After winning over the comics faithful with Street Angel and Afrodisiac, Jim Rugg has become a pencil-carrying force in independent comics. He was enlisted by major publishers to draw books like DC's PLAIN Janes and Dark Horse's The Guild series, and even partnered with rock stars such as in the book One Model Nation. Next month he's poppping up as a guest artist on DC/Vertigo's iZombie #24, but before that he's doing something even more special: a solo exhibition of ball-point pen drawings on notebook paper.

Titled Notebook Nerd - Jim Rugg, this exhibit at the iam8bit gallery in Los Angeles will show a side of his art comics fan haven't seen much of -- the complex linework possible with a simple ballpoint pen. Dubbed by the gallery as a "Swiss Army Knife of artists," Rugg is seemingly pulling back to an earlier era -- one of calculator wristwatches, pocket protectors and Trapper Keepers.

The exhibit will open on Friday, May 25 at iam8bit's gallery on Sunset Boulevard, and continue through June 24.