The following is an interview with Fernando Pasarin, the artist on the upcoming title Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors. Brought to you buy The Green Lantern Corps Podcast.
TheGreenLanternCorps.com:Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us, its really appreciated. So Fernando, can you tell us how you got your break into the world of comics?
Fernando Pasarin: Well, I started when I had 20 years of doing a miniseries for a small Spanish publisher. Then I left that job for a small French company but I worked only for a few months until they asked me to do one of those European graphic novels, but as I was doing the first pages, one of the biggest European companies saw them and I started to work with that company. With them, I did a series of graphic novels and had spent 3 years working for them when Eddie Berganza, the editor of the Green Lantern Franchise between a lot of other stuff, came to a con near my city, and although I wasn’t looking for that job at that moment, I always loved superhero comics, and it was the real job that I wanted to do, so I went to see him. I showed him my work and he hired me after a free reverse phone lookup as a background check, although the first year I couldn’t do a lot of work for DC because I had to finish the European project.
TheGLC:So the journey into superhero comics wasn’t a rocky one for you at all, great. When we spoke to Editor Eddie Berganza about the decision to bring you on as artist a few weeks ago at Comic Con, he told us that he’s been a huge fan for a long time. So now we know just how long.
You were recently announced as the artist for the newest Green Lantern series entitled EMERALD WARRIORS. How did you get involved in this series? Was this the plan back on the Blackest Night: Outsiders issues or just after your Brightest Day #0 issue?
FP: As far as I know, it was all a chain of events although I’m sure that helped a lot have worked with Peter Tomasi on JSA and Outsiders. I went to work on a miniseries, when Eddie asked me to help for finish the Atom-Hawkman Blackest Night special[for artist Ryan Sook]. That led me to do the issue 0 of Brightest Day and then I was asked to keep in Brightest Day or to do Emerald Warriors. I love to work with Peter Tomasi and his run on Green Lantern Corps is simply awesome. Also the Green Lantern franchise is visually one of the most interesting of the market and after a few years of doing fill ins and short runs, this let gave me the chance of to do a long run (if all goes well), so literally in a couple of minutes I told Eddie to go with Emerald Warriors.
TheGLC: We haven’t gotten a lot of news on what this series will be focusing on. We know it will star Green Lanterns Guy Gardner, Kilowog and Arisia, but that about covers all the information we have. What is the central premise of the series?
FP: Sadly, I’m afraid that I can’t tell you a lot more than what you already knows, or DC will cut my hands!! Really, I don’t know a lot, I only have read the 2 first scripts and the solicits for the issues tells pretty much what happens. In these first issues looks like we are immersed in the secret mission for Atrocitus and that will be important the mysterious new villain with the flaming sword that appears in the sneak peek of the series (in the issue 47 of Green Lantern Corps if I’m not wrong). I have designed him from Peter’s notes, and I hope the people like his look. I don’t know what the plans for him are but nothing would make me more happy than he be a new important character in the Green Lantern Mythology. I’m working hard to make him look as cool as possible, and Peter is doing a great work with him. I would tell you to take a look to the sneak peek to have an idea of the things to come.
From what I know it will be a team book, after all we are dealing with the Corps, but the lead character will be Guy, although I hope that Kilowog appears as much as possible. I love him, as character and to draw him. He is one of my very favourite lanterns.
TheGLC: Sounds great, Green Lantern needs more villains! In the months leading up to the launch of Emerald Warriors, we’ve seen a lot of cryptic scenes featuring Guy Gardner and Red Lantern Atrocitus. The series features the often hilarious Guy Gardner but will Emerald Warriors be a darker series than Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps?
FP: Peter Tomasi is the writer, so you can expect that the path would be really similar [to Green Lantern Corps], perhaps a little bit more serious, but I don’t want that Guy loose his personality, and I want to keep him gesticulating a lot.
TheGLC: How different has Emerald Warriors been from previous titles that you have worked on?
FP: Without any doubts, the biggest difference is the science fiction and alien set that this series has, which is really cool for me. I love to draw and design different creatures and environments. I’m trying to find the enough amount of time not only to draw it, but also for find the correct design to all of them. It’s a great chance to do something different with the work. When its done right, it’s really appealing visually.
TheGLC: What is the creative process with writer Peter Tomasi like? I can only imagine how busy he must be with writing Emerald Warriors, Brightest Day and now Batman and Robin. Is there enough communication between you guys or is not much needed due to the script?
FP: The truth is that sadly we don’t talk a lot about the scripts, just as I didn’t with the other writers I have worked with. I don’t like to enter into their area of work and that be a risk of bother them. Also, I’m sure that his schedule is very tight, as is mine. I’m all for talk in English, but its a thing that takes me a loooot of time.
TheGLC: Well let me reassure you that your English is quite well here. Sticking with scripts for a second…We’ve seen DC Comics give a lot of artists an opportunity to write and pencil monthly series recently. Is writing something you have interest in going forward in your career?
FP: No, the truth is that writing isn’t a role I’m interested in at least in these moments. I would love to put on the table my ideas in whatever I would work on, and would be awesome to be a co-plotter in a creator owned project, but I don’t search the writing stage, and I don’t think I would be good at it sadly. At this time with work I’m more interested in the visual aspects of the comic, and here is where I have a lot of luck with Peter because he always gives me cool stuff to draw.
TheGLC: Personally, I really enjoy Patrick Gleason’s version of Kilowog, and especially Philip Tan’s redesign of Green Lantern Stel, which Patrick has told us was a nightmare to draw. What character in Emerald Warriors has been your favorite, and least favorite to draw so far?
FP: I couldn’t tell you right now what is my least favourite to draw, there aren’t any of them in particular, although the one that represents the bigger challenge as it’s the main one is Guy. My favourite to draw without any kind of doubts is Kilowog. He is great as a character and visually. Really really fun to draw.
TheGLC: We definitely look forward to seeing your Kilowog each month. Finishing up, outside of EW, is there a character or book that you really want to tackle as an artist that you haven’t covered just yet?
FP: There are a lot of them, in DC, Marvel, Dark Horse… but if I would have to take only one, it would be without any kind of doubts Thor. He has always been my favorite character and he has an incredible universe to draw. My dream would be to do something like a 50 issue run 10 years from now, when I have more experience and I’ll be young enough to have the enough strength to do the best job possible. Well, the dreams are dreams, although beforehand, I hope I can stay a good amount of time on Emerald Warriors!
TheGLC: You don’t realize how happy I am that you didn’t say Batman. Well, thanks a ton for joining us Fernando, it was great talking to you. We’ll talk again as Emerald Warriors continues.
FP: Well, thanks to you, Brandan. It’s always really cool to talk about comics.
Peter Tomasi & Fernando Pasarin’s Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1 releases this week on August 11th! Also be sure to stop by Fernando’s blog!
