Exclusive Interview with DC Artist Jorge Jiménez

Jorge Jiménez graciously agreed to an interview with the Superman Homepage to discuss his career as a comic book artist, his love of Superman, and his advice for artists looking to break into the industry.

The Superman Homepage would like to thank Jorge for agreeing to do this interview, and for fitting it into his busy schedule.

Q: Your work on DC’ Superman has been groundbreaking. How did you first become involved with the character, and what draws you to Superman’s visual storytelling specifically?

A: I’ve always had a special connection with Superman – it’s something personal for me. He’s a character who has fascinated me since I was a child, and I still get emotional when I think about how I felt the first time I saw the original movie. There are certain visual codes that must be respected, which, to me, are the essence of the character, and they can’t be missing in the art of a Superman comic.

It’s important that his actions convey a sense of safety, honesty, kindness, and strength – and every panel should reflect that. He should always be the most imposing figure in the room, the one who radiates the most light and color.

Whenever I draw Superman, I truly enjoy it and try to bring my own vision to the character, but always with deep respect for the legacy of one of the most iconic figures in pop culture – and a character I’ve loved since I was a kid.

Q: You’ve developed a distinctive style that blends dynamic action with intricate character details. Can you walk us through your artistic process and the influences that have shaped your unique approach to comic book illustration?

A: I think the key to this style – which has naturally taken shape over the years in the way I draw – is a blend of influences: everything I’ve learned professionally over the past ten years studying American comic book artists in depth, combined with the essence of the anime and manga references I grew up drawing.

That’s why, almost unconsciously, I use very dynamic storytelling techniques typical of shonen manga, as well as some design elements or linework that might resemble a Japanese style. But it never becomes too radical, because I constantly work on the visual language of American comics to make the fusion as seamless as possible.

Sometimes, you might look at one of my pages and think, “There’s nothing manga-like here,” but if you read the whole chapter, you’ll probably feel that there’s more manga influence – subtly woven in – than it seems at first glance. I hope I’m not being too confusing trying to explain this!

As for comic book artists who’ve influenced me, I could name thousands, but among the more recent ones, I’d definitely say Stuart Immonen, Olivier Coipel, Jim Lee, and Greg Capullo are at the top. And on the manga side, I’d include Takeshi Obata, Masashi Kishimoto, and of course, the great Akira Toriyama.

Q: Throughout your career, you’ve worked with multiple major comic book publishers. How do the creative environments at different companies like DC and Marvel compare, and how do they influence your artistic choices?

A: Honestly, I only ever did one issue for Marvel in my entire career. I worked with IDW for almost two years, and then I also had the chance to collaborate with [Mark] Millar for a few months when I did “Nemesis”. I think I’ve been really lucky, because in all those places I always felt very well treated. They respected my work, and everything flowed and worked perfectly – actually, in a very similar way across all of them.

At DC, I genuinely feel at home. It’s been a step-by-step growth process over the years, ever since I joined the publisher through the digital series. From there, I moved on to more and more important titles, and I’ve gotten to know editors who, even today, I could honestly call friends after so many years. The treatment has always been very professional and respectful.

Q: Many artists have specific tools or techniques they prefer. What are some of the most important drawing tools or digital techniques in your current artistic workflow?

A: I work with an Intuos Pro tablet – it’s not a screen tablet, it’s the kind where you draw while looking at a separate monitor. I just got used to it that way from the beginning. As for software, I use Clip Studio Paint.

These types of programs really let you work fast, because they save you a lot of time on processes that would be tedious with traditional methods – like scanning, for example. Plus, since you can erase directly over the inks, sometimes I find myself drawing with almost no initial sketch at all. I just jump straight into the inking process to save time, so the pencils don’t always need to be super refined.

I also constantly use photo references – whether it’s for environments or anatomical poses – and I often use 3D models for specific backgrounds or to help with the structure of buildings in some panels. Anything that helps me speed up the workflow and get the best possible results as quickly as I can is always welcome.

Q: Young artists often look up to professionals like yourself. What advice would you give to aspiring comic book artists who are trying to develop their own distinctive style?

A: To someone just starting out, I’d say this job is really tough. It’s not always as fun as it seems – sometimes it pushes you to your limits, and it can be incredibly tedious at times. We’re not machines; we’re inconsistent, and we can’t always maintain the same level of excitement and energy.

But having said that, I’d also tell them that if they stay calm and just keep drawing – trying to enjoy the process and keep moving forward – they’ll eventually find the approach that works best for them. And they’ll end up feeling truly happy and fulfilled. This job will give you some of the most amazing moments of your entire life.

Yeah, I know – that’s not really advice, I guess. Maybe I’m not that great at giving it… I’m really just talking to myself from about 14 years ago. It’s what I’d tell someone who was in the same situation I was back then, knowing what I know now.

Q: Your character designs often capture both heroic grandeur and nuanced emotional depth. How do you balance these seemingly contradictory visual storytelling elements?

A: I always try to pay close attention to the characters’ performance. I imagine them as great actors in a movie, and my goal is to make them act as well as possible – to convey what they’re feeling in the most coherent way through their expressions. I try to read the page without any dialogue once it’s finished, and I want the tone of what’s happening to be clear just by looking at it, even without reading a single word.

That’s the part I enjoy the most. And of course, sometimes having a two-meter-tall guy full of muscles in an imposing costume doing something as simple as giving his son Jon a high five creates a really interesting effect. It humanizes the character and brings them closer to our reality. I love exploring that side of superheroes – and of characters in general – when I work.

Q: You’ve worked on team books and solo character titles. Does your artistic approach differ when illustrating ensemble casts versus focusing on a single protagonist?

A: More than the artistic approach – which is also important – I’d really highlight the importance of managing your energy. When you take on a project like “Justice League” with Scott Snyder, you have to understand how creatively demanding it is. We’re talking about a truly unimaginable scale. You’re not just drawing pages, double-page spreads, and splashes constantly filled with characters – each with their own visual language that you need to keep in mind – but you’re also designing things in real time: spaceships, cosmic locations, cities at the edge of space-time… and so on.

It requires an incredible creative overexertion. But at the same time, once you finish a project like that, you kind of come out of it with superpowers! Your tools and resources grow immensely.

So I do think that when you return to working on a solo character’s series, the sheer energy demand is lower – and that extra space allows you to experiment more creatively or narratively. Each type of story has its pros and cons, but I believe it’s really enriching to explore different kinds of storytelling.

Q: Looking forward, what are some dream projects or characters you haven’t yet had the opportunity to illustrate but would love to tackle in the future?

A: Honestly, I live very much in the moment. Right now, I’m fully focused on the new Batman run – my whole mind revolves around this project. I want it to be my best work yet. I want to surprise you!

That’s why I’m not really thinking about what comes next. But there’s one thing I’m sure you already know by now, as you’re getting to know me little by little… and it’s that my dream is to one day do with Superman what I’m doing now with Batman: a long run that allows me to experiment, to really take my time, and to enjoy the process for years as well.

Q: Can you tease anything Superman-related you’re currently working on that fans can look forward to in the future?

A: Right at the moment I’m writing this, it’s only been a few days since I finished two very special projects for me – both starring Superman.

The first is “Superman: Summer Special”. This chapter, about forty pages long, is kind of the starting point for everything that’s coming for Superman in the year ahead. I really enjoyed working on it, especially since it’s written by three amazing writers and split into three parts: Mark Waid, Dan Slott, and Joshua Williamson. Each of them will be leading their respective Superman series afterward, and they’re all doing an incredible job alongside some fantastic artists.

Being part of this project has been a dream come true – especially considering it’s releasing the same summer Superman returns to the big screen! So I really hope this encourages many new readers to discover this very special superhero.

On the other hand, I also had the chance to bring Superman to my homeland – Granada, in the south of Spain – thanks to the special book “Superman: The World”. It was a true gift from DC, and it made me so happy. By the way, in this case I not only worked as an artist but I am also as the writer! I really hope you enjoy it.

Thank you so much for your attention and support!

The DC Art of Jorge Jiménez Will Collect Over a Decade’s Worth of Eye-Popping Artwork

Between his work drawing Superman, Justice League, Super Sons, and an epic five-year run on Batman – artist Jorge Jiménez has made an undeniable impact on the DC universe since he made his American comics debut in 2011. Now, Clover Press will collect Jiménez’s most stunning work in The DC Art of Jorge Jiménez. The first in Clover’s newest line of high-end, boutique the DC Art of… series, The DC Art of Jorge Jiménez is coming soon to Kickstarter.

“Since the Superman movie with its masterful soundtrack first caught my attention when I was a kid, I’ve been a die-hard fan of the DC Comics universe,” said Jorge Jiménez. “My first drawings were destined to be Batman or Superman. Being able to fulfill my dream of working with these characters and making this my job is priceless. It’s been more than ten years living these adventures every day, working side by side with great writers like James Tynion, Chip Zdarsky, Scott Snyder and Peter Tomasi from whom I have learned so much, taking inspiration from my fellow artists who, always accompanied by the great editors at DC.”

Jorge Jiménez burst onto the pages of American comics in 2011 and his talent immediately caught readers’ attention. His dynamic—almost frenetic—linework and manga-inspired designs put him in a category all his own, and he quickly climbed the ranks to headline some of DC Comics’ core series, working with the likes of Peter J. Tomasi and Scott Snyder. He’s currently completing his greatest accomplishment yet—a five-year run on the company’s flagship series Batman with superstar writers James Tynion IV and Chip Zdarsky. In recent years Jiménez has co-created and designed new characters Punchline, Failsafe, Ghostmaker, and Crush, among others, while developing iconic new looks for fan-favorites like the Scarecrow, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy. Now, over a decade of eye-popping art is collected in one place for fans to revel in the full breadth of Jorge’s DC portfolio.

The DC Art of Jorge Jiménez will feature jaw-dropping artwork from throughout Jiménez’s prolific career featuring the artist’s unique take on legendary characters and his designs for the brand-new heroes and villains that grace the pages of his comics. Like Clover Press’s other art book lines the DC Art of… series will celebrate artists’ work with high-end collectible books.

“I’ve known Jorge for years, and have been looking forward to this book for so long. His work on Fringe started him on the path to DC’s top book, Batman, and this book visually documents his journey in Clover Press’s deluxe format fans have come to expect,” said Clover Press Publisher Hank Kanalz.

“It is a great honor for me to have an art book featuring my work, which compiles so many hours and days of my life from my first steps in digital series, to my jump to the front line of DC, with everything that entails; high quality inked pages, covers, and previously unpublished concept art,” said Jiménez. “I’m super excited about all this. Will you join me on this journey along with Batman, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Superman and all these incredible characters?! You can’t miss it!”

Fans are encouraged to visit The DC Art of Jorge Jiménez Kickstarter page. For more updates, follow Clover Press on Blue Sky, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.