Fans recently got a special look into the magic of comic book covers, with X-Men artist Pepe Larraz sharing a behind-the-scenes look at how his variant cover for Wolverine's latest event came to life in Marvel Comics. In the social media age, fans have more access than ever to their favorite artwork and artists. Larraz, however, took it to the next level with an awesome breakdown of how he created one of his recent epic cover.
Larraz is currently the lead artist for X-Men vol. 6, written by Gerry Dugan. While Larraz is getting the chance to shine on the cover of the main X-Men series, he recently showcased a variant cover he drew for X Lives of Wolverine #5, by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara, the finale in Percy's double-title series (alongside X Deaths of Wolverine) on the famed Canadian mutant. Including tons of work-in-progress pictures and concept art, fans got a huge treat from Larraz on Twitter.
Larraz's Twitter presence is already a delight, featuring tons of art from not just himself but artists all across comic books and manga, but Larraz's thread on the epic X Lives of Wolverine cover might take the cake. The cover features Wolverine descending on a team of ninja's, claws at the ready to tear through the unprepared mercenaries.
In the thread, which breaks down how Larraz got to the black and white, pen-and-paper version of the cover, he shows off three different versions he considered, commenting that he's keeping the rest to himself, in case he uses them for a future piece.
Larraz also shows off the refining process, with incredible progress pictures that show the finer details details come to life.
After showing off the half-tone stickers he uses to give the drawing an old-school feel, Larraz show's off the most satisfying part of any artwork: Peeling the tape!
Fans on Twitter showed their love for the work and Larraz's insight, with one fan calling him a "madman" for his work, and quite a few people delighted with the foreground artwork — specifically, the aghast ninja on the bottom left corner.
Fellow artist Bruno Redondo, currently doing main art for DC's Nightwing, showed his respect for Larraz as well.
This isn't the first time Larraz has showed off some behind-the-scenes work: Back in 2021, he shared a treasure trove of sketches and inks for his variant cover for Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1, by Charles Soule and Luke Ross. In those Tweets, Larraz shares the process of being rejected and refining his work, an incredible insight into what goes into the perfect cover.
Regardless of the source material, this level of insight is an absolute delight for comic book fans. Nowadays, it's easy to find incredible artists and they portfolio of work, but Larraz gives readers a unique look into what it takes to make an instant classic X-Men cover.
Source: Pepe Larraz, Pepe Larraz