7 Best Examples of Comic Artists Depicting The Anime World

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Manga has become increasingly popular, and North American comic book companies have definitely noticed. In many cases, manga actually sells better than traditional American comics. Fortunately, this competition hasn’t stopped artists from both countries from appreciating each other’s work. For instance, Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, is a big fan of Marvel comics and even created a team-up between his character All Might and Deadpool. Inspired by this crossover, we’ve gathered some great examples of comic book artists drawing anime characters.

7.) Whilce Portacio’s Naruto

Whilce Portacio is a well-known comic book artist who has worked on popular titles for decades. He’s contributed to Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men, Iron Man, The Punisher, and X-Factor, and also worked with Image Comics on Wetworks and Spawn – he was even one of the original founders of the company! A longtime anime enthusiast, Portacio recently had the chance to create the cover art for the “Naruto Triple Feature Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray set, which features three films centered around the Seventh Hokage and his team. Even though his art style differs from the original creator, Masashi Kishimoto, Portacio seems perfectly suited to the world of Naruto.

6.) Ryan Ottley’s My Hero Academia

As a longtime comic book fan, I’ve always admired artists who can seamlessly blend different worlds, and Ryan Ottley is definitely one of them. You might know him as the incredible artist behind much of Invincible, but it’s clear he’s a huge fan of My Hero Academia too – just look at the stunning variant cover he did for the French release, featuring heroes like All Might and Endeavor. He’s proven himself with work on titles like The Amazing Spider-Man and Hulk, but his passion really shines through when he gets to play in universes he loves. Now he’s back in the Invincible universe with the Battle Beast series, and honestly, his superhero artwork remains top-tier, no matter the source material.

5.) Peach Momoko’s One Piece

Peach Momoko illustrations for the One Piece card game
byu/DSonla inOnePiece

Peach Momoko is a popular artist, especially known for her work on Ultimate X-Men, where she offered a new vision for the X-Men characters. Similar to other artists like Whilce Portacio and Ryan Ottley, she was given the chance to create official artwork for a beloved anime series. Momoko contributed to the One Piece Card Game, reimagining characters such as Nami, Trafalgar Law, Boa Hancock, Black Maria, and Yamato. Given the game’s widespread popularity and focus on the Grand Line, her designs of the Straw Hats have become popular in tournaments and are expected to continue appearing in future events.

4.) Marco Checchetto’s Berserk

Marco Checchetto (italian artist for Marvel) drew a variant cover for the release of the 42nd volume in italy
byu/Soros4 inBerserk

Marco Checchetto has become a prominent artist at Marvel, recently gaining recognition for his modern interpretation of Spider-Man in Ultimate Spider-Man. He’s also worked on popular titles like The Punisher, Old Man Hawkeye, Daredevil, and Venom. A devoted fan of the Berserk manga, Checchetto was commissioned to create a variant cover for the 42nd volume released in Italy. This volume holds special significance as it was the first published after the heartbreaking loss of Berserk’s creator, Kentaro Miura. It marked the beginning of writer Kouji Mori and Studio Gaga’s continuation of the series, and Checchetto contributed his own artistic vision to its somber world.

3.) Jim Chung’s My Neighbor Totoro

Although many anime-inspired artworks lean towards action-packed shonen series or darker themes, there’s always a place for the gentle charm of Studio Ghibli. Artist Jim Cheung, known for his work on popular Marvel and DC comics like New Avengers, Young Avengers, Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men, X-Force, Justice League, Year of The Villain, and Legion of Super-Heroes, recently created art based on Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro. Even though Totoro is very different from the superhero stories he usually illustrates, Cheung’s artistic style still beautifully captures the spirit of the beloved character.

2.) Chris Samnee’s Vampire Hunter D

Chris Samnee is a highly sought-after artist in the comic book industry, having worked with major companies like Marvel and DC. He’s known for his work on popular characters such as Deadpool, Captain America, Batman, Superman, and the Justice League. While he often draws a variety of characters, a recent piece featuring Vampire Hunter D is particularly noteworthy. Despite the character’s lack of a recent anime adaptation – though his original movies are still beloved – it’s clear Vampire Hunter D made a strong impression on Samnee, as evidenced by this striking artwork.

1.) Jim Lee’s Dragon Ball Z

Here’s what I streames this morning: my first (and only) Goku

— Jim Lee (@JimLee) April 9, 2018

As a huge fan of both anime and comics, it’s amazing to see these worlds collide! Everyone talks about Dragon Ball Z being one of the best Shonen anime ever, and Jim Lee is a legend when it comes to superhero art. He started with titles like Uncanny X-Men, then helped found Image Comics, and now he’s the President of DC Comics! I was so excited to find this artwork he did of Son Goku, the strongest fighter from Dragon Ball. It’s the only time he’s ever drawn the character, which makes it extra special to me.

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2026-02-12 00:41