Todd McFarlane's plans to bring "Spawn" back to the animated world are still materializing, as the comic book creator recently told us that the project is undergoing various animation and technology tests through different studios.

But even as certain aspects of the "Spawn" series are getting ironed out, there's one thing that McFarlane says the fans can count on: just like the last animated series that aired on HBO, this latest "Spawn" adaptation will absolutely retain its edgy status as a mature audience series.

"Absolutely," McFarlane told MTV News when asked whether or not the new series would preserve the old show's dark tone. "We're gong to a cable network, and that's their bread and butter." Read More...

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It's been a while since I caught up with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane to discuss his plans for a brand new animated series based on the popular antihero. With issue #200 of the "Spawn" comic book series on the way, the character has achieved a level of success shared by few properties hailing from the indie side of the comics world — and that's not even counting the live-action "Spawn" movie in 1997 and award-winning HBO animated series that ran from 1998-99.

Last time I spoke to McFarlane, he outlined his plans to bring Spawn back to the animated world this year, once several legal issues had settled out and allowed him to shop the project around Hollywood. When I snagged some time with the veteran creator during New York Comic Con, he offered a status update of sorts on Spawn's return to television.

"We've been in contact with different studios and now we're doing tests on various technology that will hopefully get me to where I want visually," said McFarlane. "Here's the balancing act on the animation: How do we make it as cool as heck, but still be able to do it in a financial manner that we can do it every half-hour weekly?" Read More...

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Harry PotterYesterday it was Marvel Comics' "Iron Man By Design" covers that imagined the armored hero through various genres, styles and artists, and today another publisher's marketing campaign that impressed the heck out of me here at Splash Page HQ.

Image Comics' "Guardians Of The Globe" campaign started out as a dig at Marvel but became something all its own this week. Each day, the publisher released a new image headlined "I'm A Member Of The Guardians Of The Globe." Marvel previously conducted a similar campaign, revealing each member of its "New Avengers" team with art headlined "I'm A New Avenger."

However, while the New Avengers roster included characters like Spider-Man and The Thing, Image's Guardians of the Globe featured illustrations of Invincible, Spawn, Rick Grimes of "The Walking Dead," U.S. President Barack Obama, and even Harry Potter. Read More...

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"Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane has made no secret of his desire to bring his demonic creation back to the big screen in the form of a low-budget independent film. Given McFarlane's desire to keep the movie tight and contained, it's unlikely he'll look to actors with particularly high pay grades — but that's not to say he can't cast an interesting performer in the central role of Al Simmons.

In the past, McFarlane has talked about keeping Spawn as "a living shadow" without his trademark regalia. If that's the case, then it's important to find an actor who can embody the voice of Simmons more than the physicality. On the other hand, if McFarlane wants to bring Al into the light, he'll want to find someone with an intimidating physique, too.

Depending on the choices McFarlane makes with "Spawn," we think any of these five actors could be the perfect fit for the role of Al Simmons in the character's cinematic comeback. Read More...

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Last time I spoke to "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane, he outlined his plans for a "completely R-rated" live-action movie based on his popular Hellspawn hero. With the character operating more in the background of a darker, grittier tale than 1997's live-action "Spawn," McFarlane offered a compelling case for how the franchise could return to the big screen in a form closer to what he'd envisioned when "Spawn" #1 hit shelves in 1992.

MTV News caught up with McFarlane during last month's Toy Fair International convention to get an update on the project.

"Since last time we talked, I've done my due diligence," he said. "I've gone to the big studios, I've heard their pitch, [and] I've heard what they can offer. I've talked to the smaller guys and I've given what I want, and I just don't think I can be satisfied with something at the big boys." Read More...

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Spawn might be Todd McFarlane's most famous solo creation, but it was his work on Spider-Man that first made the veteran creator a superstar in the comics world.

Knowing that he's spent much of his career navigating between the comics world and Hollywood, we tracked down McFarlane at Toy Fair 2010 to get his take on the upcoming "Spider-Man" reboot, why it happened, and what he hopes to see when the webslinger returns to the big screen.

"I'm going to take a guess that the reboot is driven mostly by business and economics," McFarlane told MTV News. "There's a bit of a diminishing return on movies." Read More...

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SpawnSay what you will about the live-action movie, but HBO's late-'90s animated series "Todd McFarlane's Spawn" was one of the most faithful adaptations of a comic book to ever hit the screen. Taking full advantage of the network's restriction-free environment, the 18-episode series managed to offer the same violence, sex and dark, adult-oriented tone that made McFarlane's "Spawn" comic such a success.

And now the Emmy-winning series could be headed back to television.

I spoke to McFarlane about his recent announcement that the "Spawn" animated series could be returning to production in 2010, and got the lowdown on why next year could be a big one for the popular Hellspawn, and what form his big comeback could take if it happens. Read More...

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Twitter - SpawnTodd McFarlane must have the best portfolio of straight-to-Twitter artwork in comics now. Every time he posts something, like Spawn artwork below, he begs the question about why he rarely does comic art anymore. Old school Spawn fans should come on and get happy, though, because he says this page is actually for an upcoming Spawn comic.

As all of you who follow the Twitter Report know, Jock and Andy Diggle just left New York and are now visiting the "Losers" set in Puerto Rico. The Twitter Report wishes Jock feliz cumpleaños today (even if he isn't turning 65, as Diggle suggests). Links and posts of what they've been doing with their time can be found below, along with responses from Erik Larsen and Rob Liefeld to a recent Alan Moore interview and some rad Chuck BB fan artwork for Jack Black's new video game "Brutal Legend."

I'm @brianwarmoth, and this is the Twitter Report for September 24, 2009. Read More...

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SpawnMuch has been made of Todd McFarlane's plans for a new, live-action "Spawn" movie based on the character he created in the early 1990s. Back in May, we brought you the first word on how he plans to bring the character back to the big screen in a much darker, grittier film that puts less emphasis on the supernatural side of Spawn, with McFarlane name-checking Leo DiCaprio ("The Departed") as an actor well-suited to play one of the detectives playing a lead role in the film.

During a recent chat with the ever-busy creator, McFarlane shared a bit more insight into his plans for rebooting "Spawn" in Hollywood, and why we could be looking at a very different Hellspawn if/when the character returns to the big screen.

"The reason I want to go small with it is that it's a completely R-rated movie," said McFarlane. "If I sell it up big, studios want that PG-13." Read More...

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Spawn"Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane blamed legal issues for his popular hero's delay in returning to animation, but those unspecified hurdles may be out of the way now as the Image Comics co-founder and toy company chief looks forward to next year.

Even as he eyes production duties for a darker "Wizard of Oz" film starring Dakota Fanning and concentrates on his live-action "Spawn" screenplay, McFarlane still wants to see his caped hero back in cartoons.

"For those that've asked, the SPAWN ANIMATED show will be back in Hollywood's face in 2010," McFarlane posted on Twitter. "Legal issues delayed it past few years." Read More...

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Cover Artist

Splash Page welcomes Ed Tadem to our cover artist family (our custom-designed theme up top). Currently working on the forthcoming "Avengers" animated series, Tadem's work can also be seen in the "Jackie Karma" issues of Image's "'76," and in "Pop Gun, Volume 1." Ed Tadem can be found online at EdTadem.com.
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