Every comic book fan knows Spawn, whether they were around to see the antihero change the industry or not. Now that Image Comics stands on the brink of releasing Spawn #300, creator Todd McFarlane is celebrating the new record for the longest running creator-owned comic in history. And he's called in some of the industry's top stars to help.
The name most closely tied to the Image star will be Greg Capullo, making his return to Spawn after years spent as the featured artist on the book. Since then Capullo has risen to the spotlight of DC's Batman, Dark Nights: Metal, and the Batman: Last Knight on Earth. His current collaborator Scott Snyder will also be ing in on the Spawn #300 celebration, but that's just scratching the surface of the guest list recruited to honor this new record in the realm of creator-owned comic storytelling.
Capullo will be the featured artist for the giant sized 72-page issue, but for the first time since 1995, Image President and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane will also return to provide pencils and inks for interiors as well. With a Spawn movie starring Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner on the horizon, McFarlane looks at this new record as a tribute to the character's life and legacy:
“I created SPAWN back when I was a teenager hoping to someday break into the comic book industry. Now, over 40 years later, not only was I able to have a career drawing and writing comics, but SPAWN has been by my side for most of that journey. Even more exciting, SPAWN is becoming the longest running creator-owned comic in the world!
“The group of creative folks helping out on this historic SPAWN 300th issue is something that I hope thrills the ‘inner 15-year-old” in all of us. Plus, to have Greg Capullo come back to this title after so many long years, is what has me most excited as I personally consider him to be the top talent drawing in our industry today."
As another reminder of McFarlane's historic run on Marvel's Spider-Man, the cover art for Spawn #300 pays direct tribute to the webcrawler's iconic McFarlane pose on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #300, along with... just about every other part of the issue cover. Take a look:
Helping Capullo and McFarlane mark the milestone is current Spawn artist Jason Shawn Alexander, veteran Spider-Man artist J. Scott Campbell, Jerome Opeña (Seven to Eternity) and best-selling writer Scott Snyder (Batman, Wytches). The special issue will receive a total of twelve covers from McFarlane, Capullo, Campbell, Opeña, and Alexander, including black and white “Artist Edition” variants showcasing the original, inked artwork of both Capullo and McFarlane when it arrives on store shelves August 29th for $7.99.
In the official press release, Image's publisher and chief creative officer Eric Stephenson got in on the enthusiasm surrounding the milestone, pointing out that while #300 is a long time coming, many fans believed it would come when McFarlane's Spawn #1 first hit newsstands:
“The birth of Image Comics in 1992 was an exciting time, but there are few moments I more vividly than getting my hands on the first issue of Spawn. Todd was already a comics superstar at that point – but SPAWN vibrated with an energy all its own and I think everybody knew it was destined not only to be a hit but to stand the test of time. The fact that we’re approaching issue 300 nearly 30 years later is a testament to its impact not just on Image, but the industry as a whole. Go, Todd!”
Spawn #300, an oversized 72-page comic book will be available in your local comic book stores August 29th, 2019.
