So you wanna be a hot shot artist for Marvel comics?

Back in June Marvel gave all fans a chance to be just that. Marvel held a New Talent Search where they supplied the script which any and all aspiring artists could work off of and submit their artistic renderings to Marvel during Comic-Con International in San Diego. Today the lucky fan was revealed by Marvel Comics in a press release and a sneak peek of the artwork is now available.

Deon Nuckols, a designer for Hasbro, was announced as the first winner of Marvel Comics' New Talent Search. Nuckols is now in the enviable position of drawing an upcoming issue of Thor. Nucklos was, expectedly, shocked when he heard the news.

"I tried to play it cool, the whole time I'm thinking to myself, is this the results to the contest? They wouldn't call me just to tell me I didn't get it ... would they?" Nuckols said in a Marvel press release. "And of course I missed the first couple things that Tom said because my mind started racing."

Nuckols is, as would be expected, excited about his chance to tackle this assignment.

"I've wanted to draw for Marvel ever since I was a kid," Nuckols continued. "I'm really charged by it all. After I thanked [Editor] Tom Brevoort profusely, I thanked God profusely. All I can say is: Thanks for giving me the chance, Marvel!"

"Deon won a hard-fought competition against difficult odds to become our New Talent Search Winner, beating out hundreds of other artists," Thor editor Tom Brevoort said in the release. "But he doesn't get to rest just yet -- now he has to draw the actual issue!"

The winner of the writer position of Marvel's New Talent search will be announced soon. That winner will be assigned a Thor back-up story.

The second Marvel Talent Search, to be held at WizardWorld Chicago this weekend, will give one artist the chance to pencil an upcoming issue of Wolverine and one writer the chance to pen a Wolverine back-up story.

Article edited August 16th, 2001