Welcome New Artist Claudia Balboni to the Team!
One of the greatest joys of creating an independent comic is getting to collaborate with incredibly talented artists who help shape the world alongside you. Today, I'm excited to officially welcome Claudia Balboni (Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Mad Cave Studios) as the interior artist for Jackrabbit Book 2.
Before looking ahead, though, I want to take a moment to recognize someone who played an enormous role in getting us here.
From the very beginning, Utku Yavaşça helped define what Jackrabbit looked and felt like. Together, we built a retro-futuristic Earth inspired by the optimism and design language of the 1960s World's Fair, developed its characters, vehicles, and technology, and established the visual identity that made Jackrabbit what it is today.
Utku is currently taking a well-earned sabbatical from comic work, and while I'll certainly miss collaborating with him, I couldn't be more grateful for everything he brought to this series. His creativity, professionalism, and friendship helped turn Jackrabbit from an idea into a living, breathing world. The visual foundation he created will continue to shape this universe for years to come.
I wish him nothing but the very best, and I sincerely hope our creative paths cross again someday.
As an independent creator, one of the hardest decisions you can make is changing creative partners. I knew that whoever joined the team next would need to respect everything that had already been built while also bringing their own voice and storytelling instincts to the series.
As we began looking toward the next chapter of Jackrabbit, I was fortunate to connect with Claudia, and it quickly became clear she was the right artist for where the story is headed.
If you've read Book 1, you know we're standing on the edge of something much bigger. The world expands dramatically beyond the retro-futuristic Earth you've come to know, the scope of the story grows, and the emotional stakes become even more personal. Claudia's expressive characters, cinematic storytelling, and incredible sense of scale made her an ideal partner for this next chapter.
The image below is one of the very first pages from Book 2, and I honestly couldn't think of a better introduction to Claudia's work. Without spoiling anything, it captures a moment I've been waiting years to share—the beginning of a much larger adventure. It's also a wonderful example of how Claudia has embraced the visual language of Jackrabbit while bringing her own energy and storytelling style to every page.
Having now seen the first seventeen pages, I can honestly say I couldn't be more excited about where this book is headed.
To everyone who backed the Kickstarter, picked up Book 1, or has supported Jackrabbit in any way over the years—thank you. Independent comics only exist because readers choose to believe in them, and your support has made every page of this journey possible.
Please join me in welcoming Claudia to the Jackrabbit family.
And to Utku...
Thank you for helping create this world. Jackrabbit simply wouldn't exist in the form it does today without your talent, friendship, and countless hours of hard work. Your fingerprints will always be part of this universe.
I can't wait for everyone to see where Claudia takes us next.
Star by Star.
