Space Knight 11
On Thursday artist Gerardo Sandoval sat down with Marvel to discuss VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT and share some preview art:
Marvel.com: Venom’s an interesting character to draw because he has a specific look, but can also change shape. Do you enjoy playing with those aspects on the page?
Gerardo Sandoval: Yes, I do. To have a character that always can give you the chance as an artist to improve your art is really nice. I have tons of fun and inspiration doing whatever I can with Venom’s shape and that gives me a lot of ideas to design a page.
Marvel.com: This issue features a conflict between Spider-Man and Venom. How has it been drawing the next step in this ongoing rivalry?
Gerardo Sandoval: I love Spider-Man. Who doesn't? And of course I’ve really loved Venom since the first time I saw him by Todd McFarlane himself. This story between these two characters is something that we need to see again. But having a fight with two of the most amazing Marvel Comics characters is a huge opportunity to do my best in a really hard challenge. Spider-Man is not an easy character to draw. To make him look thin but strong, muscular but lightweight, flexible but strong, and all of that with a mask that can’t let you see full expressions is a real challenge. Venom is a beast, a really big muscular beast, a really big but flexible character, really heavy but moves very fast. And that big mouth that almost can’t let you do expressions! It’s another king of challenges and I am an artist that really loves the challenges. So what I did is just use what I know about both characters and used thinking as fan. As a fan what would I wish to see with Venom vs. Spider-Man? Well, that’s what I tried to do.
Marvel.com: Speaking of Spidey’s presence in the issue, how does his physicality play off of Venom’s?
Gerardo Sandoval: Spider-Man is a really powerful character but I think that Venom could win. Venom is a really dangerous foe and, in my eyes, Venom is never going to be an easy adversary for anyone once he gets to that fury level. But at the same time, Spider-Man is the biggest hero in Marvel Comics Universe so I need to show why Spider-Man is so amazing and how he really needs to do his best in order to defeat Venom.
Marvel.com: Aside from Spider-Man, are there any other characters you’re excited about drawing in the book with Civil War II making its presence felt?
Gerardo Sandoval: This is the one-million-dollar question and you know what [would] be awesome for me to draw? A really bad, furious, big and out of total control Hulk in his worst “smashing mode” versus a very angry Wolverine!
Marvel.com: How has it been working with Robbie so far?
Gerardo Sandoval: Robbie is a great writer that really knows what he wants. The way he writes his story telling and action pages makes it very easy for me because I read in his script just what I want to draw.
VENOM: SPACE KNIGHT 11 debuts on August 24th!