Image Comics is planning an animated TV series for its Rat Queens title, which will be produced by Weta Workshop, the folks behind the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, alongside Pukeko Pictures and Heavy Metal productions.

A dark comedy, Rat Queens revolves around four beer-swilling maidens fighting against a sword and scorcery landscape. There is the Rockabilly elven mage Hannah, hipster dwarf fighter Violet, atheist human cleric Dee and hippy smidgen thief Betty. They are hired as a team to kill various monsters and other magical beasts. The Image comic book was created by Kurtis Weibe.

Another Image comic from Kurtis Weibe entitled Peter Panzerfaust is being set up as a live-action series at BBC Worldwide. Life on Mars creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah are behind the pilot script, with Heavy Metal producing as well.

Rat Queens is being planned as a 30 minute animated pilot that will be pitched to various networks after it is completed. About the project, Heavy Metal's Jeff Krelitz had this to say:

Rat Queens is a standout in the marketplace as a diving rod for fangirls, a market as yet untouched by most comics publishers. It is not only perfect for the TV space, but much needed."

It is not known when we may see Rat Queens on TV, with Peter Panzerfaust closer to actual production.