SC Native, Marvel Illustrator Hopes Black Panther Will Draw Inspiration As Release Nears

COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO)- The movie Black Panther is projecting to break records on Friday, and with all the hype surrounding this movie ABC Columbia spoke to the man who is behind the ink.

Sanford Greene, an illustrator for Marvel comics happens to be a South Carolina native.

“I use a lot of inspiration around me, and then from there I do a lot of sketching and drawing in my personal sketch book.”

The irony is, as a child Sanford Greene was obsessed with comics and now he’s living something that was once just a dream.

“I begged my mom for comics,” Greene said. “She said if you’re going to read them then why not.”

From those pages he found his passion.

“My diction started from that standpoint,” Greene said. “I drew from comics a lot as a kid.”

Greene has turned his passion into his profession for 13 years. For the last 6 years he’s been illustrating for Marvel, which for him was a surreal moment.

“As a kid seeing Black Panther in the comics, acting him out, sketching, drawing, and fantasizing one day of being this well known comic illustrator working on these characters,” Greene said. “To see it come full circle has been a joy. That has been somewhat of an outer body experience.”

Now one of Greene’s favorite childhood comics, and current illustrations is coming to life. The highly anticipated movie is shattering records and breaking down Hollywood stereotypes.

“They pretty much kicked down the door,” Greene said. “Now we can usher in all these great new ideas that represent people of color. I look at it more from that angle.”

Greene says he hopes this move inspires people to read more comics.