Iconic video game and comic characters become stained-glass art

For millions of people around the world, video game and comic book characters are akin to religious expressions of art. So, what better way to memorialize some of those iconic characters than with works of stained glass, the art form most commonly recognized for its presence in churches.

Atlanta-based artist Rick Daniels has created pieces featuring Mario, Mega Man, Iron Man and countless other figures on beautifully stained glass, which he sells through his company, Martian Glasswork.

Because his works have become so popular, the price for one of Daniels’ transformative stained-glass pieces varies greatly. For example, you can pick up a poster print version of his stained-glass Paper Mario for just $6. At the other end of the spectrum, an elaborate 50-by-40-inch stained-glass piece featuring the Master Chief from the Halo video game series was created using 200 original pieces of glass and is listed for $3,995.

In the description for a similarly priced piece based on the Samus character from the Metroid series, Daniels discusses the level of detail and craftsmanship that goes into creating the work of art:

“I took no liberties with the colors and it was quite hard to find the proper Oranges, Yellows, and Reds - 3 colors that usually don't have the type of variety and texture that lend themselves to ideal coloring for this type of theme,” he explains. “I really wanted the colors of the glass to give the same bold appearance as in the game. I spent hours visiting suppliers and combing through sheets of glass to find the proper colors.”

The idea of spending thousands of dollars on video game-inspired glasswork might sound unusual to some, but Daniels has a substantial, and growing, fan base. His Facebook page has more than 11,000 likes, and the feedback left by customers is nearly universally positive.

As one reviewer recently explained, “I gave this piece to my best friend and her husband [both avid Dr. Who fans] for a wedding gift and they both flipped out. They loved it so much.”