Top Cow Productions
Encyclopedia
Top Cow Productions is an American comics publisher, a partner studio of Image Comics
founded by Marc Silvestri
in 1992
.
, Marc 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 Productions, he expanded into other comics, launching Codename: Strykeforce
, a new Cyberforce series and various spin-offs.
The company attracted several 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
. Benitez, Turner and Finch have since worked for DC
and Marvel Comics
.
In 1996
, Top Cow briefly departed from Image during a power struggle with Image associate Rob Liefeld
until Liefeld left the company shortly after. At the same time, Top Cow was abandoning superheroes and moving into a different subsegment, the fantasy
genre. New properties were Witchblade
(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 company owned properties Top Cow has from time to time worked with creators to develop creator generated properties. These properties have included Turner's Fathom
which eventually ended up at Aspen Comics; Joe's Comics
, created exclusively for J. Michael Straczynski
, which included Rising Stars
, Midnight Nation
, The Agency
, and Obergeist.
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 Dan Jurgens
, Paul Jenkins
, and artist Andy Park
. The cartoon Battle of the Planets
is another licensed property in which Top Cow has invested, collaborating with cover artist Alex Ross
.
In 2006
, 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 are to provide 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.
At the 2007
New York Comic Con it was announced that Top Cow will be one of the first major comics publishers to offer online distribution, through a partnership with IGN.com. The initial titles offered will be Tomb Raider
#1–50, The Darkness
#1–50 and Witchblade
#1–50, at around $1 per issue. They have also announced a deal with Zannel to license their comics as mobile comic
s.
paid an undisclosed six-figure sum to develop a possible movie based on the comic, planned for release in 2008 but has not been released yet. The comic was pitched as a similar movie to The Crow
, which was also produced by Dimension
.
was licensed by Majesco for a console game
to be developed by Starbreeze Studios
. 2K Games
later obtained the rights to the game, and the first-person shooter
was released for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
console systems on June 25, 2007 in the United States
and on June 29, 2007 in the EU (Xbox 360
only – PS3 version was released 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
(ISBN 1582407975).
The game is mostly based on the events of the first volume of the Darkness comics, however it does alter some key elements such as having Paulie being the one that adopts Jackie.
Marc Silvestri
noted in an interview that a sequel to the first game is already in the works.
During the game, The Darkness holds true to the comics, with the same powers. Though the Darkness becomes extremely resillient, and tries to make you kill people, it is relatively docile toward the beginning of the game. By the time The Darkness realizes you are taking control it then starts to try to persuade you to stop.
network TNT
premiered a television series based on the comic book series in 2001
. The series was directed by Ralph Hemecker
and written by Marc Silvestri
(who also wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik. Yancy Butler
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 a year later, after being arrested for wandering intoxicated amidst traffic.
Witchblade ran for two seasons on TNT, each featuring 12 episodes. The first episode aired on June 12, 2001, and the last episode aired on August 26, 2002. On April 1, 2008, Warner 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.
superhero film
based on the series is currently in development. The film will be directed by Michael Rymer
, who directed the 2002 film Queen of the Damned
, and various episodes of Battlestar Galactica
, and written by Everett De Roche.
The film is one of two being produced and financed back-to-back by Platinum Studios, IDG Films and Relativity Media. The film will be produced by Arclight's Gary Hamilton and Nigel Odell, Platinum Studios' Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, and Steve Squillante of Havenwood Media. Top Cow's Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins will be executive producers with Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic and Greenberg Group's Randy Greenberg. Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2008, with China and Australia among the possible locations being considered for filming. Megan Fox
was recently approached for the role of Sara Pezzini at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, but has neither accepted or declined yet.
The film's website and teaser poster were released in May 2008.
announced an anime
version of Witchblade, with a subsequent manga
adaptation. The anime version is considered controversial by some because GONZO has announced that the main character
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 considered canon
.
The anime series began broadcast during April 2006 and ran for 24 episodes (a standard series run). The lead character (and new blade wielder) 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, "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 onto her daughter Rihoko, whom the government is trying to take from her. Unlike the comic witchblade, which only induces bloodlust when in a violent confrontation and creates armor, the anime Witchblade entirely transforms Masane, giving her different eyes and hair, and will ultimately destroy her body.
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
founded by Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
in 1992
1992 in comics
-Year overall:* Image Comics explodes onto the scene, releasing eight ongoing and limited series, starting with Youngblood in April; followed by Spawn in May; Savage Dragon in July; and Brigade, Shadowhawk, and WildC.A.T.S. in August....
.
History
During initial stages of Image ComicsImage Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
, Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
shared a studio with Jim Lee
Jim Lee
Jim Lee is a Korean-American comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher. He first broke into the industry in 1987 as an artist for Marvel Comics, illustrating titles such as Alpha Flight and Punisher War Journal, before gaining a great deal of popularity on The Uncanny X-Men...
, where he created his first creator-owned
Creator ownership
Creator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. In some fields of publishing, such as fiction writing, creator ownership is a standard arrangement...
comic, Cyberforce
Cyberforce
Cyberforce is an Image Comics super-hero team created by artist Marc Silvestri and writer Eric Silvestri in 1992. Silvestri would begin performing both the plotting and pencilling chores, but the series was subsequently drawn by other artists, including David Finch...
, 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
Codename: Strykeforce
Codename: Strykeforce was a comic book series by Top Cow and Image Comics, about a team of mercenary superheroes.Codename: Strykeforce was an offshoot of another series called Cyberforce, which was about a group of cyborg shock troops. The series lasted for fourteen issues...
, a new Cyberforce series and various spin-offs.
The company attracted several professionals known across the industry, including artist Brandon Peterson
Brandon Peterson
Brandon Peterson is an American comic book writer and artist. Born and raised in Wisconsin on October 14, 1969. Brandon Peterson is known for his hyper detailed artwork and intricate line work...
, writer Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
and former Marvel staffer David Wohl
David Wohl
David Wohl is an American comic book writer and editor. He is best known as an editor at Marvel Comics and Top Cow Productions and, at the latter, writing The Darkness and Witchblade.-Biography:...
. It also helped launch the careers of various writers and artists, such as Christina Z., Joe Benitez
Joe Benitez
Joe Benitez is an American comic book artist. He is co-creator and penciller of Weapon Zero, published by Top Cow Productions.Other titles he has worked on include The Darkness, The Magdalena, as well as work for DC Comics....
, Michael Turner
Michael Turner (artist)
Michael Layne Turner was an American comic book artist known for his work on Witchblade, Fathom, Superman/Batman, Soulfire, and various covers for DC Comics and Marvel Comics. He was also the president of the entertainment company Aspen MLT.- Early life :Michael Turner was born in Crossville,...
and David Finch
David Finch
David Finch may refer to:*David Finch , comic book artist*David Finch , film director...
. Benitez, Turner and Finch have since worked for DC
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
.
In 1996
1996 in comics
-Year overall:* Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.* Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92-January:* January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.* January 28:...
, Top Cow briefly departed from Image during a power struggle with Image associate Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
until Liefeld left the company shortly after. At the same time, Top Cow was abandoning superheroes and moving into a different subsegment, the fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
genre. New properties were Witchblade
Witchblade
Witchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
(where Turner had his first big success) and The Darkness
The Darkness (comics)
The Darkness is a series of ongoing American comic books created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl and produced by Top Cow Productions. The comic first appeared in 1996 and enjoyed an initial period of relative success during the Top Cow/Image Comics boom of the late 1990s. However,...
(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
The Darkness (comics)
The Darkness is a series of ongoing American comic books created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl and produced by Top Cow Productions. The comic first appeared in 1996 and enjoyed an initial period of relative success during the Top Cow/Image Comics boom of the late 1990s. However,...
, Magdalena, Aphrodite IX
Aphrodite IX
Aphrodite IX was a comic book series published by the Top Cow imprint of Image Comics. The comic series carries a sci-fi theme and is named after the central character of the series, 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 company owned properties Top Cow has from time to time worked with creators to develop creator generated properties. These properties have included Turner's Fathom
Fathom (comics)
Fathom is a comic book created by Michael Turner and originally published by Top Cow Productions. It debuted in 1998 and was Michael Turner's first creator-owned comic book series. Fathom is currently published by Turner's own company, Aspen MLT....
which eventually ended up at Aspen Comics; Joe's Comics
Joe's Comics
Joe's Comics was a short lived American comic book imprint of Top Cow Productions created specifically for J. Michael Straczynski. Top Cow offered JMS his own imprint after the impressive sales of Rising Stars. He accepted and named it Joe's Comics. In his own words:Rising Stars was moved to the...
, created exclusively for J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
, which included Rising Stars
Rising Stars
Rising Stars is a 24-issue comic book limited series by J. Michael Straczynski about 113 people born with special abilities following the appearance of a mysterious light in the sky above Pederson, Illinois. The series explores how society may react to the advent of superpowers, and how those who...
, Midnight Nation
Midnight Nation
Midnight Nation is a religious-themed twelve-issue American comic book limited series, created by J. Michael Straczynski and published from 2000 to 2002 by Top Cow Productions under their now defunct Joe's Comics imprint...
, The Agency
The Agency (comics)
The Agency was a comic book published by Top Cow and Image Comics from 2001 to 2002. Written by Paul Jenkins with art by Kyle Hotz, the book followed a team of cyborg mercenary police in a dystopian future United States. The entire six issue run of the title was collected and released as a trade...
, and Obergeist.
Top Cow is also known for bringing Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
s Lara Croft
Lara Croft
Lara Croft is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Square Enix video game series Tomb Raider. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic British archaeologist-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world...
to comics, with various graphic novels written and drawn by some of the industry's best known creators, including Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens
Dan Jurgens is an American comic book writer and artist. He is best known for creating the superhero Booster Gold, and for his lengthy runs on the Superman titles Adventures of Superman and Superman , particularly during The Death of Superman storyline...
, Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins (writer)
Paul Jenkins is a British comic book writer and Gary Gygax's stepson. He has had much success crossing over into the American comic book market. Primarily working for Marvel Comics, he has had a big part shaping the characters of the company over the past decade.-Life and career:Paul Jenkins...
, and artist Andy Park
Andy Park
Andy Park is an American comic book artist, illustrator, and concept artist.-Biography:Park has illustrated several comic book series including Tomb Raider , published by Top Cow Productions, Alias: Agent Bristow based on the Emmy award winning television series, and Uncanny X-Men...
. The cartoon Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets
Battle of the Planets is an American animated television adaptation of the Japanese anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman . Of the 105 original Gatchaman episodes, 85 were used in the Battle of the Planets adaptation, produced by Sandy Frank Entertainment...
is another licensed property in which Top Cow has invested, collaborating with cover artist Alex Ross
Alex Ross
Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross is an American comic book painter, illustrator, and plotter. He is praised for his realistic, human depictions of classic comic book characters. Since the 1990s he has done work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics Nelson Alexander "Alex" Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an...
.
In 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
, 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 are to provide art chores on various Marvel series, such as Tyler Kirkham (Phoenix: Warsong
X-Men: Phoenix - Warsong
X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong is an American five-issue comic book limited series released in 2006, beginning in September. The series is a sequel to X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong...
and New Avengers/Transformers
New Avengers/Transformers
New Avengers/Transformers is an intercompany crossover comic book series published by Marvel Comics and IDW Publishing that involves the pre-Civil War New Avengers and the Transformers. It is set in the fictional nation of Latveria, and involves the characters Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man,...
), Mike Choi (X-23: Target X
X-23
X-23 is a fictional comic book superheroine appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, in particular those featuring the X-Men. X-23 is a female clone of Wolverine.-Publication history:...
), and Silvestri himself (X-Men: Messiah CompleX
X-Men: Messiah Complex
"Messiah Complex" is a comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics from October 2007 to January 2008, which ran through the various X-Men books....
). At the 2007 San Diego Comic Con an announcement was made by Marvel Comics extending the deal into 2008.
At the 2007
2007 in comics
-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
New York Comic Con it was announced that Top Cow will be one of the first major comics publishers to offer online distribution, through a partnership with IGN.com. The initial titles offered will be Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider (comics)
The Tomb Raider comic book series are based on the character of Lara Croft, from the games produced by Eidos Interactive and Core Design.-Publication history:...
#1–50, The Darkness
The Darkness (comics)
The Darkness is a series of ongoing American comic books created by Marc Silvestri, Garth Ennis, and David Wohl and produced by Top Cow Productions. The comic first appeared in 1996 and enjoyed an initial period of relative success during the Top Cow/Image Comics boom of the late 1990s. However,...
#1–50 and Witchblade
Witchblade
Witchblade is an American comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, an imprint of Image Comics, from 1995 until present. The series was created by Top Cow editors Marc Silvestri and David Wohl, writers Brian Haberlin and Christina Z, and artist Michael Turner.The series follows Sara...
#1–50, at around $1 per issue. They have also announced a deal with Zannel to license their comics as mobile comic
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 :...
s.
Media adaptations
Like many other comic book companies, Top Cow has used many of their properties to create video games, movies and televisions. However, unlike other companies, it is arguable that Top Cow has not produced as many projects as other companies. To explain why Top Cow has taken so long to produce so few non-comic book projects, Top Cow publisher Filip Sablik said in an interview with Nicholas Yanes from scifipulse.net that:
Both film and television, as well as video games and animation, are things that Top Cow is regularly and constantly pursuing. All of those things also take a long time to develop and set up. The Witchblade Anime that Gonzo produced and was released by FUNimation in the US took almost a decade to come to fruition. Add on to that Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins mantra of “we’d rather have no movie than a crappy movie” and you can see why it can take a while to bring a Witchblade or The Darkness movie to fans.
Film
In December 2004, Dimension FilmsDimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
paid an undisclosed six-figure sum to develop a possible movie based on the comic, planned for release in 2008 but has not been released yet. The comic was pitched as a similar movie to The Crow
The Crow
The Crow is a comic book series created by James O'Barr. The series was originally written by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his girlfriend at the hands of a drunk driver. It was later published by Caliber Comics in 1989, becoming an underground success, and later adapted into a...
, which was also produced by Dimension
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre films...
.
Video game
In March 2005, The DarknessThe Darkness (video game)
The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
was licensed by Majesco for a console game
The Darkness (video game)
The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
to be developed by Starbreeze Studios
Starbreeze Studios
Starbreeze Studios is a video game development studio founded by members of the demo group Triton, based in Uppsala, Sweden.-History:The company was founded in 1998, under the name O3 Games. In 2000, O3 Games merged with the smaller company Starbreeze Studios which was then based in Härnösand, Sweden...
. 2K Games
2K Games
2K is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games. 2K Games is a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, which also owns Rockstar Games notable for the Grand Theft Auto series...
later obtained the rights to the game, and the first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
was released for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console systems on June 25, 2007 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and on June 29, 2007 in the EU (Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
only – PS3 version was released 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
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
(ISBN 1582407975).
The game is mostly based on the events of the first volume of the Darkness comics, however it does alter some key elements such as having Paulie being the one that adopts Jackie.
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
noted in an interview that a sequel to the first game is already in the works.
During the game, The Darkness holds true to the comics, with the same powers. Though the Darkness becomes extremely resillient, and tries to make you kill people, it is relatively docile toward the beginning of the game. By the time The Darkness realizes you are taking control it then starts to try to persuade you to stop.
Television series
Following a pilot film in August 2000, the cableCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
network TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
premiered a television series based on the comic book series in 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
. The series was directed by Ralph Hemecker
Ralph Hemecker
Ralph W. Hemecker is an American director, writer and producer.Hemecker has amassed numerous credits in television, directing episodes of Dead at 21, The X-Files, Millennium, Numb3rs, Blue Bloods as well as directing a number of television films....
and written by Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri
Marc Silvestri is an American comic book artist, creator and publisher. He currently acts as the CEO for Top Cow Productions.-Early life:Marc Silvestri was born in Palm Beach, Florida.-Career:...
(who also wrote the comic book) and J.D. Zeik. Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
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 a year later, after being arrested for wandering intoxicated amidst traffic.
Witchblade ran for two seasons on TNT, each featuring 12 episodes. 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 Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
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.
Film adaptation
An AmericanCinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
based on the series is currently in development. The film will be directed by Michael Rymer
Michael Rymer
Michael Rymer is a 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 series...
, who directed the 2002 film Queen of the Damned
Queen of the Damned (film)
Queen of the Damned is a 2002 film adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series, The Queen of the Damned, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel's predecessor, The Vampire Lestat. It stars Aaliyah as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart...
, and various episodes of Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
, and written by Everett De Roche.
The film is one of two being produced and financed back-to-back by Platinum Studios, IDG Films and Relativity Media. The film will be produced by Arclight's Gary Hamilton and Nigel Odell, Platinum Studios' Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, and Steve Squillante of Havenwood Media. Top Cow's Marc Silvestri and Matt Hawkins will be executive producers with Platinum Studios' Rich Marincic and Greenberg Group's Randy Greenberg. Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2008, with China and Australia among the possible locations being considered for filming. Megan Fox
Megan Fox
Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
was recently approached for the role of Sara Pezzini at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, but has neither accepted or declined yet.
The film's website and teaser poster were released in May 2008.
Anime series
In 2004 Japanese animation studio GONZOGONZO
, stylized as GONZO, is a Japanese anime studio, owned by the company's corporate parent, the GDH group. In June 2006, it signed a long-term output deal with the anime television network, Animax, which saw Animax broadcasting all of Gonzo's anime titles across all of its networks around the world,...
announced an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
version of Witchblade, with a subsequent manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation. The anime version is considered controversial by some because GONZO has announced that the main character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
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 considered canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
.
The anime series began broadcast during April 2006 and ran for 24 episodes (a standard series run). The lead character (and new blade wielder) 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, "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 onto her daughter Rihoko, whom the government is trying to take from her. Unlike the comic witchblade, which only induces bloodlust when in a violent confrontation and creates armor, the anime Witchblade entirely transforms Masane, giving her different eyes and hair, and will ultimately destroy her body.
See also
- ComicsComicsComics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
- Graphic NovelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
- San-Diego Comic-Con InternationalComic-Con InternationalSan Diego Comic-Con International, also known as Comic-Con International: San Diego , and commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, was founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans...
- Angoulême International Comics FestivalAngoulême International Comics FestivalThe Angoulême International Comics Festival is the largest comics festival in Europe. It has occurred every year since 1974 in Angoulême, France, in the month of January.The four-day festival is notable for awarding several prestigious prizes in cartooning...
- Semic ComicsSemic ComicsSemic 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 but now, Marvel and DC are published by Panini.Today, Semic Publishes...
- Image ComicsImage ComicsImage Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
External links
- Top Cow – Official Site
- Image Comics – Image Comics Official Site
Interviews
- WEEK OF TOP COW: Marc Silvestri, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 1, 2008 - WEEK OF TOP COW: Filip Sablik, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 2, 2008 - WEEK OF TOP COW: Ron Marz & Phil Hester, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 3, 2008 - WEEK OF TOP COW: Rob Levin, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 4, 2008 - WEEK OF TOP COW: Matt Hawkins, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 5, 2008 - The Future of Top Cow with Filip Sablik, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as 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 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, December 8, 2008 - Interview with Top Cow Productions Publisher, Filip Sablik, Flames Rising, May 1, 2010