There are very few new comics on shelves today as many shops, distributors, and publishers remain closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. While the absence of new issues may be disappointing, it doesn’t leave comics fans without recourse. Artists from across the energy have continued to work on future projects and many have begun posting sketches and commissions from home.
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While quarantine measures remain in effect, ComicBook.Com will be assembling a weekly round up of favorite new pieces posted to social media by comics artist. Each shared sketch will also include a recommendation and links for readers to further explore each artist’s work. We hope this will help fans discover new artists and find some books to order from their local comic book store.
So without any further ado, here are some of our favorite sketches from the past week along with information and links on where to find more work (available today!) from these incredible comic book artists.
Mahmud Asrar
This rendering of Asterix is only a single panel in Mahmud Asrar’s #SixFanArts challenge. It’s also a wonderful tribute to Albert Uderzo, the late creator of Asterix. Asrar has a knack for bringing beloved barbarians to life, often with much more realistic ferocity like in the pages of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian relaunch—introduced by 12 issue of incredible Asrar art.
Matías Bergara
This tribute to The Dark Crystal may hint at what inspired Bergara in developing so many dark and fantastical comics. His recently completed series Coda is filled with delicious details and moody characters like those evident here. It’s a style that infuses even the strangest and most terrible images with a touch of humanity, one worth seeking out.
Ulises Fariñas
Farinas has been one of my favorite artists working in and around comics for years, and his recent impressions on DC villains have been a delight, especially this Bane loaded on cartoonish Venom like it’s 1997 all over again. His skill for comic and comical brutality was highlighted in New Lieutenants of Metal—an ode to hair metal and the absurd.
Tom Fowler
Tom Fowler’s depiction of Bug—one of my favorite barely-known characters—makes me yearn to see more of his work in comics interiors. For now it’s still a delight to revisit his reimagining of Quantum & Woody, a brilliant update and introduction point for readers unfamiliar with Valiant. His characters are filled with vitality that makes sequences filled with jokes or action pack some extra punch.
Rob Guillory
I have been exclaiming the merits of Rob Guillory’s new creator-owned series Farmhand for more than a year now, and highly recommend catching up now that it is past the series’ midpoint. This new t-shirt design showcases Guillory’s ability to capture tension and darker moods with a style that’s every bit as capable of delivering some of the quirkiest humor in comics.
David Mack
This watercolor study by David Mack is currently being auctioned on Twitter as part of an initiative to aid comic book stores impacted by the coronavirus. It’s astounding to think that this was a study for a separate cover piece—still showcasing Mack’s ability to infuse life with color and so much subtle personality with carefully chosen lines.
Sam McKenzie
Sam McKenzie’s #SixFanArts piece is one that makes you want to see what the next panel in any of these stories might be. Each of the figures exudes personality of the sort that make readers fall in love with Brandon Graham or James Stokoe’s comics. It’s a style that is embraced in McKenzie’s design skills as showcased by the excellent prints available on his site.
Mike Mignola
Leave it to Mike Mignola to find a way to transform Kermit the Frog into a deeply disquieting figure. His continuing sketches are a sustained highlight of life in quarantine, including many new drawings inspired by popular children’s characters. If this odd blend of children’s storytelling with the woeful and worrisome strikes your fancy, be sure to read his work in The Amazing Screw-On Head.
Giannis Milonogiannis
Some artists can’t be contained by panels, and this #SixFanArts breaks boundaries with the sparkling joy of Disney, swift superhero action of Marvel, and more. It’s a nice note that the one panel to reflect depth and a setting is also a tribute to Moebius. As someone who already loved his work on Prophet, these panels remind me that Milonogiannis still has a lot to show off.
Travis G Moore
Travis Moore provided some glowing portraits of fan-favorite superhero characters in his #SixFanArts piece, including this drawing of the Scarlet Witch with some very big hair. It’s a reminder why his variant covers are so sought after at the moment, including some recent pieces on Legion of Super-Heroes and Nightwing that are even more impressive than this.
Drew Moss
I adore the composition of this Captain Marvel portrait. The ways in which Moss draws out the character’s universal perspective and connections weave together into a stunning piece. It’s work like this that makes me regret how overlooked much of the sci-fi/western series Copperhead was, especially after Moss took over on art with Copperhead #11.
Ben Sears
Every Ben Sears comic is instantly recognizable as such; he brings such an unmistakable style to his designs and storytelling. That’s what makes seeing six wildly popular creations reimagined through Sears’ eye such a delight. If you haven’t had the pleasure of discovering his comics, every Double+ Adventure, including the most recent installment House of the Black Spot, provides a delightful entry point.
Walter Simonson
Most of Simonson’s Asgardian designs in Ragnarok are far removed from his character-defining work on Marvel’s Thor. However, this relatively recent drawing captures both the aesthetics of his current work and the power (and non-zombified Thor) of his classic comics. It makes the case for seeking out both series, as there’s a strong case to be made for calling either Simonson’s masterpiece.
Katie Skelly
Skelly’s designs are enticing and dangerous, delivering characters and stories that will leave brows damp and minds stretched with an inviting, candy-coated surface. This depiction of a siren provides an excellent introduction—the sort of drawing that benefits from pausing for a moment to consider all of the choices present. If you find yourself intrigued, be sure to order a copy of My Pretty Vampire, one of 2017’s best comics.
Brian Stelfreeze
When Marvel Comics relaunched Black Panther, they could not have found a better artist to reimagine Wakanda than Brian Stelfreeze. His work with watercolors here shows how well the artist can capture the depth of life in a portrait, in addition to stunning design work rendered in pencils and ink. Now is the perfect time to read the opening arcs of that run for Stelfreeze’s work on interiors and covers alike.
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