Marvel announces Howard Chaykin as new Blade artist

Fan-favorite artist Howard Chaykin has officially been announced as the artist on the launch of the upcoming Blade series alongside writer Marc Guggenheim. Chaykin, probably best known for his American Flagg series, is ready to take the vampire-hunter to new heights as he combines horror with super-heroics.

Marc Guggenheim is thrilled at the chance to be working with Chaykin. "I've been a longtime fan of Howard's work," says Guggenheim. "His American Flagg and Blackhawk series were incredible inspirations to me. He has a dynamic, exciting style that has remained an original voice that I have yet to see any artist duplicate. That's a very rare thing in comics." When asking for a Blade artist, Guggenheim couldn't be more pleased to have Chaykin help him launch this title. "I think Howard's the perfect choice for Blade," added Guggenheim. "Let's be honest, his involvement brings a level of cache, of class to the project that I don't. Moreover, he's the pitch-perfect choice given what we're trying to do with this new Blade series, which is to appeal to both fans of horror and super-hero action alike. Howard's style is ‘clean’ enough to give it that classic super-hero look, but he can also pull off the darkness that a vampire-hunting comic requires." Joining Guggenheim and Chaykin is newcomer Marko Djurdjevic whose mind-blowing covers ensure that he won't be an unknown commodity for long.The hero that starred in three movies and has a new television series is getting his own new series in Blade #1. With talent like Guggenheim, Chaykin, and Djurdjevic taking over the popular mainstream vampire-hunter, you can bet that Blade is going to be one heck of a rollercoaster ride. Just check out the first issue as it features not only Dracula, but also your Friendly Neighborhood Wall-Crawler, Spider-Man.

Blade #1 is written by Guggenheim with pencils by Chaykin, and cover by Djurdjevic. The comic hits stands Sept. 20th and will retail for $2.99. Visit Marvel Comics for more information on this and other available titles.