In a predominantly white, male-led field such as the comic bookindustry, it is both refreshing and exciting when a non-western female artist gains popularity. In 2022, Marvel Comics launche-d a new program called the Stormbreaker artist program, in which notable rising comic artists of the next generation are recognized.A comic artist and author from Japan that goes by the pseudonym Peach Momoko was one of the original Stormbreakers artists. She has been recognized for her wildly successful cover art and her unique style.
Born in Japan, Momoko’s father and grandfather were both painters. Growing up in the Saitama prefecture of Japan, she was influenced by her family to pick up the paintbrush. Her grandfather worked with traditional oil paints, and her father, a photographer, also loved painting. Momoko ultimately went to college for video game design, where she decided to switch career tracks and become a professional illustrator. Momoko’s style is focused on juxtaposing feminine beauty and strength with inner madness, using watercolor as her primary medium. She takes inspiration from Japanese classical culture, including Japanese folktales and samurai. She started using the pseudonym, Peach Momoko in art school, and the name stuck. Momoko entered the Marvel Comics world in 2019 with a variant cover. She gained recognition during the pandemic when she began producing an average of twenty covers a month. During her career, Momoko has worked on 213 covers for Marvel and won the 2021 Eisner Award for Best Cover artist.
Creating cover art is not the limit of Peach Momoko’s talents, as she even started her own Marvel comic series in 2021, which is written, illustrated, and colored by herself. The five-part saga is titled Demon Days and is a perfect blend of action-packed horror, feminist ideals, realistic adolescent struggles, and Japanese culture. In addition to being visually stunning, Momoko’s Demon Days beautifully blends relatable and popular Marvel characters with Japanese mythology, granting her readers a perspective into classical Japanese culture and giving it visibility as well.
Peach Momoko is active on both Instagram and Twitter, where she regularly posts her art. This young comic book artist is definitely worth supporting. You can check out her social media at @peachmomoko60, on both Instagram and Twitter.