Frank Castle is one of the most popular anti-heroes in Marvel comics. When considering the love fans have for the character, including Bernthal's take on Netflix, it's odd to consider that he was originally created as a side character in a Spider-Man story.
There have been many titles starring the Punisher over the years, with Punisher MAX amongst the more mature of the bunch. Written by celebrated scribe Garth Ennis (Preacher), the series features art from Leandro Fernandez (Wolverine).
We here at Comic Book Movie set up a series of exclusive interviews with the creators of the comic series The Old Guard in support of the new original Netflix adaptation. We spoke with writer Greg Rucka as well as artist Leandro Fernandez, and we were lucky enough to learn a bit about the Marvel characters that Fernandez contributed art to.
Check out what Fernandez has to say about his work on Punisher MAX, Wolverine, The Old Guard, and much more. If you're interested in hearing the audio component you can do so by following the podcast link at the bottom!
Joe: I'm curious if any of your experience with Marvel helped in creating The Old Guard?
Leandro Fernandez: I've done a lot of work on Punisher MAX with Garth Ennis. It's been a long career of developing my style and hard work and getting into the everyday duties.
I got to work with a lot of really good writers on different projects. I even got a chance to work with Greg on Wolverine for Marvel back in 2003 or something. So maybe that was the part to what could be becoming in years after that. What it means to be working with Greg is very different than working with other writers, so that could have an effect on my work on The Old Guard.
Joe: Is there a favorite character that you have?
Leandro Fernandez: I don't know if I could make a choice in regards to the character itself. I talk about The Punisher because it was the character I worked the longest with.
But I really liked working on Wolverine, I liked working on that character and I liked working with Greg. Not so much from the superhero side but from another aesthetic, for sure.
Joe: What kind of artists do you look to for inspiration when you draw comics?
Leandro Fernandez: It usually needs to be something that renews my motivation because I try to bring from different sources and be inspired by different things.
I'm not only talking about comic books, I love to take inspiration from painters and movie makers and I take inspiration from music, anything that makes me feel a connection with the world. There's a lot of people all over the world that I pay attention to a lot and of course that changes all of the time.
*This interview has been edited for clarity.*
What do you think of Fernandez's comments about Punisher MAX? Have you had a chance to check out The Old Guard on Netflix?
Make sure to check out the audio component of Fernandez's interview via the Podcast link below and share your thoughts on the film with us down in the comments section!
Forever is harder than it looks. Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (LOVE & BASKETBALL, BEYOND THE LIGHTS), THE OLD GUARD is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.
The Old Guard is now streaming on Netflix!