Image from Rian Gonzales’ Instagram account - A 23-year-old Filipina artist, Rian Gonzales was tapped to illustrate a cover art for the relaunch of “Betty and Veronica”
- Gonzales shared she was discovered by chance by comic book artist Fiona Staples on Twitter
- Gonzales is one of the 25 artist who created a variant cover for “Betty and Veronica”
Filipina illustrator Rian Gonzales, graduate of Fine Arts and Design from the University of Sto. Tomas, has fulfilled one of her lifelong dreams after being tapped to illustrate a cover art for the re-launch of Archie Comics’ most popular ‘frenemies’, “Betty and Veronica.”
This will be the third relaunched title, written and drawn by Adam Hughes, from the successful revamp on the popular Archie comics — following the successful relaunches of “Archie”, by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, and “Jughead” by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson.
Gonzales was one of 25 different artists who did the variant covers.
“Archie Comics was one of the first titles I was introduced to when I was young,” Gonzales told GMA News.
She added: “The characters are very easy to relate with especially because they are a bunch of teenagers trying to get through high school problems. To me, Archie comics was a stepping stone for me to appreciate western comics, which also has a big influence in my art style!”
Gonzales shared that her art was discovered by chance when she posted a fan art on Twitter.
“I like the new series so much that I drew Betty, Veronica and Archie in my style,” the 23-year old freelance illustrator said in an interview with ABS-CBN News. “I posted it on my Twitter and I was surprised to see Fiona Staples commented on it!”
“Shortly after, I received a mail from my online store with a subject: ‘Riverdale Greetings.’ I had to double-check and make sure that it wasn’t wrongly sent! That was Jonathan Betancourt, director of book operations and sales for Archie Comics, who told me they were planning to reboot Betty and Veronica and thought that my art was perfect for it,” she continued.
She will be attending in the upcoming AsiaPop ComicCon in August to do a book signing.
“I’ll also be part of the INK at 25 exhibit sometime in September at the Ayala Museum,” she shared. “Cover art-wise, nothing soon that I can divulge at the moment but definitely keep your eyes peeled!”
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