(EXCLUSIVE) Exploring The Designs For ‘Absolute Superman’ With Rafa Sandoval
The Absolute Universe continues to expand and be explored as ‘Absolute Superman #5‘ releases. This issue showcases Jason Aaron’s best work on the title yet and the same can be said for the artwork by Rafa Sandoval and Ulises Arreola.
It’s safe to say that this take on Superman is fundamentally different in terms of story, background but also the design. I was lucky enough to get the change to explore and discuss Rafa Sandoval’s designs and take on the character, full interview below:
How was it working with Jason (Aaron) and your vision of how this Superman and his supporting characters will look?
My experience with Jason is very good because he gives me a lot of creative freedom. The job was to dream and let my imagination fly without limits. The result has been a constant and exciting exercise in creativity that an artist does not always have, because everything is new. But at the same time, it is also a job of constant references to a world of the DC Universe. For example, the characters are not exactly the same as we know them, but we had to make sure that readers recognized their essence at first glance. That made me keep some characteristics. A good example of what I am saying is the Superman symbol. It is not the same symbol, but it is similar to the original. Another example is Superman’s hairstyle, wavy hair with a very characteristic curl that is drawn on his forehead. That could not be missing in my version.
Superman is an iconic character, did you find yourself under pressure when it came to designing your own brand new version of him?
At first, I really was under pressure. But the pressure was exerted by the Superman fan inside me. Superman is one of my favorite characters and I felt the duty to come up with a special version, one that I had to be happy with. I assure you that it didn’t come out on the first try, or the second, but it was an incredible experience. I wanted it to be recognizable at first glance, but to have something special and for readers to like it. And then inspiration came. I forgot about the pressure and started dreaming about this new version of Superman. I imagined him in his expressions, in his personality, in his way of moving. I let my creativity fly and then I got the result I was looking for. The key is to use the illusion and admiration that you have inside you as a Superman reader. If you respect that, the rest will eventually come out the way you want. And that’s what happened. From that moment on, the pressure disappeared and that creative magic emerged. I’m sure that more than one artist will know how to recognize that moment I’m referring to, when everything flows almost as if it were magic.
What is your favourite aspect about your design of this universe – whether Superman, the world he’s in or supporting character designs?
The most important thing for me was Superman because of everything I just said. I love that character. Krypton is also an exciting world to design. I wanted to combine classic aspects of Krypton with other aspects that are more typical of Earth. There are some aspects of Krypton where I thought more of a future version of Earth adapted to Superman’s home planet. It wasn’t easy, and not everything came out on the first try. It was a creative challenge and it’s funny that sometimes the simplest version was much better than others where I wanted to elaborate too much on the look of that planet and its civilization.
The version of Lois was also an interesting job. At first we see her as a soldier, but she has a very strong personality. But she is not a soldier willing to obey orders without thinking. She is forceful, but if she sees something that is not right, she will fight until she sees the truth. And the truth is above all. She is capable of sacrificing everything because she cannot stand lies or injustice. She is the Lois Lane that we know in that sense. That’s why I draw Lois with a very different body language than a normal soldier. It’s not easy, but I really enjoy every time I have to draw Lois in action.
Is there anything in terms of artwork that is coming up that you can’t wait to readers to see?
Issue #5 has been quite a challenge for me. It’s about the destruction of Krypton. You asked me before if I was under pressure. If you read the lyrics of Queen’s song “Under pressure”, it’s almost a description of what I wanted to convey. It’s a terrible cascade of emotions where destruction, despair, fear, sadness and love are combined. My mission was to bring all those feelings to the readers. But when I finished drawing it, I think it’s a story that should be read while listening to John Williams’ Superman: The Movie 40th Anniversary Remastered Edition. I drew all those pages listening to that original soundtrack. It’s an experience that I recommend to all readers.
A huge thank you for Rafa Sandoval for taking the time. ‘Absolute Superman #5’ is out now, it features some incredible artwork by Rafa Sandoval and is available from your local comic store.
