iFanboy Upstarts: Nimit Malavia

Not every comic artist needs to draw like “a comic artist.” There’s enough people out there who can do that. Sometimes artists can make the biggest impact in comics by not being the stereotypical comic artist, and Canadian artist Nimit Malavia is doing just that.

This week’s iFanboy Upstart Nimit Malavia has only done four published illustrations for comics with the covers for the 2011 mini Wolverine & Jubilee, he’s already being championed by editors at Marvel as someone to watch. Malavia has been tapped for the ultra-rare chance to draw the covers for Marvel’s Once Upon A Time comic book adaptation, and is rumored to be drawing some interiors as well.  Although only 26 years of age, Malavia has already had his work shown in fine arts galleries in North America and Europe, and even did concept art for the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Malavia’s work is reminiscent of previous fine arts practitioners in comics like David Choe and James Jean, but Malavia’s work shows more ability to lean into standard superhero illustration as seen in some of the Wolverine & Jubilee covers. Malavia seems really busy with work outside comics, but given the chance I could see Malavia doing much more in terms of sequential art.