Illustration Student Lands Dream Comic Job
 Rahsan Ekedal is a rising star in the comic industry. With his
diverse drawing and storytelling abilities, this one-time
School of Illustration student was snapped up by an
editor early on in his art school career. Now Rahsan’s name can be found on the cover of Dark Horse
Comic’s new series
The Cleaners.
Creating the original artwork for a series is something that Rahsan has dreamed of doing
since childhood. With his aspiration now a reality, Rahsan realizes jut how important attending
Academy of Art University was to his success.
“I call on things I learned at the Academy every day,” he says. “I really appreciate what
Chuck Pyle and the other amazing illustration instructors taught me. Chuck spent time with me
individually to help me improve as a professional artist.”
Rahsan got his first big break at the San Francisco comic convention WonderCon. He impressed
an editor at BOOM! Comics with a portfolio created in an Academy of Art University comic book
class. The editor hired him to work on the
Warhammer comic, and a year later Dark Horse contacted him
about
The Cleaners.
The series focuses on an independent crime scene cleaner in Los Angeles. The cleaners come to
a trauma scene after the police have gathered evidence and restore the area.
 “
It’s a challenge to illustrate because it’s a crime/horror book, but we’re trying to ground it in
reality. So much so that it’s almost mundane,” he said. “That way when the horror comes, it’s that
much more shocking.”
Rahsan spends a vast amount of time researching for the comic to ensure its details are
correct. He believes attention to the minutia of a subject and adaptability are the most important
things a comic artist can master.
“You’ve got to learn everything about drawing. You never know what a writer is going to ask
you to draw. Comics touch on every genre in storytelling,” he said.
He urges future comic artists to take special care in learning the fundamentals of
illustration like he did at the Academy. “When I got serious about comics, I realized I needed to
go to school and really learn how to draw. All the schools I looked at promised to help me achieve
my goals, but the Academy was the only one that offered proof. The student art in the halls was
phenomenal,” he said.
Get a taste of Rahsan’s new comic
The Cleaners.
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