With Comic-Con’s 25th anniversary coming up, the Emperor Palpatine Commemorative Poster was created during an ambitious nine-hour design sprint. With a clear goal to move into a career creating graphic assets for film and television, the process started with deep research into the character's history, Ian McDiarmid’s performance, and the specific lighting effects from the original films to really nail that cinematic atmosphere.

Beyond the design work, the convention itself proved to be a fantastic environment for networking with fellow creatives and industry professionals. Navigating the crowds to ultimately present the work to Ian McDiarmid—a living legend—and receiving his professional feedback on the poster’s execution and his choice to sign it in a shade of purple that perfectly complemented the lighting design, served as a defining milestone. This experience felt like a genuine first step into the entertainment industry, fueling a drive to continue creating high-complexity, narrative-driven work for the screen.