Top Cow Productions is an American
comics
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
publisher, an
imprint
Imprint or imprinting may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series
* "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror''
* ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film
...
of
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
founded by
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He serves as CEO of both Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958 in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, ...
in 1992.
History
![10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/10.13.12MattHawkinsByLuigiNovi2.jpg)
During the early years of
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
, which was founded in 1992, co-founder
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He serves as CEO of both Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958 in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, ...
shared a studio with
Jim Lee
Jim Lee (Korean 이용철; born August 11, 1964) is a Korean American comic-book artist, writer, editor, and publisher. He is currently the Publisher and Chief Creative Officer of DC Comics. In recognition of his work, Lee has received a Harvey ...
, where he created his first
creator-owned
In the United States, creator ownership in comics is an arrangement in which the comic book creator retains full ownership of the material, regardless of whether the work is self-published or published by a corporate publisher.
In some fields of ...
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
, ''
Cyberforce'', as part of Image's initial line-up. After setting up his own studio, Top Cow Productions, he expanded into other comics, launching ''
Codename: Strykeforce'', a new ''Cyberforce'' series and various spin-offs.
The company attracted several professionals including artist
Brandon Peterson
Brandon Peterson is an American comic book writer and artist, known for his work on Marvel Comics from Paterson New Jersey and Top Cow's '' Codename: Strykeforce'' in the 1990s.
Career
Peterson's early works for Marvel include a ''New Warriors'' ...
, writer
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970) is a Northern Irish–American comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series ''Preacher'' with artist Steve Dillon, his nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise, and '' The Boys'' with artist Dar ...
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. Benitez, Turner and Finch have since worked for
DC and
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
.
In
1996, Top Cow briefly departed from Image during a power struggle with Image associate
Rob Liefeld
Robert Liefeld (; born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. A prominent writer and artist in the 1990s, he is known for co-creating the character Cable (comics), Cable with writer Louise Simonson and the character Deadpool with wri ...
until Liefeld left the company shortly after. At the same time, Top Cow was moving more into the
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
genre. New properties were ''
Witchblade
''Witchblade'' is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owner Marc Silvestri, editor David Wohl, writers ...
'' (where Turner had his first big success) and ''
The Darkness'' (where Marc Silvestri returned to artist duties). Thanks to the success of ''Witchblade'' Top Cow was able to expand, adding to its line with titles that included ''The Darkness'', ''
Magdalena'', ''
Aphrodite IX'', and others. Silvestri was heavily involved in training and developing new talent through the studio and Top Cow was known for a time for its "house style".
In addition to its company-owned properties, Top Cow has worked with creators to develop creator-owned properties. These properties have included Michael Turner's ''
Fathom
A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to , used especially for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is neither an International Standard (SI) unit, nor an internationally-accepted non-SI unit. Hi ...
'' which eventually ended up at Aspen Comics, and
Joe's Comics, created exclusively for
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski (; born July 17, 1954) is an American filmmaker and comic book writer. He is the founder of Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Studio JMS and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series ''Babylon 5'' ( ...
, which included ''
Rising Stars'' and ''
Midnight Nation''. Top Cow is also known for bringing ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...
s
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise ''Tomb Raider''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around th ...
to comics.
In
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Top Cow made a business agreement with Marvel Comics to use several of their licensed properties in their own series, with characters including Wolverine and the Punisher, appearing in crossovers (''Darkness/Wolverine'' and ''Witchblade/Punisher''). Also, as part of this agreement, several Top Cow artists provided art chores on various Marvel series, such as Tyler Kirkham (''
Phoenix: Warsong'' and ''
New Avengers/Transformers''),
Mike Choi (''
X-23: Target X''), and Silvestri himself (''
X-Men: Messiah Complex''). At the 2007
San Diego Comic Con an announcement was made by Marvel Comics extending the deal into 2008. They also used Kickstarter to fund some of the comics.
At the
2007 New York Comic Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006.
History
The New York Comic Con is a f ...
it was announced that Top Cow would be one of the first major comics publishers to offer online distribution, through a partnership with
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
. The initial titles offered were ''
Tomb Raider
''Tomb Raider'', also known as ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'' from 2001 to 2008, is a media franchise that originated with an action-adventure video game series created by British gaming company Core Design. Formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, ...
'' #1–50, ''The Darkness'' #1–50 and ''
Witchblade
''Witchblade'' is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015. The series was created by Top Cow founder and owner Marc Silvestri, editor David Wohl, writers ...
'' #1–50, at around $1 per issue. They also announced a deal with
Zannel to license their comics as
mobile comic
A mobile comic is a digital comic or cartoon strip that can be purchased, downloaded, read and sometimes edited or shared with friends via mobile phones.
Overview
Increasingly the line between digital comics, animation and games is blurring and ...
s.
Titles
Media adaptations
Top Cow publisher Filip Sablik said in an interview that:
''The Darkness''
Film
In December 2004,
Dimension Films paid an undisclosed six-figure sum to develop a
movie
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
based on the comic, possibly for release in 2008. The film was pitched as a movie similar to ''
The Crow
The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at t ...
'', which was also produced by
Dimension
In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a Space (mathematics), mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any Point (geometry), point within it. Thus, a Line (geometry), lin ...
. There have been no further developments.
Video games
In March 2005, ''
The Darkness'' was licensed by
Majesco Entertainment
Majesco Entertainment Company (formerly Majesco Sales Inc.) is an American video game publisher and distributor based in Hazlet, New Jersey. The company was founded as Majesco Sales in Edison, New Jersey in 1986, and was a privately held company ...
for a
console game
A console game is a type of video game consisting of images and often sounds generated by a video game console, which are displayed on a television or similar audio-video system, and that can be manipulated by a player. This manipulation usually ...
to be developed by
Starbreeze Studios
Starbreeze Studios AB is a Swedish video game developer and Video game publisher, publisher based in Stockholm. The studios's notable games developed include ''The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay'', ''Payday 2'' and ''Brothers: ...
.
2K Games later obtained the rights to the game, and the
first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
was released for the
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
console systems on June 25, 2007 in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and releasing first on
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
in
EU Regions on June 29, 2007 and then a month later on
PS3 on July 20.
To promote the video game a five-issue mini-series was released, with each issue chronicled a chapter of the game. In June 2007 it was collected into a
trade paperback.
In February 2012, a sequel to the video game, entitled ''
The Darkness II
''The Darkness II'' is a 2012 first-person shooter video game developed by Digital Extremes and published by 2K Games. The game is the sequel to ''The Darkness (video game), The Darkness'' (2007) and based on the The Darkness (comics), comic boo ...
'', was released for
PC,
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
. The script for the game was written by comic book writer Paul Jenkins, who previously worked on ''The Darkness'' comic series. Unlike the first game, the graphics for ''The Darkness II'' were developed using a cel-shading technique, emulating the aesthetic of its graphic novel namesake. The game received positive reviews from critics.
''Witchblade''
Television series
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the
cable
Cable may refer to:
Mechanical
* Nautical cable, an assembly of three or more ropes woven against the weave of the ropes, rendering it virtually waterproof
* Wire rope, a type of rope that consists of several strands of metal wire laid into a hel ...
network
TNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...
premiered a
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
based on the comic book series in
2001. The series was directed by
Ralph Hemecker
Ralph W. Hemecker is an American director, writer, and producer. He directed episodes of the drama series '' Once Upon a Time'' and ''The Flash''.
Career
In 2000, Hemecker founded Mythic Films, a full service feature film, TV and commercial produ ...
and written by
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri (born March 29, 1958) is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He serves as CEO of both Top Cow Productions and Image Comics.
Early life
Marc Silvestri was born on March 29, 1958 in Palm Beach, Florida.Rosenberg, ...
and J.D. Zeik.
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler (born July 2, 1970) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 film '' Hard Target'', Jess Crossman in '' Drop Zone'', and Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama series ' ...
starred as Sara Pezzini. Although critically acclaimed and popular with audiences, it was canceled in September 2002. Announced as a production decision, the cancellation nevertheless provoked widespread speculation that the true reason was Butler's alcohol addiction. Butler was ordered to enter rehab for
alcohol addiction
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomin ...
a year later, after being arrested for wandering intoxicated amidst traffic.
''Witchblade'' ran for two seasons of 12 episodes on TNT. The first episode aired on June 12, 2001, and the last episode aired on August 26, 2002. On April 1, 2008,
Warner Home Video
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. (formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the home video distribution division of Warner Bros.
It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video ...
announced a long-anticipated DVD release. ''Witchblade: The Complete Series'' — a seven-disc collectors set including the original made-for-TV movie, all 23 episodes of the series, and special features — was released July 29, 2008.
Reboot
In January 2017,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
announced that it would be developing a ''Witchblade'' television series, with
Carol Mendelsohn
Carol Mendelsohn (born 1951) is an American television producer, showrunner, and screenwriter, known for her work on the crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''.
Education
Mendelsohn grew up in Chicago, where her father was an attorney. ...
and
Caroline Dries
Caroline Dries is an American television writer and a producer who has worked as a writer on three series for The CW; '' Smallville'', '' Melrose Place'' and served as an executive producer on ''The Vampire Diaries''. She is also known for the ...
serving as executive producers.
Film adaptation
An
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
superhero film
A superhero film (or superhero movie) is a film that focuses on the actions of superheroes. Superheroes are individuals who possess superhuman abilities and are dedicated to protecting the public. These films typically feature Action film, ac ...
based on the series was announced in 2008.
The film was to be directed by
Michael Rymer
Michael Rymer (born 1 March 1963 in Melbourne) is an Australian television and film director, best known for his work on the re-imagined '' Battlestar Galactica'' TV series, for which he directed the pilot miniseries and several episodes of the ...
, who directed the 2002 film ''
Queen of the Damned
''Queen of the Damned'' is a 2002 vampire film directed by Michael Rymer, loosely based on the third novel of Anne Rice's '' The Vampire Chronicles'' series, ''The Queen of the Damned'' (1988), although the film contains many plot elements from t ...
'' and several episodes of ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
'', and was to be written by
Everett De Roche
Everett De Roche (July 12, 1946 - April 2, 2014) was an American-Australian screenwriter who worked extensively in the Australian film and TV industry. He was best known for his work in the thriller and horror genre, with such credits as ''Long ...
.
The film was one of two being produced and financed back-to-back by
Platinum Studios
Platinum Studios, Inc. is a media company based in the United States. It controls a library of thousands of comic-book characters, which it seeks to adapt, produce, and license for all forms of media. The company has released films and/or telev ...
, IDG Films and
Relativity Media
Relativity Media is an American media company founded in 2004 by Lynwood Spinks and Ryan Kavanaugh. The company brokered film finance deals and later branched into film production and other entertainment ventures. The company was commerciall ...
. The film was to be produced by Arclight's Gary Hamilton and Nigel Odell, Platinum Studios'
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg is an American film, television, and comic book producer. He is the chairman of Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls a library of comic-book characters and adapts them for film, television and other ...
, and Steve Squillante of Havenwood Media. Top Cow's Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins were to be executive producers with Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic and Greenberg Group's Randy Greenberg. Filming was announced to begin in September 2008, with China and Australia among the possible locations being considered for filming.
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film '' Holiday in the Sun'' (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy ...
was approached for the role of Sara Pezzini at the 2008
San Diego Comic-Con
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
.
The film's website and teaser poster were released in May 2008,
but the project was later cancelled.
Anime series
In 2004 Japanese animation studio
GONZO
Gonzo may refer to:
People
* Gonzo (nickname), a list of people with the nickname
* Radislav Jovanov Gonzo (born 1964), Croatian music video director Radislav Jovanov, also known as Gonzo
* Matthias Röhr (born 1962), German musician whose sta ...
announced an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
version of ''Witchblade'', with a subsequent
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
adaptation. The anime version is considered controversial by some because GONZO has announced that the main
character
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
of the anime is of Japanese ethnicity but is not
Itagaki, one of the previous bearers of the Witchblade. Instead it is a new character named Masane. Although this series sets up an entire new story with all new characters, it is set in the same continuity as the comic book.
The anime series began broadcast during April 2006 and ran for 24 episodes. The lead character is the kind-hearted Masane who, despite her good intentions, is fairly clumsy and not good around the house. After the events of an earthquake that struck her home six years before the series, known as "Year Zero", Masane has no recollection of her past prior to this date. When she comes into contact with the Witchblade, Masane also finds herself under the watchful eye of an organization called the NSWF (National Scientific Welfare Foundation), and struggles to hold on to her daughter Rihoko, whom the government is trying to take from her.
See also
*
Angoulême International Comics Festival
The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after Lu ...
*
Comic-Con International
*
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
*
Semic Comics
''Semic Comics'' is one of the leading comic book publishers in France, also known as Semic S.A. Along with French comics, formerly the company published the official translations of products produced by DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Today, Semic pu ...
References
External links
*
*
Image Comics– Image Comics Official Site
*Arrant, Chris (June 24, 2008)
Newsarama
Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS.
History
N ...
.
*Arrant, Chris (June 25, 2008)
"Top Cow: Then and Now 2: Q&A with Publisher Filip Sablik" Newsarama.
*
*Furey, Emmett (December 1, 2008)
"WEEK OF TOP COW: Marc Silvestri" Comic Book Resources
''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion.
History
Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...
.
*Furey, Emmett (December 2, 2008)
"WEEK OF TOP COW: Filip Sablik" Comic Book Resources.
*Weiland, Jonah (December 3, 2008)
"WEEK OF TOP COW: Ron Marz & Phil Hester" Comic Book Resources. December 3, 2008
*Furey, Emmett (December 5, 2008)
"WEEK OF TOP COW: Matt Hawkins" Comic Book Resources.
*Furey, Emmett (December 8, 2008)
"WEEK OF TOP COW: Rob Levin" Comic Book Resources.
*Furey, Emmett (December 8, 2008)
"The Future of Top Cow with Filip Sablik" Comic Book Resources.
"Interview with Top Cow Productions Publisher, Filip Sablik" Flames Rising. May 1, 2010
{{Authority control
1992 establishments in California
Comic book publishing companies of the United States
Companies based in Los Angeles
Publishing companies established in 1992
Book publishing companies based in California