Beginning his career in animation working on such films as The Iron Giant, Anastasia and Titan A.E., Rick Remender has become a comic-book triple threat -- writing, penciling and inking numerous fan-favorite series. Remender served as writer on hit video games Dead Space and Bulletstorm, while providing art for punk/metal bands like NOFX and 3 Inches of Blood. He’s co-created many popular independent titles, including the critically acclaimed Fear Agent with longtime collaborators Tony Moore and Jerome Opeña. His time at Marvel started on Punisher, and has since led to well-received runs on Uncanny X-Force, Venom, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers. Remender made headlines by promoting Sam Wilson, the Falcon, to full-fledged shield-slinger in All-New Captain America.
The artwork of Argentina’s Leonardo Manco has graced the pages of notable books from both Marvel and DC comics. Working in a variety of genres -- from super-hero stories to Westerns and horror tales -- his dark and gritty style helped define titles such as Hellstorm, Deathlok, Blaze of Glory and its award-winning sequel Apache Skies, Hellblazer and War Machine.
Jerome Opeña developed his fluid art style across two separate continents. Born in the Philippines and raised in Taiwan before moving to the United States at 16, the artist counts Bill Sienkiewicz, Bill Watterson, Arthur Adams and Walter Simonson as his biggest influences; to this day, he goes back to the classic G.I. Joe #21 (the silent issue) for storytelling inspiration. After studying at the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Opeña worked on several short stories, including contributions to the French anthology Métal Hurlant and the popular Star Wars franchise. The artist broke through courtesy of his work on Fear Agent with Rick Remender, leading the team to well-received runs on Marvel’s relaunched Punisher and Uncanny X-Force. Opeña joined with Jonathan Hickman to usher in the Marvel NOW! era of Avengers.
Croatian artist Esad Ribic broke into the U.S. comic industry with Four Horsemen with writer Rob Rodi. His classic European-influenced artistic style garnered attention from Marvel Comics, leading to a career-making series of painted covers for Wolverine and Kingpin. Ribic’s stunning interior artwork on the Rodi-penned Loki elicited critical comparisons to the legendary Alex Ross, firmly establishing him as one of the industry’s premier painters. His interior art has also graced Silver Surfer: Requiem, Sub-Mariner: The Depths, Uncanny X-Force and Ultimate Comics Ultimates. Ribic reunited with Ultimates writer Jonathan Hickman on event series Secret Wars, and brought epic grandeur to the pages of Jason Aaron’s Thor: God of Thunder and Kieron Gillen’s Eternals.