Spiderman, The Joker, Juggernaut, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Is this a checklist of our favorite characters ever, or the lineup of the latest blockbuster crossover between Marvel and DC? Nope. It's a sample of the sort of colorful comic book characters who will be adorning the beautiful badge art for this year's edition of Phoenix Comicon, which kicks off later this week.
The stunning works of 11 different artists will be featured on the passes and badges for the annual comic book and pop culture extravaganza that takes over the Phoenix Convention Center starting on Thursday, May 26, and running through Sunday, May 29.
Each piece is ultra-imaginative, whether its Jacob Crippen's glowing portrait of Tron Legacy femme fatale Quorra, amie Warner's action-packed rendition of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Christopher McDaniel's goofy depiction of Slimer drinking a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon while getting zapped by Winston Zeddemore of the Ghostbusters.
Phoenix Comicon's organizers sorted through more than 100 submissions from artists both local and from across the country, whittling things down to around two dozen finalists and picking out the best and brightest pieces. Those were then placed on the Comicon website and voted upon by the public.
Some of the highlights include a humorous portrayal of Lando Calrissian from The Empire Strikes back by Monster Commute creator Daniel M. Davis, who rendered the gambler and scoundrel in his colorfully minimalist style. Another favorite is local comic book artist Sean Sautter's epic-looking depiction of Spiderman clinging to the side of a skyscraper.
Speaking of Spidey, indie artist Tavis Maiden (who contributes to online comic The Konamis and his own comics blog Danger Science) created a cartoonish battle between mutant villain Juggernaut being annoyed by a pint-sized version of the heroic web-slinger.
Like last year's contest, each finalist will get three badges featuring their work and full access to Comicon. For a look at all the finalists and their work, take a look at our slideshow of Phoenix Comicon badge art images.
