(note:  while in the slideshow, right click> view image for  high-res versions)

In early 2011, the good folks at Top Cow got in touch with me to see if I’d be interested in backing up regular Magdalena artist Nelson Blake II. Being a huge fan of the character, as well as series writer Ron Marz, I of course accepted.

What made this project especially interesting was that I was asked to adapt my style to better match with Nelson’s, in the interest of keeping the overall look of the book consistent.  This ended up being an incredible learning experience as I was forced to simplify my often very heavily-rendered inks.

Back in the days of silver age comics, working off a style guide was par for the course (giving rise to the whole concept of the comics “house style”).  Contemporary comics have embraced a much more liberal attitude towards personal styles, something that I think has been more of a benefit than a loss to the art form, but it was educational to have a project where I had to analyze and apply a more disciplined and self-aware approach to my art.