A risk-taker with an unerring instinct for success, Todd McFarlane has made a multi-million dollar empire using those skills and along the way he and his companies have received nearly a hundred national and international awards, including two Emmys, a Grammy, and MTV Music Awards for his producer/director roles. McFarlane became a true comic book superstar for his record setting work on Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man franchise, where he co-created the anti-hero Venom. The Sony Pictures’ Venom film starring Tom Hardy set an all-time record for largest film opening in October and was #1 at the box office its first two weeks of release. This year, McFarlane has announced an ensemble of award-winning talent for his upcoming Spawn movie: Casting Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) to play Spawn and Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, The Town, Wind River) to play police detective "Twitch" Williams. This new Spawn film will be a gritty, R-rated re-imagining of the character and marks McFarlane’s feature film directorial debut. Academy Award nominee Jason Blum and his BlumhouseProductions, the force behind recent hits Get Out, Split and Halloween, are attached to produce. McFarlane also co-founded in 1992—and serves as current President of—Image Comics. Image has been the third largest comic publisher in North America the past 26 years (behind Marvel and DC Comics). In 1994, McFarlane founded the international award-winning McFarlane Toys—now one of North America’s top action figure manufacturers, boasting over 150 licenses (including the recently announced Fortnite license) during that time. Artistically, McFarlane’s impact visually on the look of Spider-Man (while working at Marvel in the 1990s) can still be seen today. And a single page of McFarlane’s original art from an issue of Amazing Spider-Man sold for a record-smashing $657,250. Then his first issue for Image Comics, called Spawn, sold an unprecedented 1.7 million copies for an independent comic. Since its debut, Spawn has continued to be a fan favorite title around the world. Spawn is published in 12 languages and sold in 37 countries. The comic became an Emmy Award-Winning animated series on HBO and a New Line Cinema feature film. McFarlane founded the international award-winning McFarlane Toys—now one of North America’s top action figure manufacturers. A whirlwind of expansion in McFarlane’s companies followed: more comics, action figures, and award-winning entertainment projects which boast over 150 licenses. McFarlane Toys is known for making the best toys of the world’s pop-culture obsessions including the newly launched Fortnite and roleplay line.Alan Moore is perhaps the most acclaimed writer in the graphic story medium, having garnered countless awards for works such as WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA, SWAMP THING and MIRACLEMAN. He is also the mastermind behind the America's Best Comics line, through which he has created (along with many talented illustrators) THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, PROMETHEA, TOM STRONG, TOMORROW STORIES and TOP TEN. As one of the medium's most important innovators since the early 1980s, Moore has influenced an entire generation of comics creators, and his work continues to inspire an ever-growing audience.Scottish comics creator Grant Morrison is known as one of the brightest minds in the comics business.Frank Miller is regarded as one of the most influential and awarded professionals in the entertainment industry today, known for his intense, hard-boiled storytelling and gritty noir aesthetic across comics, graphic novels, and film.Greg Capullo is a renowned comic book artist, known for his dynamic style and attention to detail. Born in Schenectady, New York, Capullo’s passion for drawing and creating comics began at a young age. He started his career working for smaller publishers before landing a job at Marvel Comics, where he worked on titles such as X-Force and Quasar. He later moved to rival company DC Comics, where he achieved his greatest success as the primary artist for the critically acclaimed Batman series in collaboration with writer Scott Snyder. Capullo’s distinctive style features bold lines and intricate detail. He has the ability to capture the essence of characters and bring them to life through his illustrations. His work on Batman, in particular, has received widespread critical acclaim, earning him numerous Eisner Awards and cementing his position as one of the top comic book artists in the industry. In addition to his work on Batman, Capullo has also collaborated with writer Todd McFarlane on the creation of the iconic comic book series, Spawn. Capullo’s artwork on Spawn has garnered high praise and earned him multiple awards, including a Harvey Award. His collaborative work with McFarlane is considered one of the best partnerships in the comic book industry and has continued for many years. With a career spanning over three decades, Greg Capullo has made an indelible mark on the comic book industry and continues to inspire new generations of artists and fans.Tony S. Daniel is a comic book writer and artist known for his work on various books for DC Comics, including Teen Titans, Deathstroke, and Batman. His work on Detective Comics earned him a spot as a New York Times Bestselling Writer. He’s also worked on creator-owned titles such as The Tenth, Adrenalynn, F5, and Silke.Marc Silvestri made history as one of the founding partners of Image comics in 1992. Creator, businessman, savant, writer, teacher, artist... these are only a few of the words that one would associate with Marc. His characters, artwork, and creations have made billions of dollars for Marvel Comics as well as his own company, Top Cow Productions, that he founded in 1992, as a partner of Image Comics. He is well known for his work on iconic Marvel titles such as The X-Men, Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk. As CEO of Top Cow Productions, his mandate was specific; produce the next generation of heroes and do it different than everyone else. Marc masterminded the Top Cow Universe through properties like Cyber Force, Witchblade, and The Darkness. When Hollywood started its love affair with comic book characters in the mid-1990s Marc helped position Top Cow as a vital production company in film and television. In addition to comic books, Marc has acted as Executive Producer in a variety of other media including the Witchblade television series and anime series, the Wanted feature film, the A-Team feature film, and two successful video games based off of The Darkness. Marc‘s much anticipated Batman/Joker team up book for DC comics will no doubt showcase his ongoing commitment to innovate and strive to always evolve as a creator and artist.
