For several years, I was fortunate to make comics with the fine folks at Oni Press. And a standout from that body of work is the cover I created for Rick and Morty: Go To Hell.
The first step was whipping up thumbnail sketches. I drew inspiration from Dante’s Inferno, specifically it’s depictions of Satan and various punishments suffered by sinners. Then, I did my best to imbue those with the irreverent spirit of Rick and Morty.
My editor, Sarah Gaydos, chose the sketch showing a terrified Morty and unbothered Rick who’s just used a raygun to blast a large hole through a demon’s torso.
The drawing was finalized in Clip Studio and colored using Photoshop. Truth be told, I wasn’t as comfortable coloring digitally as I was with traditional media. So lots of experimenting and happy accidents are how the colors on this one came together.
I made this cover near the end of a four-year run with Oni Press. During that time, I got to illustrate a series of Invader Zim comics, as well as cover art for several Zim collections.
At the start of my career, Oni was one of my favorite publishers. Their titles introduced me to creators I looked up to, like Jim Mahfood, Scott Morse, Chyna Clugston Flores, Bob Schreck and others. So it feels extra special when I’m out in the wild and see the Oni Press logo emblazoned on comics I helped create. Those moments make my inner child do backflips. And tapping into that childish glee is part of what keeps me going.
Be well and stay tuned,
- Dave C.