HeroesCon Highlight: Andrew MacLean

HeroesCon is one of our favorite shows, and we wanted to highlight some of the terrific comics creators that will be there. You can find all of our HeroesCon coverage here.

I first met Andrew MacLean a few years ago at the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MassMICE, an excellent event, you should go) where he was promoting his self-published book, Head Lopper and other works such as Department O. More recent years have seen the publication of his graphic novel ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times at Dark Horse and the publication of two volumes of Head Lopper at Image Comics. 

Head Lopper is a very fun, violent, entertaining fantasy adventure read. If you like stories with magic and intrigue, and with heroic warriors beheading monsters as they trade barbs with the decapitated head of a witch, then this is the perfect book for you. MacLean's skill as a visual artist are obvious, but Head Lopper is also a great showcase for his skills as a storyteller of wit and humor.  

Because I've been following MacLean's progress on the story of Head Lopper over the course of several years, it's been great to see his evolution as an artist and storyteller during that time. From the very beginning, his line was very strong and he had a very clearly defined style. However, just reading the first to the second to the third part of Head Lopper it's clear that MacLean is evolving and even improving as an artist, as you can see his line get further refined and see his style crystallize more into itself.

The evolution of MacLean as a visual artist and storyteller is on full display in ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times (my full review here).  MacLean still excels at the big, dramatic moments of action and violence, but he's also bringing a lighter touch to his work that's on display in ApocalyptiGirl, in addition to a very different sort of character.  ApocalyptiGirl is a book that's full of quieter, subtle moments and interactions, in addition to displaying a sweetness and optimism that's not present in Head Lopper.  Not to worry though, there's still plenty of exciting action in a richly illustrated world.  MacLean's a great talent, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he does next.