Non-Humans Returns Whilce Portacio to Image Comics

Whilce Portacio felt it was a good time to return to the publisher he helped found in Image Comics and he's coming back in a big way. He'll be teaming up with Glen Brunswick on a new book called Non-Humans.

An otherworldly disease brought back to Earth by a NASA space probe has given inanimate objects like toys, dolls, and mannequins the ability to come to life, able to walk, talk, and speak — and to think for themselves. A new minority class called "Non-Humans," the former objects take on part of the personalities of the people who used or even loved them.

"The toys are not only a new minority in our world, but because they come from us they are quite human--with all of the frailties, insecurities and desires we humans possess," said writer Brunswick. "And some of these creatures can be very dark--it's a world filled with toys that envy us, want to be more like us, and are willing to kill us if they can't get what they want. What could be better than that?"

"It's very exciting for me to get back on a creator-owned book," said Portacio. "It took a long time waiting for the right one to come along that would really fire my imagination. I have the same boundless enthusiasm for NON-HUMANS that I had when Image Comics was first formed. I feel like there are no limits to what we can do with this story."

The ongoing series starts in October. The first issue is available for pre-order (AUG120465) and a five-page preview appears in Elephantmen #42, in stores August 15.

Full press release below.

PLAYTHINGS COME TO LIFE IN NON-HUMANS New ongoing series from Whilce Portacio, Image Comics Berkeley, CA - August 21, 2012 -- One of Image Comics' founders, Whilce Portacio, returns to creator-owned world with the new series NON-HUMANS, penned by Glen Brunswick (GRAY AREA, JERSEY GODS), to be published by Image Comics in October.  An otherworldly disease brought back to Earth by a NASA space probe has given inanimate objects like toys, dolls, and mannequins the ability to come to life, able to walk, talk, and speak — and to think for themselves. A new minority class called "Non-Humans," the former objects take on part of the personalities of the people who used or even loved them. "The toys are not only a new minority in our world, but because they come from us they are quite human--with all of the frailties, insecurities and desires we humans possess," said writer Brunswick. "And some of these creatures can be very dark--it's a world filled with toys that envy us, want to be more like us, and are willing to kill us if they can't get what they want. What could be better than that?" The varied personalities of the Non-Humans was part of the appeal for comics veteran Portacio (ARTIFACTS, Incredible Hulk). NON-HUMANS is Portacio's first creator-owned comics since his original Wetworks series, published from first 1994 to 1996 and then relaunched in 2006. "It's very exciting for me to get back on a creator-owned book," said Portacio. "It took a long time waiting for the right one to come along that would really fire my imagination. I have the same boundless enthusiasm for NON-HUMANS that I had when Image Comics was first formed. I feel like there are no limits to what we can do with this story." NON-HUMANS is a full-color ongoing series starting in October. Issue #1 (AUG120465) is available for pre-order from the August issue of Previews. A five-page preview of NON-HUMANS #1 appears in ELEPHANTMEN #42, which was in stores on August 15. ABOUT IMAGE COMICS Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.