-up worth its salt there has to be loss involved for both parties involved. This past weekend we ran the news that publisher Image Comics had acquired the rights to Tim Seeley’s ubber popular brainchild “HACK/SLASH” from original publisher Devil’s Due. In that article I touched on the mountain of debt that the publisher owes to its artists and writers, something that now that it has lost its top selling commodity, will probably prove to be its downfall. Well now it is being reported over at Bleeding Cool News that the scribe himself will be taking on the debt owed to those that have contributed to his title on his own shoulders, and out of his own pocket book. Read on for the skinny.

Here’s An Excerpt From Bleeding Cool’s Article,

“Tim Seeley has told me he’s taken out a loan to pay off the unpaid artists, owed money by Devil’s Due. It’s not his debt, but it’s one he feels responsible for. The money owed by Devil’s Due to Tim has been cleared in exchange to Tim taking the comic away from Devil’s Due before the contract period is up. And taking on Wildstorm work should see him able to pay that loan off sooner, while he waits for Image money to come through, or the possible trickle from Devil’s Due.”

You can read the full write up over at Bleeding Cool News.

Let this be a lesson to everyone out there that has a great idea and is thinking about shopping it around to publishers. This industry is full of dishonest thieves who are perfectly content with ripping you off through the means of some sort of 2 point font type at the bottom of a 100 page contract, or, in Devil’s Due’s case, even without a loophole.

I’m sure Tim will be ok now that Image has the rights to publish his title. The writer has done nothing but go the extra mile in his career to get his little brain-child out there and into the minds of readers, and month-to-month delivered a standout piece of work. being a creator owned publisher (And an honest one at that) I’m sure that Image will be more than capable of adequately promoting his title and hopefully getting the film adaptation off the ground. I will say that June cannot come quick enough for me so I can see just what Tim and the guys over at Image can cook up.

As for Devil’s Due, karma is going to be a bitch. The company owes a lot more people than Seeley’s crew money, and even without the debt they are owed the company is more than likely going to file for bankruptcy within the next 60 days. I’d imagine that lawsuits will also be pending before the month is out, but hey, maybe the rest of the hard working artists and writers out there will just work off a buddy system like Seeley and give DDP a get out of jail free card? Let’s hope not.

The ‘Kiss It’ with the Image logo etched onto Cassie’s bat sure does ring true here. Talk about the Devil getting his due, right? What say you?

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

6 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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