It's official: Image Comics is now the first unionized comic book company.
As reported by both Vice and the Twitter account Daily Union Elections, nine Image Comics employees voted 7-2 in favor of unionizing with Comic Book Workers United and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) today, Jan. 6. Comic Book Workers United, the union formed by Image employees, previously told Vice that it had a supermajority of workers who were eligible to vote on the matter.
The Image employees who make up Comic Book Workers United first announced plans to unionize back in November with a letter signed by Ryan Brewer, Leanna Caunter, Marla Eizik, Drew Fitzgerald, Melissa Gifford, Chloe Ramos, Tricia Ramos, Jon Schlaffman and Erika Schnatz "For years, comics publishing workers have watched our professional efforts support creators and delight readers," it read. "Sadly, we have also watched that same labor be taken for granted at best and exploited at worst. Keeping our heads above water was the new normal before the pandemic and since its onset we have been expected to take on even larger workloads with fewer resources. Our workforce, and the comic book and publishing industry as a whole, is overtaxed and undervalued."
Image Comics itself issued a statement on the matter a few days later, writing, "Earlier this week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) filed a representation petition with the National Labor Relations Board asking to hold a secret-ballot election so that eligible members of the Image Comics office staff can determine if they want the CWA to represent them in their employment with Image. The NLRB is currently reviewing that petition to determine when that election will be held, where it will take place, and who can vote. Everyone at Image is committed to working through this process, and we are confident that the resolution to these efforts will have positive long-term benefits."
Image Comics was originally founded in 1992 by Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. The company's formation marked a major shift in the comic book industry, with Image focusing primarily on creator-owned work. In the years since, Image has gone on to become the third-largest comic book publisher in the United States, behind Marvel and DC. In its original letter, Comic Book Workers United cited the publisher's founders as being part of their inspiration for unionizing. "Their dreams of self-determination and more equitable treatment in the industry they loved and helped make successful are also our dreams."