Superstar artist Brandon Peterson – who rose to industry fame as one of Top Cow’s most popular artists and for the last few years served as an artist, Art Director and Vice President of CrossGen Entertainment – has signed an exclusive creator agreement with Marvel that will keep him with the House of Ideas through the year 2006.
Brandon will begin drawing covers on such key titles as ULTIMATE X-MEN and then move on to several high-profile new assignments that will be announced in the coming weeks.
“I’ve known Brandon for quite some time now, he is one of those rare talents that can do it all and he does it all at a Master’s level,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. “He’s also one of the most enthusiastic people I know and I’m thrilled that he’s bringing that energy to Marvel.
“We have some amazing stuff planned for Brandon including the reinvention of a classic Marvel character that will have fans talking for years to come. There aren’t many people in the comics industry that can draw with his ability and energy so I’m thrilled for us and for our fans everywhere that he’ll be dedicating his amazing talents to the pantheon of Marvel Heroes.”
“Over the last few years while occupied at another job, I’ve observed the incredible progress Marvel has made with the editorial leadership of Joe Quesada,” said Peterson. “Marvel has really undergone a renaissance with things like Marvel Knights, the Ultimate universe, and the rejuvenation of the core titles. I appreciated from a distance the hard work and skill that they and everyone at Marvel have shown.
“After I had left my former job, Joe and I talked at length about some of the great projects Marvel had planned, and I found myself getting caught up in the infectious enthusiasm he has for the company. It didn’t take too long to see we were on the same page and Marvel was the place for me to be. Marvel has a great support staff and everyone has been really positive about me coming aboard, especially C.B. Cebulski who has been instrumental in helping Marvel and me come together.”
Peterson mostly looks forward to the opportunity to work on Marvel’s most popular and well-recognized characters. “A creator typically wants as big an audience as possible for their efforts, and Marvel has the biggest audience around,” continued the creator. “I also have many friends who are regular Marvel creators, and it’ll be fun to be part of that community of artists.
“I would speak more, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy on some of the things I’ve got coming up. It’s going to be exciting, fun projects that I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time!”
. 
