There’s talent, and then there’s drawing an insanely detailed comic book cover on a tiny set of matches. That’s exactly what one fan did after seeing a post that featured artwork from Gabriele Dell’Otto.
The fan said he was "inspired" by the post, which featured the cover art from Dell’Otto’s 25th Anniversary Marvels Annotated #3 Galactus/Silver Surfer variant from April 2019. Other Redditors quickly took notice.
Launched in 1994, Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross' Marvels is a four-part story that follows news photographer Phil Sheldon between 1939 and 1974 as he experiences landmark moments in the Marvel Universe, from the birth of the Golden Age Human Torch to the Fantastic Four's first encounter with Galactus. The series also features appearances from characters such as Gwen Stacy, whom Phil befriends before her infamous death.
Marvels Annotated was released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Marvels, complete with commentary from Busiek and Ross, as well as new covers for each issue.
Dell’Otto has sketched countless superheroes and villains since first getting into the business in 1998, including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, Superman, Thanos and others. He has produced covers, posters and other artwork for Marvel and DC for over two decades, and some of his most recent work can be found on the covers of the new Wolverine solo series and throughout the Fallen Angels series.