Image Comics' announced Monday that their Image Expo is returning for its third consecutive year, and moving up the calendar a few months to Jan. 9, 2014. For the second year in a row, the event will be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, CA.

The initial crop of guests for the 2014 Image Expo are "Walking Dead" creator and Image Comics partner Robert Kirkman, "Black Science," "Deadly Class" and "Uncanny Avengers" writer Rick Remender, "Satellite Sam," "Sex Criminals" and "Hawkeye" writer Matt Fraction, "Pretty Deadly" and "Captain Marvel" writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, "Prophet" and "Multiple Warheads" writer and artist" Brandon Graham and "Beast" writer and artist Marian Churchland.

Image Expo tickets are on sale now, and start at $20 for general admission, with $50 premium tickets including "preferred seating and exclusive Image Comics releases."

This past year's Image Expo was held on July 2, and featured the announcement of new projects including Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's "Velvet," Jason Aaron and Jason Latour's "Southern Bastards," and 12-part "Walking Dead" story arc "All-Out War."