Posted in: Avengers, Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Armageddon, captain america, chip zdarsky, Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar

Chip Zdarsky Moved Delio Diaz & Frank Alpizar From Cap To Armageddon

Why Chip Zdarsky moved Captain America artists Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar to Avengers: Armageddon

In a new interview with David Harper for SKTCHD on YouTube, Chip Zdarsky talked about the practical realities of writing and collaborating on high-profile Marvel titles like Captain America and the upcoming Avengers: Armageddon event. Zdarsky touched on the design side of Avengers: Armageddon, including his involvement in teaser materials and the event's logo, in collaboration with Marvel's design team. He highlighted one particularly fun teaser, a visual nod that ties into the larger story. "I was very happy when I thought of Wolverine's claws referencing the Avengers A," he shared in related comments echoed in the interview context. Regarding temporary solicitation covers versus final art, Zdarsky expressed mild frustration with placeholder imagery that doesn't always reflect the finished product, preferring when the actual Diaz and Alpizar pages can speak for themselves.

Talking of whom, he stated that he made the decision to move new Captain America artists Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar from Captain America directly onto the five-issue Avengers: Armageddon core series, despite chopping and changing the artists on Cap. "As soon as I saw their first pages, I was just like oh my god, these guys are just like on another level. It's great having them on there, but then we start talking about like artists for Armageddon, I was just, I think it's got to be them. They're just that good.," Zdarsky explained that, when discussing the duo's contributions during their guest arc on Captain America, he and Marvel decided to assign them to the bigger event book, even though it meant disrupting the ongoing series' artist lineup. "It felt right to let them loose on the bigger stage."

Zdarsky was candid about the realities of working with a rotating roster on Captain America, which has featured artists including Valerio Schiti, Jan Bazaldua, Tonci Zonjic, and the aforementioned Diaz and Alpizar. He described the process of tailoring scripts to each penciller's strengths: "I try to write for the artist. I try to think about what they do well and what they might enjoy drawing", but on Captain America, I still just kind of tailor them all for Valerio just because I started off with Valerio. And so, they kind of lean into Valerio as an artist, weirdly, even though he's not drawing it.." This includes providing layout-stage notes and avoiding panel constructions that would be difficult or unfulfilling for a specific artist. Zdarsky contrasted this with scripts he's received as an artist himself. "I've gotten scripts where it's like four people talking in a tight car and I'm like, 'Oh man, this is gonna be rough. I learned a lot from reading Brubaker and Aaron and Fraction scripts, how they handled visual storytelling and left room for the artist."

He acknowledged the impact on series consistency while defending the creative necessity: the rotating artists allowed experimentation and brought fresh energy, even if it meant some visual shifts from issue to issue. Throughout the conversation, Zdarsky stressed his dual "writer brain/artist brain" perspective as a key advantage in collaboration. Because he pencils his own work, he scripts with visual feasibility in mind from the start. "I think about layouts when I'm writing," he said, explaining how he avoids overly complex or emotionally mismatched panel setups (for example, saving wide emotional beats for full-page or splash moments rather than cramped mid-shots). He also shared empathy for artists facing heavy workloads: "I feel a little bit guilty sometimes because I know how demanding some pages can be." This awareness influences everything from page rates to script revisions when artists push back on notes. Zdarsky noted that good collaboration often involves flexibility: "Sometimes the artist will come back with something better than what I described, and I'm happy to adjust."

Avengers: Armageddon #1 (written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar is scheduled for release in June. It will be previews om Free Comic Book Day, the 2nd of May.

Avengers: Armageddon (2026) #1 (of 5)
by Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, Frank Alpizar
ARMAGEDDON HAS ARRIVED! Red Hulk's devastating tear across the globe must be stopped… but it will take a colossal gathering of Earth's Mightiest Heroes to do it! Calling in the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine and more…but who will survive this super-powered cataclysm?! There will be a pre-Armageddon Marvel Universe and a post-Armageddon Marvel Universe. Be here to bear witness to the

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