Comic Artist at Marvel: I Hope to Create an Algerian Superman

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From small drawings that she insisted on executing despite her family's objections, to working with major comic book publishers in the United States, Aletha Martinez has traveled a path that was not easy, culminating in her arrival in the world of Marvel and DC, and winning the prestigious "Eisner" award in the comics industry.

However, the American artist's journey did not stop in New York or with the most famous superheroes; Algeria, which she visited for the first time in 2018, has become part of her artistic experience, to the point where she wishes to see one day Algerian versions of "Superman" and "Wonder Woman."

During her participation in the 18th edition of the International Comic Strip Festival in the Algerian capital, Martinez spoke about the artistic scene she witnessed among young artists, expressing her admiration for the progress many of them have made and their attempts to develop their own styles.

The American artist believes that the future of comic books in Algeria could resemble the early beginnings of the Marvel and DC worlds, when artists exchanged ideas and sought new characters and stories.

She also expressed her hope that Algeria will succeed in building its own world of heroes, saying she hopes that Algerian artists will be able to create a range of characters similar to "Superman" and "Wonder Woman," but all of them Algerian.

Martinez does not view comics as merely a means of entertainment, but rather as a space through which the image that others have of communities and cultures can be changed. She stated that the American image of Africa is still, in her opinion, narrow, pointing out that many in the United States know nothing about Algeria, and some do not even realize it is part of the African continent.

Therefore, since her first visit to Algeria, she has carried a special artistic mission, which consists of drawing characters that appear in the backgrounds of her works, reflecting in their details something of Algiers and its culture.

Throughout her career, Martinez has worked with major institutions in the comic book industry and has participated in designing series and characters related to the Marvel universe, including "Iron Man" and "Black Panther."

Her name is also associated with works in the DC universe. In 2018, she received the Eisner Award, one of the most prestigious awards in the comic book industry, in an experience she says she never expected.

Martinez pointed out that her editor was the one who nominated the book for the award, while she was busy working on another project and was not present at the moment of the announcement of the win. She said it felt like a birthday surprise when she suddenly learned that the book had won the award, while one of her editors took the award on her behalf, adding that the team at Marvel was proud and happy with the achievement.

However, behind this success lies a more painful personal story; Martinez faced rejection from her family, who did not see drawing as a suitable future for her as an immigrant to the United States. She confirmed that her family wanted her to pursue a traditional career path, such as medicine, law, or engineering, and when she chose to move away from that path, the disagreements reached the point of estrangement.

She also explained that the last thing her grandfather told her was that she had to rely on herself, before she lost contact with her family members for years, and the relationships did not return to normal until around 2016.

Yet, despite that experience, she did not give up drawing; rather, the determination to continue became one of the most important lessons she conveys today to her students at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

During the workshop she presented at the "Vibda" exhibition, Martinez met hundreds of young people and shared with them a piece of advice that seems simple but, for her, is the foundation of success in the profession: to draw daily. The American artist told her students that they should draw whether they are at their best or facing a tough day, even if it is just a small head sketch, because persistence builds discipline and gives the artist the ability to endure.

However, she distinguished between the two; discipline means commitment to work, while endurance means continuing even when the circumstances are not ideal.

For Martinez, comic stories are inseparable from the memory and identity of communities, as she sees art as one of the means through which communities leave their mark. She stated that a community is remembered through its art, considering this the essence that drives artists to continue working and creating stories and characters.

From the capital of Algeria, Martinez does not seem ready to close this chapter; she confirmed that she is willing to return to Algeria if requested by the U.S. State Department, perhaps with a larger presence this time, accompanied by her son Michael Folston, who, according to her, grew up largely in Algiers.

On a professional level, Martinez is preparing to announce a new project during New York Comic Con, where she will reveal the work she will pursue after her previous projects.

Between New York and Algeria, Martinez's journey seems to be based on the same idea she has defended since she chose to draw despite her family's objections: that comic stories are not just about superheroes, but a space through which the artist can create a world that reflects their culture, memory, and identity.

Perhaps the next dream, as Martinez hopes, is to have a superhero emerge from Algeria itself, embodying its features and story, and one day finding a place among the most famous comic book heroes in the world.