TODD McFARLANE REVISITS HIS SPAWN ORIGINS WITH A WILD NEW MARK SPEARS COVER!
There are comic book characters… and then there are characters that become part of comic book history.
Spawn is unquestionably one of them.
Nearly five decades after Todd McFarlane first dreamed up the character that would become a global phenomenon, the legendary creator is taking a trip back to where it all began with SPAWN 77 #1—and the results are shaping up to be something truly special for longtime fans.
This time, McFarlane is teaming up with acclaimed artist Mark Spears for a completely new interpretation of the Spawn mythos. And if the incredible cover work is any indication, readers are about to see a version of Spawn unlike anything they've encountered before.
FROM A TEENAGE DRAWING TO A SPAWN COVER
The title Spawn 77 isn't just a random number.
It reaches all the way back to 1977, the year Todd McFarlane was just 16 years old and beginning to develop the ideas that would eventually evolve into Spawn.
Now, almost 50 years later, McFarlane is bringing that piece of his artistic history back to life.
One of the most fascinating elements surrounding the project is a cover based on McFarlane's original teenage-era artwork. The pencils come from the young artist McFarlane was back in 1977, while the finished piece is being inked by the Todd McFarlane of today.
A drawing created by a 16-year-old Todd McFarlane is being completed by Todd McFarlane nearly five decades later.
ENTER MARK SPEARS
Adding another layer of excitement is the involvement of Mark Spears, whose distinctive horror-inspired artwork has developed a strong following among modern comic collectors.
Spears is working alongside McFarlane on Spawn 77, giving the project a unique combination of classic Spawn DNA and a contemporary artistic perspective.
Image Comics describes the series as a new vision of McFarlane's original idea for Spawn—a "wickedly different" take on the fan-favorite character. (Image Comics)
Rather than simply looking backward, Spawn 77 appears to be taking something from Spawn's earliest history and pushing it into a completely new direction.
A COLLECTOR'S DREAM OF A COVER LINEUP
And if you're a Spawn collector, there's even more reason to pay attention.
Spawn 77 #1 is launching with a huge selection of covers featuring artists including Mark Spears, Todd McFarlane and Emma Ríos, along with multiple McFarlane variants and incentive editions. The lineup includes everything from a blank sketch cover to highly limited 1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250 and 1:500 variants.
It's shaping up to be a major cover event!!
And with McFarlane's original 1977 artwork being revisited, there is a strong nostalgic component that could make some of these covers especially memorable.
WHY SPAWN 77 MATTERS
Spawn has been around long enough to have an enormous history of its own.
But Spawn 77 gives fans something different: a chance to look at the character through the lens of where the idea started.
Before the Image Comics revolution.
Before the toys.
Before the animated series.
Before the movie.
Before Spawn became one of the most recognizable characters in modern comics.
There was simply a teenager named Todd McFarlane putting ideas onto paper.
And now, nearly 50 years later, those early ideas are finding their way back onto a comic book cover.
THE COUNTDOWN TO SPAWN 77 HAS BEGUN
SPAWN 77 #1 is scheduled to arrive on September 9, 2026, with a 64-page first issue and a cover price of $6.99 for the standard edition. (Image Comics)
Whether you're a lifelong Spawn fan, a Todd McFarlane collector, a Mark Spears fan, or simply someone who appreciates the history behind comic book art, this is a project worth keeping on your radar.
Because sometimes the most exciting stories aren't about where a character is going.
Sometimes they're about where it all began.
And with Spawn 77, Todd McFarlane is opening the door to 1977 once again.
Nearly 50 years later, the Spawn story is still evolving—and this time, we're getting a glimpse at the character that started it all.