Ryan Stegman is a comic book artist, writer, and podcaster best known for his work on Marvel Comics characters including She-Hulk, X-23, Spider-Man and Venom.
An Interview with Ryan Stegman – 11/4/2025
As Twin Cities Con gears up for another unforgettable weekend of pop culture celebration, Marvel’s The Last Wolverine takes center stage with a striking new variant cover by superstar artist Ryan Stegman. Known for his dynamic line work and bold character design, Stegman brings a fierce new edge to the iconic mutant–complete with a fresh look introduced in Marvel’s upcoming Age of Revelation event. Nerdstreet’s Director of Comics, Lan Pitts, sat down with Stegman to talk about the creative process behind the exclusive cover, his inspirations, and what it takes to craft an image that stands toe-to-toe with Wolverine’s legendary legacy.
Lan Pitts: So Ryan, this is your first time at Twin Cities Con, and out of the gate we’ve got a The Last Wolverine variant for the show. How did the concept for this piece come together?
Ryan Stegman: I designed a new Wolverine look for the Age of Revelation event for Marvel. And maybe I’m a little biased but I thought it was pretty dang cool. So when I was asked to do this piece I just really wanted to draw this new look and make it look as intimidating and cool as possible.
Pitts: The background is an intense flat orange, which isn’t typical for Wolverine covers, but works perfectly with the con’s color scheme. Was that something you knew you wanted to incorporate from the jump?
Stegman: Honestly, no! I knew I wanted a flat color and Marcio Menyz sent two options, one on white and one on orange. The orange harmonized really well with what he did on the figure and so we chose the orange option. Glad it works out with the show’s color scheme though!
Pitts: There’s also a virgin variant available. When creating a piece where the artwork must stand on its own without title treatment, do you approach the composition differently?
Stegman: My favorite types of covers are “iconic” covers. I often think that the most effective covers are single character shots like this. So when I get a job where it’s not dictated that we need a “scene” and I can just cut loose I always get excited. As for composing for the virgin variant, I don’t necessarily do that. I’m so dialed in from years and years of doing this that I unconsciously leave room for the logo. But that generally yields a better composition anyways because you leave open area for the eye to rest.
Pitts: Were there any specific Wolverine comics, artists, or arcs that you looked to for inspiration for this cover?
Stegman: I think my favorite Wolverine run has to be Marc Silvestri’s from the 80s. I bought a bundle of all of those issues at a convention a few years ago and I have them strewn about my office now and when I’m stuck or tired or just need a break I grab one of those and flip through it. It’s some of the best comic art ever. I almost can’t believe how good it is, especially when Marc seemed to be producing it at light speed. So whenever I’m drawing Wolverine, that stuff pours out of me.
Pitts: Finally, what advice would you give to artists looking to break into doing cover work, especially exclusive or convention pieces like this one?
Stegman: Same advice I give to all artists: Draw because you love it. Drawing, to me, is the greatest thing in the world. I love it so much. So if you love it then just keep doing it and doing it. Post it online and get feedback. Find your own tribe of like-minded artists and help each other get better. Eventually the right people will see it and you’ll be off to the races!
