Another opportunity for emerging creators to spotlight here at BF. Details on the Top Cow Talent Hunt 2026 below…
Top Cow Productions, Inc. Announces the Witchblade and The Darkness Top Cow Talent Hunt 2026
Top Cow Productions, Inc. is excited to announce the return of the Top Cow Talent Hunt for 2026, calling on emerging comic book artists from around the world to bring their vision to the evolving worlds of Witchblade and The Darkness. Inspired by the bold new eras of Witchblade (2024) and The Darkness (2025), this year’s Talent Hunt invites artists to engage with these two iconic franchises.
The Top Cow Talent Hunt has long served as a launchpad for breakthrough talent, identifying creators who go on to shape the industry. Past winners include Tini Howard (Magdalena, Betsey Braddock: Captain Britain, Catwoman), Isaac Goodhart (Postal, Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale, Constantine: A Distorted Tale), and Stephanie Phillips (A Man Among Ye, Harley Quinn, Planet She-Hulk). Most recently, 2022 Talent Hunt artist winner Bruno Abdias has contributed to projects including Cyberforce: Shootout, White Tiger: Reborn, Kal-El-For-Nia Love, and Titans. These successes demonstrate the real, career-building opportunities that the Talent Hunt provides.
For 2026, Top Cow is searching for one previously unpublished artist whose work captures the tone, mythology, and energy of Witchblade (2024) and The Darkness (2025). The selected artist will receive paid professional opportunities with Top Cow Productions, Inc. in 2027/2028, creating a direct pathway from emerging talent to published professional.
“There’s a lot of talent out there that just needs a door to open. The Top Cow Talent Hunt is our way of finding creators who haven’t been published yet but absolutely should be,” says Marc Silvestri, founder of Top Cow Productions and original co-founder of Image Comics.
President Matt Hawkins adds, “This is not a portfolio review or speculative contest—it is a genuine chance to launch a career in professional comics, and we’re very selective. If you’re chosen, it’s because we see real potential and want to work with you as a professional.”
See Top Cow Talent Hunt 2026 guidelines to review the Official Rules, Agreement, and Sample Scripts.
The Top Cow Talent Hunt 2026 is more than a contest. It is a career-launching opportunity, a professional credit, and a chance to join the legacy of a creator-driven publisher known for discovering and nurturing top talent in comics.
Top Cow
Top Cow Productions, Inc., a Los Angeles-based entertainment company, was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri, who also co-founded Image Comics earlier that same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and two licensed) in the industry’s Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades.
Witchblade
Witchblade is a comic book series published by Top Cow Productions, which ran from November 1995 to October 2015 and December 2017 to January 2020. The series was created by Marc Silvestri, David Wohl, Brian Haberlin, and Michael Turner. The comic series was made into a TNT television series in 2001 and was directed by Ralph Hemecher and starred Yancy Butler as Sara Pezzini. Later, Top Cow and Japanese animation studio Gonzo produced an anime adaptation of Witchblade, which debuted in 2006.
The Darkness
First published by Top Cow Productions in 1996, The Darkness follows mafia hitman Jackie Estacado, who inherits an ancient and malevolent force on his 21st birthday. Known as “The Darkness”, this elemental power grants control over a shadow dimension and its demonic inhabitants—at a terrible cost. Blending crime noir, supernatural horror, and action, The Darkness has sold millions of copies worldwide, spawned multiple spin-offs and crossovers, and inspired two critically acclaimed video games. With its morally complex anti-hero and gothic tone, The Darkness remains one of the most influential titles in modern comics.
