HeroesCon is almost upon us (June 15-17). I can’t believe it’s almost time to head back to comics summer camp! Just like every year, we’ll be there, and just like every year, Shelton Drum, Rico Renzi, Seth Peagler and the whole Heroes crew have curated an artist lineup and show that promises to be unforgettable.
In honor of Star Wars Day and the upcoming film, Solo: A Star Wars Story, I thought it would be fun to show some of the amazing artists heading to HeroesCon by way of Star Wars art they’ve done. (I did the same thing last year, but with Wonder Woman art. You can check that out here: A HeroesCon Preview, Wonder Woman Style.)
All images are property of and credited to the artists, with links to their work.
Jamie Cosley
Jamie Cosley always has fun sketches and art for all ages. He was one of the first artists I met the first year we went to HeroesCon, and the Hulk sketch we purchased from him still adorns the side of our fridge. Jamie has worked with Star Wars for the past few years, creating sketch cards and the “Lighter Side” comic that’s a part of Star Wars Insider. His cartoonish style showcases how much fun Star Wars can be.
Image via http://Jamiecosley.com/art/starwars
Marc Deering
Marc Deering has done quite a bit of work with Marvel in the past several years, including two Star Wars titles: Doctor Aphra and Star Wars: The Last Jedi – DJ – Most Wanted. Of the two, the one nearest and dearest to my heart is Doctor Aphra. Deering’s inks bring one of my new favorite characters to life in several issues. It’s a book I highly recommend.
Sanford Greene
I was first introduced to Greene’s art through his work on the limited series Wonder Girl. His dynamic cartooning style is exciting and fun. He pencilled a story in Star Wars Tales entitled “Puzzle Peace”. I’ll admit I haven’t read it, but after looking at this image, I’m convinced I need to find it so I can.
Image via Wookieepedia, and more of Greene’s art can be found at https://greenestreet.deviantart.com/gallery/
John Hairston, Jr.
If you’ve walked around the floor at HeroesCon, no doubt you’ve seen John Hairston, Jr., hard at work in front of a canvas. We’ve had the pleasure of tabling near him a few times, and not only is he an incredibly cool guy, it’s also fascinating to watch him work his magic over the course of a weekend. Flipping through his artwork for sale at the show is a colorful trip through pop culture, and you know that Star Wars is a part of that.
Kathryn Hudson
I recently discovered Hudson’s work on Instagram, and I’m enamored with her style. Part vintage cartoon, part pin-up, her work always makes me smile. Imagine my surprise when I visited her website and found Star Wars stuff in her store! I’m definitely going to visit her table at HeroesCon, and I recommend that you do, too. But not before me, so I can get all the good stuff (ha ha ha).
Jim Mahfood
Anyone who knows me at all knows I’ve been a fan of Mahfood’s for a long time. A long time. It’s well documented that I embarrassed myself quite thoroughly at my first HeroesCon when trying to talk to him. But it’s cool now. Anyway, Star Wars. Mahfood is a bit of a fan, and the crew from a galaxy far, far away shows up in his sketches a lot. Here’s one from several years ago with a couple of familiar droids.
Brett Parson
I am a huge fan of Parson’s work on Tank Girl, so I had to feature his art here. His style is unique and fun, and I love the way he draws women. With that in mind, here’s an impressive pin-up of Princess Leia.
Kyle Starks
Not only is Kyle Starks a hilarious writer and artist (seriously, check out any of his original works), he’s also super fun to talk to. I always look forward to swinging by his table to see what’s new. Here’s a Jaxxon he drew a few years ago for a Jaxxon-themed tumblr.
Image via http://robotmountain.tumblr.com/post/42290866475/warming-up-for-a-busy-drawing-week-but-wanted-to
Brian Stelfreeze
If you want to hear some comics wisdom at any point during HeroesCon, just drop by Brian Stelfreeze’s table. Not only is he one of the most talented artists I’ve ever seen, he’s also one of the most generous. One year we were waiting in line for another artist, after having talked to Brian, and we had the pleasure of hearing his conversation with a young artist. It was like listening to a masterclass. Stelfreeze’s work with Star Wars is mainly in trading cards back in the ’90s. Here’s my favorite, featuring–you guessed it–Princess Leia. (Incidentally, this image was also a cover to Dark Horse’s Star Wars 0. The variant cover was by Dave Dorman, another artist attending this year’s HeroesCon.)
Alexis Ziritt
If you’re not familar with Alexis Ziritt’s work, then you’ve got some homework to do. His work is like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I’m proud to call him a friend. The art he’s done for books like Space Riders transports you to a galaxy of color, frenetic linework, and amazing details. This image featuring everyone’s favorite bounty hunters is such a great example of how he takes something so familiar and makes it his own.
Image via http://www.aziritt.com/
So that’s it–my ten featured artists with a little Star Wars flavor. You can view the entire guest list here: http://heroesonline.com/heroescon/guests/, and don’t forget to check out the small press list when it’s available: http://heroesonline.com/heroescon/small-press/index.html.
Special thanks as always to Shelton, Rico, Seth, and the gang for allowing this Geeky Vixen to attend HeroesCon and write about it. See you in a few weeks!
And as for you, dear readers, I hope you’ll check out these artists’ work, and I hope to see you at HeroesCon!
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