Grant Morrison's Happy @ Image

[Emperor]

Obviously it is also exciting that he has teamed with Darick Robertson on this, but as well as comic itself, one of the key aspects that this is at Image, not Vertigo, and is only the first of a number of titles he'll have coming from them. This might be because Vertigo's contracts aren't as creator-friendly and could be a bad sign for the imprints future. Of course, it could be as he said, that they aren't very Vertigo-y (although I suspect whatever he wanted to publish there would be jumped at, then again I suspect they'd also cut him a better deal too):

iFanboy: After years of working with DC Comics and Vertigo, why the move to work with Image Comics?

Grant Morrison: Well, I'm still writing Batman and Superman stories at DC for the foreseeable future and also doing new creator owned stuff  for Vertigo – the final volume of Seaguy and at least one other series too be announced – but over the last couple of years I've been developing a range of new titles and characters, not all of which would necessarily suit Vertigo. I liked the idea of doing different types of books with different publishers, hence things like Dinosaurs versus Aliens with Liquid/Dynamite, and the rawer, more...unrestrained work I'm doing with Image.

...

iF: Can you tell us about any of the projects you'll be doing at Image and what can fans expect?

GM: So far, I'm only able to tell you that the first one is set around Christmas, it's called Happy! and it's drawn by Darick Robertson an artist I've had plans to work with for a long time.  Happy! is in a genre I've never really tackled before – but with a bizarre twist, of course.

Beyond that, there are big plans to do more books at Image and I have several ideas lined up – but I have to wait until the ink dries on the contracts before I'm allowed to say another word!

iF: Image Comics has been very active in promoting creator owned comics and new ideas, as someone who's made a name for big, new ideas, how do you feel about the creator owned movement in comics and bringing something new to the table?

GM: As much as I enjoy contributing stories to long-running franchises and work-for-hire superhero universes, I've made a point of owning my own stuff all the way from when I started out as a teenager in the '70s doing Captain Clyde and the strips in Near Myths to Joe the Barbarian just last year. For numerous reasons, I think it's important for any writer in the comics business to maintain a healthy portfolio of creator-owned material and IPs and I'm encouraged and inspired by the fact that companies like Image exist to provide that platform and permit a level of creative self-expression that's hard to find in other media.

Everybody knows we need new, contemporary characters and stories that are relevant to the world we live in; I'm delighted that 2012 is shaping up to be a banner year for fresh and original comics.

http://ifanboy.com/articles/exclusive-image-expo-happy-from-grant-morrison-darick-robertson-at-image-comics/

"Raw" and "unrestrained" Grant Morrison? Well I for one am both excited and a little bit scared, in a good way.

[Ancient Otter]

Interesting. Nice to see Seaguy mentioned too.

[Evil Pants]

I think 2012 is going to be remembered as the year that Vertigo died (though the name might still be around for a while). The sampler of their new line up was of...variable...quality if we're being kind. And then this. The fact that Morrison, Vaughan, and Wood, not to mention people like Graham and Stokoe are doing their books at Image now should be a wake up call to the imprint.

The thing is, I'm not entirely sure anybody at DC other than Karen Berger would be sad to see it go. Out of all the new Image announcements, the Brian Wood/Ming Doyle is the most interesting to me. That Crime and Terror book by Scott Morse and Steve Niles looks interesting too.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

ISRC hasn't Vertigo in the last 10 years rejected Morrison proposals on the grounds of being too British?

[Link Prime]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

[Evil Pants]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Near Death, Pigs, and Orc Stain are all quite excellent as well.  Plus Brian Vaughan's Saga, Ted McKeever's Mondo, all of the various Hickman stuff that's coming out this year...they're on fire right now. It's the diversity of the product that's impressing me.

[Link Prime]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Near Death, Pigs, and Orc Stain are all quite excellent as well.  Plus Brian Vaughan's Saga, Ted McKeever's Mondo, all of the various Hickman stuff that's coming out this year...they're on fire right now. It's the diversity of the product that's impressing me.

I think you really must be 'evil', Evil...why else would you be tempting me to try so many new comics???
I'm gonna be living off popcorn and water for the next few weeks if I start getting these...must keep an undernourished eye out or a Comixology Image sale...

[PreacherCain]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Historically I've always seen Image as more 'artist-led' (probably due to its founders!) and Vertigo more 'writer-led'.

I wonder is DC just planning on shutting up shop on Vertigo altogether? Maybe they'll continue to just release stuff like Fables as trades (as they're doing with the Earth One series of GNs) if that has no plans on ending. Wood has finished up Northlanders and DMZ and is moving on; Scalped is finishing soon with Aaron looking like he's staying put at Marvel; Carey seems to be working towards an ending to The Unwritten. Swamp Thing/Constantine have returned to the DCU. And Karen Berger is editing a DCU title for the first time in something like 20 years! 

DC aren't set up for handling creator-owned material anymore effectively than Marvel is with Icon. If creators really want to own their characters, stories and original ideas, they're going to go with Image now.

[Evil Pants]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Near Death, Pigs, and Orc Stain are all quite excellent as well.  Plus Brian Vaughan's Saga, Ted McKeever's Mondo, all of the various Hickman stuff that's coming out this year...they're on fire right now. It's the diversity of the product that's impressing me.

I think you really must be 'evil', Evil...why else would you be tempting me to try so many new comics???
I'm gonna be living off popcorn and water for the next few weeks if I start getting these...must keep an undernourished eye out or a Comixology Image sale...

Mwahahahahaha....

If you're looking for more recommendations, my Best Of The Year posts in my blog (I think it's in my signature) are fairly comprehensive...at least in the kind of books I like :-)

[Evil Pants]

There is a definite 'Vertigo' vibe from Image at the moment, I've tried some of their new stuff like Fatale & Prophet (recommended highly by fellow forum brethren) and really loved Severed too. Throw in comics like The Walking Dead and it's plain to see they've eclipsed Vertigo, even in it's heyday.

Historically I've always seen Image as more 'artist-led' (probably due to its founders!) and Vertigo more 'writer-led'.

I wonder is DC just planning on shutting up shop on Vertigo altogether? Maybe they'll continue to just release stuff like Fables as trades (as they're doing with the Earth One series of GNs) if that has no plans on ending. Wood has finished up Northlanders and DMZ and is moving on; Scalped is finishing soon with Aaron looking like he's staying put at Marvel; Carey seems to be working towards an ending to The Unwritten. Swamp Thing/Constantine have returned to the DCU. And Karen Berger is editing a DCU title for the first time in something like 20 years! 

DC aren't set up for handling creator-owned material anymore effectively than Marvel is with Icon. If creators really want to own their characters, stories and original ideas, they're going to go with Image now.

Yeah, I used to think that way about Image as well, but I really don't think that's an accurate description anymore. Right now at Image, writers like Brian Vaughan, Brian Wood, Morrison, Millar, Hickman, and to a lesser extent people like Faeber, Wiebe, Spencer, and Edmonson are the real stars. But it's not a homogenous group...the types of comics being produced are extremely varied.

As for Vertigo. No, they're not shutting it down...yet. They realize that there's money in the name. But the four new titles they have coming out this month look...let's just say that I'm not expecting much, with all due respect to the creators. They look like rejected Wildstorm titles, rather than Vertigo books. But I'll still give them a shot in hopes that I'll be proved wrong. But I honestly think that the Vertigo we know and love, is done.