Power Man & Iron Fist: Making Magic

On March 8, POWER MAN AND IRON FIST #14 by David Walker and Sanford Greene promises to plunge the title heroes into a fight that combines supernatural and street elements.

The team has worked on and off together since the Danny Rand and Luke Cage-starring book launched last year. Like the heroes in the book they make, they’ve become something of a dynamic duo. We talked with Greene about continuing the magically inclined themes from the earlier issues, working with Walker, and approaching new and existing characters.

Marvel.com: This issue kicks off the “Street Magic” story line which pits two of the most well-known street-level heroes against supernatural elements. How has it been mixing those genres so far?

Sanford Greene: Honestly, we’ve been mixing those elements pretty much from the beginning. The first story arc was where we laid the foundation for the idea of “Street Magic,” and we had so much fun that we decided to keep going with it. More than anything, I’m just happy that I get to draw Brother Voodoo. I hope that wasn’t a spoiler.

Marvel.com: When it came to designing some of the supernaturally themed characters in the series, what was the process like?

Sanford Greene: Some of them already existed, so it was really about building on what was already there. You take any character that already exists, and you bring your own sense of style into the mix. For me, it’s really just part of the process of getting comfortable drawing the character, even if it is only for a few panels.

Marvel.com: Generally speaking, how much looking back do you do when it comes to bringing existing characters into the book?

Sanford Greene: David and I collaborate on finding all the images I need for reference for each issue. Sometimes he just embeds links into the script, which is good, because he’s pulling out some obscure characters.

Marvel.com: You’ve obviously been a huge part of this book, launching it with David, working on various arcs and creating covers. Would you say your understanding of these characters has grown in that time?

Sanford Greene: Most definitely. I’ve been living with Luke and Danny for well over a year now. Same with some of the other characters, like Tombstone and Black Mariah, and that really helps to develop a feeling of knowing a character. It also helps when the writer is giving you specific emotions to play with or describing the tone of how a scene needs to feel. But as far as knowing Luke and Danny—yeah, I feel like I know them better than I did before. If I didn’t feel that way, it would mean I wasn’t honestly putting myself into the art.

Marvel.com: Along similar lines, you’ve worked with David since the series started, how has your working relationship changed in that time?

Sanford Greene: David is a tremendous writer. However, I think he’s been going out of his way to write scripts that will be difficult to draw, just to see if he can break my spirit. Of course, I’m just kidding. We knew each other casually before we started working together, but we’ve developed a friendship over the course of this run. He’s definitely asked a lot from me as an artist, but he’s never asked for anything that I couldn’t do, even if it meant pushing myself a bit harder than usual—or a lot harder than usual. But seriously, he’s also given me freedom when it comes to some of the action sequences, which are usually the most fun to draw. I think that between the two of us, we did the best book we could possibly do, and in the end, that’s what matters the most.

To get in on the “Street Magic” action, check out POWER MAN & IRON FIST by David Walker and Sanford Greene!