Looking Back at This Year’s Path of the Worthy Competition 

Another Marvel: Crisis Protocol Path of the Worthy painting competition has come and gone, and what a showing it was!

The 2026 Path of the Worthy saw an increase in entries like we have never seen before, and the level of hobby and storytelling was off the charts. We had so many artists return year after year, giving us the chance to see their growth over time and offer feedback on the goals they set for themselves with help from our wonderful judges.

Once again, our judge team was composed of the extremely talented Ben Komets, who has many painting accolades and years of experience under his belt to help guide our entrants in their hobby journey. Elizabeth Beckley also returned, bringing her unique perspective, insight, and years of studio and competitive painting experience to those who stepped up to enter the Worthy and take their skills to the next level. Both of these amazing artists joined AMG Creative Director Dallas Kemp to lend their skills, evaluate and critique the entries, and serve as mentors to the hobby community.

For those who are new to the Worthy, the competition is set up to test your individual skills against yourself year after year. The judges are available on Sunday afternoon to offer guidance, insight, and inspiration to all who enter, with a focus on growth and development on an individual level. The event is designed to award golds to all entrants deserving of gold, instead of focusing on a 1, 2, 3 format that can leave artists unsure of where they stand in the eyes of the competition.

But enough of the rambling… let’s take a look at the golds and the overall winner of the AdeptiCon 2026 Path of the Worthy!

First up, let’s take a look at Chris Velez and his amazingly converted Rhino. The armor was all hand sculpted by Chris over the Marvel: Crisis Protocol Rhino to create a unique look for the miniature. The painting was done very well, with a super clean finish and a beautiful color palette that pulled the whole piece together.

Kevin Wait provided the judges with something absolutely amazing to look at this year with his Thor fighting Hulk entry. With dynamic lighting, wonderful texture, and a composition that really told the story, this piece shined in the case and in the judges’ hands.

The winner of each category, also known as the Mighty, takes home not only a gold coin but a Mjolnir trophy to display at home and remind them of what they achieved. In the Single Mini category, David Diamondstone’s Gambit stood out. His texture and lighting were outstanding, and the craftsmanship on the display was perfect. The lantern on the side and all the plant life really pulled the whole piece together, making this the standout in the category.

Ok… when you get a gold coin, that is when you are actually judged against others in your category. The best of the golds earns a trophy Mjolnir and is classified as the Mighty. And of the three Mighty winners, one from each category, one will be chosen to be… the Worthy. And the Worthy gets not just the coin and Mjolnir, but the most epic trophy in painting history… Odin on his throne!

This year, our Worthy winner and recipient is Kyle Dalton with his Peter Parker and Miles Morales Dual category piece titled “Collapse.” The dynamic story and kinetic action, alongside the superb painting, really lifted this entry up in the eyes of the judges. Kyle painted the comic book style costumes in an updated, realistic version, adding new seam lines and panels that were not sculpted on. Just a wonderful piece to behold.

That is the gold winners and the Worthy for the AdeptiCon 2026 Path of the Worthy painting competition. I look forward to seeing what 2027 holds for us and cannot wait to see what YOU enter into the Path of the Worthy as you start your journey.

Till next time,

Dallas