Conan by Gerardo Zaffino

It's been quite a while since I first talked to Gerardo over IM after tracking him down, back when he hadn't done much more than a few covers for the recent volumes of Winter World (a series his late father co-created with Chuck Dixon).

We hit it off like old friends or long-lost brothers even though I'd thought to just request a simple piece of art. We had long discussions and chats over IMs of different machines and programmes. It didn't take him that long to produce the art, but getting it out to me did prove a bit of a struggle.
This was definitely the longest time I'd have to wait for a commissioned piece.

Gerardo, meanwhile, was going through one rough patch after the other with health issues for himself & his family, bouts of disappearing jobs, troubles in his home country. Anyway, all of that hardly matters when you see the amazing level of sheer atmosphere, energy & simple ink-mastery put forth in this absolutely amazing piece.

Even though, as his star rises and the priorities of work & family make conversation a bit sparser, on top of time difference obstacles, I consider this amazing artist a real friend, even though we've never met & thousands of miles separate us, there was an immediate connection that abides through all kinds of weather.