SDCC ’26: Image unleashes its artists for a frank panel discussion

Image Comics brought together a star-studded cast of artists and creators at its “Artists Unleashed” panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Sean Gordon Murphy, Sanford Greene, Caspar Wijngaard, Ian Bertram, Scotty Young, and Daniel Warren Johnson took the stage to talk about their newest projects and what went into them.  

The panel first congratulated Young on I Hate Fairyland reaching milestone issue #50. 

“Genuinely, I have a hard time believing I made it to issue #50,” Young said. “I talked to Daniel Warren Johnson about it, about whether I should do what works in the comic industry or do what I want.” He said he had a list of commercial ideas and I Hate Fairyland was the bottom. “So the fact it’s still going is mind-blowing to me.”

The conversation swiftly moved to Johnson’s upcoming series, Chainkata. Johnson’s description was to the point: “It’s chicks with chainsaws in space. I’ll see you in November.”

The room filled with laughter but Johnson continued on as cover images for issue #1 were shown on the projector screen. 

“I’m like the prophet Isaiah talking about this since the Stone Age,” he joked. “I’ve had this idea for more than 10 years, and It was originally about a girl in space with a gun, that was it, but over time it became so much more.”

As the conversation continued, Johnson revealed three all-new, gritty covers. He added, “The second one is a straight rip from Conan the Barbarian but it’s the man in a sexy loincloth.”

Johnson said he wanted to reassure the audience that although the name and premise for Chainkata might seem off, he hopes they give it a shot: “Sci-fi chainsaws is not an original trope, and I won’t give away too much, but the only people allowed to use chainsaws in this world are women. If a man tries to use the chainsaw, the ghosts of those women come back and kill the man. It’s dumb man feminism, but it’s better than nothing.” 

The Karman Blade soon lit up the screen, the new fantasy epic from Ian Bertram. 

He took the reins, saying, “There are a lot of very strange time travel elements; there’s a rampaging god.” 

The screen switched to a picture of one of those gods, a creature that is the amalgamation of years of work from Bertram. It’s a gray, twisted, humanoid that very clearly could only come from his imagination: “There are a lot of different elements. But visually it’s been incredibly fun and weird and very different from stuff I usually do. I try to make it feel more lived in, and it’s physically large.”

As if on cue, a cover revealed this new character riding atop a gigantic black wolf, a striking image of what Bertram brings to the table. 

The conversation moved on to Caspar Wijngaard, as he’s coming off a 16-issue run of The Power Fantasy. Wijngaard explained how the amount of experimentation and work that went into the book was like therapy: “It was a way to keep me sane, so I don’t get bored of the artwork. If I mix up the colors or make it a challenge, it helps; however, when you land it just right, and it just feels incredible.”

Sanford Greene then took the stage with a surprise announcement: Bitter Root: Black & White.

“For the presentation, I was supposed to send one image but instead I sent in two, which weren’t finished,” Greene said, referencing the two preview images that went up on the screen. “Truth be told, Johnson got me excited for this. We were talking about this a year ago, like who would buy a black and white reprint of the first volume. Then Daniel put out Do a Power Bomb Black and White, and it did what it did, and I was just like doggone it.” 

Greene shook his head in frustration as the widest smile spread across Johnson’s face. 

“Basically it’s going to be the reorientation of the first volume,” Greene said. “The first volume is issues 1-3, while volume 2 is issues 3-5 with an added short story.”

He ended with just one more announcement: “You know how it works: you got to do one project for yourself and one for the man, and that will be announced tomorrow.” 

Finally, Sean Gordon Murphy took control of the mic, his newest project The Last Driver becoming the forefront of the conversation. 

“The Last Driver is horizontal and it’s meant to be rolled up and put in your back pocket; slabbers are going to have a rough turn with that, but when I got to do it this way you look at full page spreads like this, and it’s just long and full of detail,” he said.

The panel concluded with a question from the audience about protecting comic book culture from AI.

Young answered first: “I think this group is all tactile.”

Murphy added another practical perspective: “Original art sheets pay the bill.”

Greene ended the discussion on an optimistic note, saying, “I’ll give you hope: I’m a professor, and that generation hates all of it. We are advocates for the traditional art form, and even with these corporate overlords, you have these students and people on the ground fighting it, and it really comes down to what you guys do on the front lines.”

The “Image Comics: Artists Unleashed” panel was as much about the creators as it was the books themselves. Between long-awaited announcements, behind-the-scenes stories, and plenty of laughs, each guest offered a glimpse into the passion and experimentation behind their work. The panel ended on a thoughtful note, with the creators reaffirming that while the industry continues to evolve, the dedication of artists and the support of readers remain at the heart of comics. 

Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.