50 Girls 50 #1Media Release -- Before he became the regular artist on ELEPHANTMEN, astonishing newcomer Axel Medellin was selected from a number of gifted applicants in the talent search for Frank Cho and Doug Murray's 50 GIRLS 50. With the first issue of their four-issue sci-fi miniseries set to debut this June, Richard Starkings is showcasing Axel's 50 GIRLS 50 work in his own sci-fi series, with a preview set to run in ELEPHANTMEN #31, on sale May 11.

Starkings commented, "Axel is clearly the hardest working artist in comics, and this is obviously a big year for him. It's hard for me to believe today that he presented me with a fully painted ELEPHANTMEN sample page over three years ago and now 22 gorgeous pages of full colour art every month! 50 GIRLS 50 shows yet another side to Axel and I for one can't wait to lick every page!"

"I'm so glad that Axel is the new regular artist for ELEPHANTMEN," added Cho. "Not only is Axel a superb storyteller, he's one of the most dedicated artists in the business. I can't wait to see how his work progresses over the months ahead!"

Readers enjoying Axel Medellin's depiction of the dystopian future of ELEPHANTMEN will see an altogether different side of his work as they're introduced to the very special crew of the ship ESS Savannah. The gritty streets of Los Angeles circa 2259 are replaced with the sleek interiors of a state of the art spacecraft and the lush forests of alien worlds for a dangerously enjoyable journey through space.

ELEPHANTMEN #31 (FEB110456), a 32-page full color science fiction comic book, including a five-page preview of 50 GIRLS 50 #1, will be available in stores May 11 for $2.99. 50 GIRLS 50 #1 (APR110392) will be landing in stores June 1 for $2.99.