Interviewing Sam Green, Deadpool & Wolverine Poster Artist

This summer, the Marvel Cinematic Universe officially met the Merc with a Mouth and the Worst Wolverine. Alongside one of the X-Men’s most well-known mutants, Deadpool starred in Marvel’s blockbuster film Deadpool & Wolverine. The title characters certainly faced their share of TVA-fueled madness and timeline chaos. But somehow, in the end, these two worsties for life managed to fix up their messes. Well, as best as can be expected when Wade Wilson is involved.

To commemorate this cinematic experience, we interviewed Sam Green, the artist behind the explosive movie poster print release from Sideshow entitled Deadpool & Wolverine. Sam talks with us about his creative process, planting MCU Easter eggs, and how pop culture influenced his new Marvel art print.

Beware, bub: Minor spoilers ahead for Deadpool & Wolverine!

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Sam Green Artist Interview

When did you realize you wanted to be an artist? What made you pursue it as a career, and did you face any challenges getting there?

I’ve always been drawing since I was very young. My mum has scrapbooks going back to when I was only 2 or 3 years old. Drawing and making art has just always been what I’ve done, so I’ve never really even considered anything else honestly!

With the rise of social media, that has definitely afforded opportunities to reach more people with my work and make it a viable career. However, social media can actually be one of the more challenging aspects of this line of work – particularly in recent years. Being at the mercy of the ever-changing algorithms and trends within how things are consumed creates an extra hurdle for those of us in this line of work. I think especially for people starting out now it can be difficult to build an audience when these platforms are dictating whether or not your stuff is being shown to people in the first place, let alone given the chance to be engaged with.

Another challenge is managing everything outside of making the artwork. Having to make the art is time consuming in itself, but you also have to handle the business side of things, contracts, correspondence, research, scheduling, branding and promotion, social media content and planning, finances – the list goes on!

How would you describe your art style?

I’d probably describe my work as detailed. I try to be meticulous in my approach with a great deal of care for accuracy and attention to detail. I really enjoy getting in close and working on the finer elements of an artwork. Sometimes I think I could be looser in areas, but I find that side of working really satisfying and quite therapeutic.

A lot of my artistic background is in comics, so I try to bring across some of that dynamism in my work. This Deadpool and Wolverine print is quite a direct example with how it’s intentionally riffing on a comic cover aesthetic, but bringing in some of that frenetic energy where it suits is something I always try to do.

You’re very well-traveled, often taking your illustration with you on the move. How has this influenced your work, perspective, or style? Are there any specific cultural art styles you’re most drawn to?

I recently returned from a year-long trip traveling various parts of Asia, which was incredible. As you mention, seeing all of the different cultural art styles and approaches was really eye-opening.

This is maybe a bit of a left-field answer but I love Hong Kong cinema. My best friend growing up, his family was from Hong Kong and I’d see a lot of stuff on TV at his house as a kid. I’ve been lucky enough to have since made artworks for several classic HK movies and filmmakers, including the likes of Jet Li and John Woo. Some of these projects I was working on whilst actually being in Hong Kong, which felt quite surreal. While I was there I sought out a bunch of filming locations such as various Wong Kar-wai spots to the shopping mall that Jackie Chan jumps several stories in Police Story. Iconic. I’m such a lover of film so standing in these exact places where these iconic pieces of cinema were made is hugely inspirational to me.

Another country that probably goes without saying is Japan. I’m a lifelong Dragon Ball fan. Akira Toriyama is probably my largest single influence and was really fundamental in forming my knowledge of so many artistic principles growing up. The Japanese approach to graphic design – being so clean and austere in a lot of places, I found really inspiring. Something I would love to be able to bring across more into my own work. Then, on the flip side, you have a lot of these beautifully ornate woodblock printings dating back centuries. Japan is just a feast for the senses.

You’ve worked with some musical legends throughout your art career. Do you listen to music when you work? If so, did you listen to anything specific when working on Deadpool & Wolverine?

Working on projects for names such as Elton John, Wu-Tang Clan, and The Smashing Pumpkins has been a real treat. I’m a big fan of all of them, so to be able to contribute to these extended legacies even in some small part is a huge honor!

My music tastes are really diverse so what I listen to while I work can really vary: ’90s hip-hop, ’80s pop, house, jazz, metal. It’s all over the place. Something that can put me in deep focus or have me super energized. Often I’ll listen to the score or soundtrack for the movie I’m working on art for. I find it’s a great way to get into the headspace for the film and feel connected to it. “Bye Bye Bye” by NSYNC got a lot of listens when working on the Deadpool and Wolverine poster … I think that’s going to end up being quite high on my Spotify Wrapped this year, as I’m sure will be the case for a lot of people.

Aside from music though, I listen to The Weekly Planet podcast pretty religiously. If you’re reading this you’re probably into movies, comics, and TV shows and so if you don’t listen to this podcast you probably should.

What was your first experience with Marvel media? Which characters initially caught your attention/are you a big fan of?

I’ve been a fan of these characters since early childhood. I read a lot of the comics as a kid and was really into the animated TV shows growing up. Of the Marvel output, Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the ’90s was my absolute favorite. As for movies, the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films are some of the greatest comic book adaptations in any media in my opinion. Spider-Man 2 is straight up one of the best films ever made! It’s a perfect movie.

I grew up with a lot of this pre-MCU Marvel stuff: X-Men, Fantastic Four, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, Daredevil, etc. So I definitely got a kick out of seeing some of these return in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Tell us about your experience watching Deadpool & Wolverine! As a fan, how did you feel seeing all the crossover, characters, and references in such a big MCU movie?

I went to see it opening weekend with my girlfriend and some friends and we had such a great time. It was pure entertainment and one of the more enjoyable MCU projects in a while. I really tried to avoid spoilers for this one so seeing those reveals in a packed cinema was a great experience. Seeing Wolverine finally in his iconic costume was amazing and really was a driving force behind making this artwork in the first place. The mask is just so fun to draw, I had to do it!

You’ve hidden a lot of Easter eggs from the movie into this print. What are your favorite things that you snuck in there?

Filling the artwork with Easter eggs and references was a lot of fun, and I felt was pretty fitting for a property such as Deadpool. I really hope people enjoy taking a look around the print and discovering all of these little details for themselves.

My favorite one is probably Johnny Storm’s charred remains sitting in a pile. I thought that was pretty funny. I really enjoyed seeing Chris Evans back in the role, and thought what they did to him was hilarious.

Finally, what do you hope fans and viewers take away from the experience of seeing your artwork, whether in the realm of Marvel or beyond?

When I make artwork, I’m always trying to embody that film or property in some way. I can’t literally be in it but I try to be an extension of it. Carry over the tone of whatever it is that I’m adapting in a truthful and authentic way, whilst being unique in its own right with my perspective on it.

I’m always trying to convey something that you can engage with – whether it’s a scene, a moment, or a deeper meaning. I hope that people can look at my work and feel a part of the world that’s being represented, even just for a moment.

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How many MCU Easter eggs can you find in this exciting Sam Green Marvel art print?

Join the conversation with other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!