Painter Alex Ross is one of the most legendary artists in modern comics history. Famous for series like Marvels and Kingdom Come, Marvel Comics recently contracted him to paint a giant mural featuring their most iconic heroes for their home offices. The final piece is actually a combination of several paintings. In a behind the scenes video, Ross described the process for creating the epic piece of art, from the original concept to the final, expanded version.
All in all, it took Ross an entire year to complete the jaw-dropping piece. The final mural features the company’s most iconic figures. The final piece features 35 different Marvel heroes, with each character created in the first twenty years or so of Marvel Comics history. It’s the period Ross believes produced the company’s most recognizable and iconic heroes—and we concur.
Marvel Comics/Alex Ross
In the behind the scenes video, he revealed how he determined which characters made the mural. He also shared the surprise characters he included due to the larger mural space than originally expected. Ross said he was particularly happy to be able to include all the the original X-Men together, even if they are drawn in their later incarnations. He also managed to squeeze in additional characters that weren’t originally a part of the line-up for the mural, like Ghost Rider, the Inhumans, and the Punisher.
The only characters I’d consider to be Marvel icons who didn’t make the cut are Carol Danvers, either as Captain Marvel or Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. Is it too late to add them in, Alex? Hopefully, Marvel will release this mural as a poster or collectable of some sort. We think there are many comics fans that would want this piece adorning their homes.
Featured Image: Marvel Comics/Alex Ross
