Derek Laufman has teased that an as-yet-unnamed project is headed to Image Comics in July 2027. That is the entirety of the confirmed creative picture for now: there is no announced title, premise, format, collaborator list, cover, or indication of whether the work will be a new series, graphic novel, special, or something else.

It is a small piece of information, but it is notable because Laufman arrives with a varied body of work across creator-owned comics, licensed publishing, character design, and ongoing series art. He is currently the artist on I Hate Fairyland, the Image Comics title created by Skottie Young. His own comics include RuinWorld, Bot-9, The Witch of Wickerson, Crimson Fall, and The Rats of Ironwood.

What has actually been revealed

The announcement points to Image Comics and July 2027, but fans should resist filling in the blanks too quickly. A publishing tease does not establish what sort of comic is coming, who else may be involved, how long it will run, or whether it connects to any of Laufman’s existing creations.

That distinction matters in comics, where a creator’s name can be attached to several substantially different roles. An artist may be drawing a script by another writer, co-creating a project, providing design work, or releasing a fully creator-led title. The available information does not identify Laufman’s role on this particular project beyond linking him to it.

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Likewise, July 2027 should be read as a planned release window rather than a full publication schedule. There is no issue number, on-sale date, edition information, or confirmation of a collected release. Those details will need to come from a later formal reveal.

Why Laufman’s background makes the tease interesting

Laufman is a Canadian comic creator who studied classical animation at Sheridan College. That background sits alongside work that spans original comics and major licensed properties. He has worked on Marvel’s Super Hero Adventures line, DC’s Super Friends toddler branding, World of Warcraft guides, and Cat Ninja books.

That range does not tell readers what the July 2027 project will be, but it does explain why the absence of specifics leaves multiple credible possibilities. His bibliography includes creator-owned worlds as well as work built around established characters and audiences. A new Image release could draw from either side of that experience, yet no evidence currently supports predicting genre, tone, audience, or continuity.

His work on I Hate Fairyland also gives the tease immediate relevance to Image’s current line. Laufman is not merely a creator with past ties to the publisher; he is already contributing art to one of its ongoing series. Still, readers should not assume the upcoming project is related to I Hate Fairyland. There has been no stated connection.

Creator-owned means something specific at Image

The timing places the project in Image Comics’ 35th anniversary year. Image was founded in 1992 by seven prominent artists who left Marvel in pursuit of greater creative and financial control over their work. It developed as a creator-owned alternative to the traditional work-for-hire approach associated with the largest superhero publishers.

Creator-owned is a publishing term with practical importance. In this model, the creators retain ownership of their intellectual property—the characters, settings, concepts, and related rights—while the publisher handles functions such as publication and distribution. Image itself owns its name and logo, rather than the intellectual property of the creators publishing through it.

That structure is especially relevant when considering an artist and designer with original projects already in his catalog. It means a future Laufman book at Image could potentially establish a new property controlled by its creators. It does not, however, prove that the July release is a wholly new universe or even that Laufman is the sole creator. Ownership and creative credits have not been announced.

An anniversary year may bring more attention, not more answers

Image’s 35th anniversary in 2027 creates an obvious context for high-profile publishing plans. Anniversary years can put a spotlight on a publisher’s identity, its catalog, and the people creating its books. Image’s creator-owned history makes that theme especially natural.

But it would be premature to label Laufman’s project an anniversary special. No such designation has been confirmed. The only reasonable conclusion is that its release window overlaps with the anniversary year, a period when the publisher may have additional projects to discuss.

This is also a useful reminder that teaser-driven comic news works in stages. The first signal establishes that a project exists. Later announcements commonly provide the information readers use to decide whether the book is for them: the central premise, the full creative team, interior art, page count or issue count, release cadence, and collected-edition plans. None of those latter details should be treated as settled here.

A possible convention-stage reveal

Image Comics has a scheduled Let’s Talk Comics LIVE! session at New York Comic Con on October 11, 2026. The event is set to feature Tony Fleecs, Mirka Andolfo, Franklin Jonas, and Eric Zawadzki, with Jim Viscardi moderating. Its description promises discussion of creator-owned work, upcoming projects, and sneak peeks.

That makes the panel a plausible place for more Image news, though it is not confirmation that Laufman’s July 2027 project will be announced there. Laufman is not listed among the named guests in the available event details, and no official panel description identifies his unrevealed book. For now, the convention connection remains informed speculation rather than a stated plan.

What readers should watch for next

The next meaningful update will need to answer basic questions rather than simply extend the mystery. A title and a clear statement of Laufman’s role would be the first priorities. From there, the most useful details would be the genre and premise, collaborators, series length or graphic-novel format, and whether the book is a new creator-owned property or linked to an existing project.

  • Confirmed: Laufman has teased an Image Comics project for July 2027.
  • Confirmed: 2027 marks Image Comics’ 35th anniversary.
  • Confirmed: Laufman’s credits include original comics and work on licensed properties, and he is the artist on I Hate Fairyland.
  • Not confirmed: the project’s title, plot, format, collaborators, ownership arrangement, and relationship to any prior Laufman series.
  • Possible but unconfirmed: a reveal around New York Comic Con or a direct anniversary connection.

For now, the July 2027 tease is best treated as an early marker on Image’s future calendar, not a complete announcement. It signals another forthcoming project involving a creator with a broad visual and publishing background, while leaving the essential details for a later reveal.