Image Comics Issues Statement In Response To The Formation Of Comic Book Workers United Union

John F. Trent |

Nov 4, 2021

Source: Spawn #325

Image Comics issued a statement in response to the formation of the Comic Book Workers United Union formed by ten of the company’s employees.

Source: C.O.W.L. #7

The union announced its formation on Twitter and on its website on November 1st. In their announcement of its formation, the union claims they are “overtaxed and undervalued.”

Source: Comic Book Workers United Twitter

In order to try and improve these working conditions, on the goals section of their website they note they want to “Improve staff morale through annual staff and management reviews to assess performance, workload, and whether there is a clear need to expand a department, craft a new role, or increase compensation for employees who have taken on a larger quantity or more complex suite of tasks.”

However, their goals, which read more like demands, also says they want to have the power to cancel publication of any comic books.

The goal states, “Renewed commitment to company values through the addition of a collective voting option to immediately cancel publication of any title whose creator(s) have been found to have engaged in abuse, sexual assault, racism and xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, ableism, etc. until such time as said creators have engaged in meaningful reparations toward affected person(s).”

The union was created by Image Comics employees Emilio Bautista, Ryan Brewer, Leanna Caunter, Marla Eizik, Drew Fitzgerald, Melissa Gifford, Chloe Ramos, Tricia Ramos, Jon Schlaffman, and Erika Schnatz.

Source: C.O.W.L. #2

In response to the creation of this union, Image Comics released a brief statement to Publishers Weekly.

It reads, “Image has always believed in the fair and equitable treatment of staff and has always strived to support employees to the best of our company’s ability with regard to their employment.”