Ablative Armor Iron Man sketch by Rafael Maldonado Bad Hand

Have you ever put something off for so long until you finally do it and then wonder what took you so long in the first place?

I first met Rafael Maldonado Bad Hand at Fort Collins Comic Con, probably 2019. His was the first table I ever saw at a con I’d never been to before, and the creature design on his comic book Pilla really caught my eye. By the end of the day I’d purchased #1, then picked up the next three at subsequent cons.

When he’s not talking about his own comics, Rafael is always working on some piece of original art behind the table. I’m not sure why it took me so long to ask him to draw Axol for me, but I finally did this year at Wicked West Comic Expo.

I handed him my business card with the links to the most important parts of the gallery, suggested the over-the-shoulder pose to highlight the furnace, and let him loose…

Ablative Armor cover by Rafael Maldonado Bad Hand

I wish I hadn’t waited so long to ask him to do this, because he absolutely nailed it. The back of the armor never gets much focus, and he did an excellent job bringing the furnace to life. And while that part gets the most attention, it’s important to point out the excellent detail on the helmet, which is certainly one of Iron Man’s strangest.

If you’re interested in an original piece by Rafael, you can find his website here.