CGC Signature Series Creator Spotlight: Clayton Crain

Artist: Clayton Crain

Next CGC Signature Series deadline: October 30, 2026, is the deadline to submit your books for the next Clayton Crain Private Signing. Go here to learn more about how to submit.

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Creator origins: Crain has been illustrating since 1998, was a penciler until 2002, and has worked in digital art, acrylic, and oil painting in the years that followed. He is best known for his exquisite work on Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears, Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation, X-Force, and Carnage for Marvel. He worked with Todd McFarlane on Curse of the Spawn for Image Comics and has done work for Valiant Comics on the popular Shadowman series. Fans can find Crain’s stunning cover work on recent series like Ultimate Black Panther, Gargoyles: Quest, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Top picks: Some of Crain’s most popular works include:

• Shadowman #16 (1998)
• Venom #14 (2004)
• Venom vs Carnage #1 (2004)
• X-Force #23 (2010, variant)
• Uncanny X-Force #1 (2010, variant)
• Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011)
• Carnage USA #1 (2012)
• Spawn 25th Anniversary #1 (2017, variant)
• Punisher #218 (2018)
• Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 (2019, variant)
• X-Men #1 (2021, variant)

CGC Comics Registry highlight: CGC Comics Registry Member Patrick Horn’s set KrackenKomics Clayton Crain Covers includes some of Crain’s most popular work, with many featuring signatures and graded CGC 9.8.

Auction highlight: An Ultimate Fallout #4 variant graded CGC Signature Series 9.8 signed by Clayton Crain, Brian Michael Bendis, and Mark Bagley (with a sketch) sold for $33,600 through Heritage Auctions in June 2023.

Did you know? Crain decided he wanted to be a comic book artist at just 14 years old after reading The Amazing Spider-Man #315 by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane.

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