Watching a potential winter storm. Rain and snow this evening turning to all snow overnight. Low 21F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 3 to 5 inches..

Watching a potential winter storm. Rain and snow this evening turning to all snow overnight. Low 21F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 3 to 5 inches.

This is the cover for the first issue of the comic mini series "Spider-Punk," with Olivier Coipel at the cover artist. | Photo Contributed 

Corbin's own Justin Mason is awaiting the release of his first-ever comic mini series with Marvel Comics. "Spider-Punk" is set to release on April 6, with Mason as the penciller, Cody Ziglar as the writer and Olivier Coipel as the cover artist. | Photo Contributed 

Corbin's Justin Mason has been drawing Spider-Man since he was a little kid. This is one of his recent drawings that was used for comic conventions. | Photo Contributed 

This is some of Justin Mason's artwork for his upcoming comic series "Spider-Punk" which is set to release on April 6. | Photo Contributed 

This is the cover for the first issue of the comic mini series "Spider-Punk," with Olivier Coipel at the cover artist. | Photo Contributed 

Corbin's own Justin Mason is awaiting the release of his first-ever comic mini series with Marvel Comics. "Spider-Punk" is set to release on April 6, with Mason as the penciller, Cody Ziglar as the writer and Olivier Coipel as the cover artist. | Photo Contributed 

Corbin's Justin Mason has been drawing Spider-Man since he was a little kid. This is one of his recent drawings that was used for comic conventions. | Photo Contributed 

This is some of Justin Mason's artwork for his upcoming comic series "Spider-Punk" which is set to release on April 6. | Photo Contributed 

CORBIN — Growing up in Corbin, Justin Mason dreamt of one day illustrating some of his favorite superheroes for comic giants like Marvel, DC and Image Comics. Today, Mason is preparing for his first-ever comic mini-series release with Marvel Comics.

Some of Mason’s earliest memories include drawing alongside his father who enjoyed drawing portraits at his easel. Then, at 5 years old, Mason won his first art contest for his portrait of Batman.

“Because of that, I thought ‘maybe I can keep doing this,’” he said. “I lost the drawing with moving over the years—I wish I still had it. I would frame it if I did.”

Throughout his childhood and into his teenage years, Mason continued to tap into his artistic abilities but after graduating high school, Mason hit a point where he said he had basically given up on his dream.

“After I graduated high school, I wasn’t sure where to go so I just started doing odd jobs here and there,” he said. “I pretty much gave up on drawing at one point. I thought there was no way I could do it because people around here made me believe I couldn’t make it.”

Mason eventually decided to give art another chance and turned back to drawing once again when he met someone who worked for Marvel at a comic book convention in Lexington.

“He kind of became my mentor in a way,” Mason said.

Mason began sending samples to different comic publishers, working on small comic jobs here and there. Then, at the beginning of the pandemic, an editor at Dynamite Comics reached out to Mason after seeing some of his artwork about an upcoming project.

The project allowed him to work with Declan Shalvey, a Marvel comic artist and writer, and though the work was never published, Mason said it did open some doors for him.

“Me and Declan had formed such a great friendship that he asked me to do another project with him,” Mason said, which he noted had not yet been released. He also did some work with DC Comics following that project.

Once those projects were finished, Mason decided it was time to reach for his biggest goal yet—Marvel Comics, sending in samples of his work until someone with Marvel finally reached out about a new project called “Spider-Punk,” a variation of Spider-Man which was coincidentally Mason’s favorite superhero growing up.

Mason began working on the artwork for Spider-Punk in January of this year, working with Cody Ziglar as the writer for the project and Olivier Coipel as the cover artist. Currently, he is working on the third issue, with the first issue of the five-issue mini-series set to be released on April 6.

“It’s wild to think—I’m still a nobody in comics but so many people are talking about this comic book because it’s Marvel and because it’s Spider-Man but my name is attached to it,” Mason said. “It’s just a crazy, awesome thing.”

Mason, who has grown up and still lives in Corbin, said he even paid homage to his hometown in the second issue of the mini-series with a Corbin Easter egg that he hopes fans will take notice of.

The first issue of the Spider-Punk series will be available locally at Main Street Games & Comics in London beginning on April 6. It can also be purchased and pre-ordered online by searching “Spider-Punk comic.”

Mason hopes this is just the beginning and that this opportunity will open even more doors for him in the comic world.

“I want to build a name and build a reputation and hopefully be considered one of the greats in comics,” he said.

Mason also hopes that he can inspire others from this area with big dreams like his.

“I hope that I can instill some kind of hope in kids from here, especially for the future,” he said. “If you wake up and you don’t love what you do, then try to figure out what it is you love and do it.”

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