I'm just an ordinary player, not an art critic, but I still remember the moment a vintage comic cover of The Last of Us reached out and grabbed me by the collar. It had yellowed paper, halftone dots, dramatic shadows, and a title treatment that looked like it had been sitting in a spinner rack since 1979. I wasn't looking for a history lesson in pulp design. I was just scrolling. That was enough.
The artist behind that cover was Mark Scicluna, a former illustrator for Rockstar Games. He has worked on titles like L.A. Noire, GTA Online, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Bully, which is already a wild résumé for anyone who loves games with grit and attitude. Even after leaving Rockstar, he kept using that talent in a very specific direction: turning beloved games into vintage comic book covers. In April 2022, he shared a batch of them on social media, and the internet reacted the way I did. First came surprise. Then came the slow, happy realization that these weren't just clever mockups. They felt like real artifacts from another medium.
A Former Rockstar Artist With a Very Specific Magic
I'll be honest: I clicked expecting fan art, and I stayed for something that felt professionally printed. Scicluna's covers include God of War, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us, and Red Dead Redemption. Those games could not be further apart in genre. One is mythic fury. One is sci-fi wonder. One is post-apocalyptic grief. One is a dusty western with a lonely horizon. Yet all four work as vintage comic covers. That shouldn't be possible... and yet it is.
Maybe the trick is that Scicluna doesn't just copy a screenshot and slap a logo on it. He translates. He takes the emotional core of a game and asks, 'What would this feel like if it were a cheap, glorious comic book from decades ago?' The answer, somehow, is always yes.
Why These Covers Work So Well
| Game | Vintage comic angle | What I felt |
|---|---|---|
| The Last of Us | Weathered survival horror | Guilt, grit, and a world gone quiet |
| Red Dead Redemption | Dusty western drama | Loneliness under a huge sky |
| God of War | Mythic fury | Operatic rage in ink |
| Horizon Forbidden West | Sci-fi adventure | Wonder with teeth |
| Resident Evil | Creature-feature dread | Pulp terror |
| Metal Gear Solid | Espionage thriller | Paranoid cool |
| Crash Bandicoot | Cartoon chaos | Pure mischief |
He has also turned games like Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid, and Crash Bandicoot into covers in the same style. That range matters. A lesser artist might make everything look like the same moody drama. Scicluna lets each game keep its own personality while the vintage comic language ties them together. Nostalgia didn't knock politely; it kicked the door open.
The Fan Reaction Was Not Subtle
When the covers spread around, fans piled in with the kind of reactions that make social media feel less like a dumpster fire and more like a comic convention hallway. David Atkinson called it 'amazing talent.' NoWhereMan said they could not love the stuff any more. Gus called the work 'beautiful.' Danny said it 'rules.' I get it. You know that feeling when someone makes something you didn't know you needed? That was this.
People also asked whether Scicluna had made more in this style. Thankfully, yes. The covers weren't a one-off stunt. They were part of a larger love letter to games and old print design. In 2026, that little experiment still feels like a masterclass. The franchises on that list have only become more iconic, and the idea of seeing them as full comic books still sounds like a dream. Santa Monica Studio, Rockstar Games, and other studios should be paying attention. No joke.
What I Want Next
I would buy a full The Last of Us comic in this style without blinking. I would frame a Red Dead Redemption cover and pretend I'm a person with tasteful decor. I would probably buy two copies of a Crash Bandicoot one and pretend one is for a friend. The ink seems to whisper, 'You know you want this on your shelf.' And honestly? I do.
So here I am in 2026, still thinking about a set of covers from 2022. That is the power of good art. It doesn't just show you a game you already love. It shows you a version of that game you wish existed. And it leaves you hoping, just a little, that someone out there is listening.