Good morning! And we're onto round four!


American Comics!

Featuring!!!:

Val Staples - For nearly a decade, Val Staples has been a name known throughout comics. From his early days a Hi-Fi Color, to his publishing days as MVCreations' president where they released titles like He-Man and Rob Zombie's Spook Show, Val is well-known for his coloring as well as repaying his debt to artists despite being owned tens of thousands by CrossGen. Val's most recent color work includes X-Men First Class, Incognito, the award-winning Criminal series and the upcoming Destroyer mini-series at Marvel.


And..!
Nei Ruffino - Best Colorist of the World. ~_^ (yes I am biased). But seriously, Quoted from neiruffino.com: " Nei Ruffino entered the world of comic book coloring after several years as a tattoo artist . Following successful runs on Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms for Devils Due Productions, she now colors several books for Zenescope,and DC Comics, including Return To Wonderland, Green Lantern Corps, Supergirl, and Superman Batman. Her designs can also be found on the packaging for Hasbro's My Little Pony toys." :D


So before we start, please know that this isn't just for people into American comics, despite the fact that it applies to them a lot. This is for anyone who loves art, because no matter what they draw, in the end they are artists just like everyone here.

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Here are the questions:

<sub>1. What and/or who inspired you to become part of the creative industry (this includes comic art, animation or anything artistic that you do for a living)?

2. Has this career turned out what you expected it to be before you entered it? How and why is it different?

3. What programs or materials would you recommend for a beginner to practice coloring on? (this includes tablet brands, editions and computers as well if you can recommend)

4. If there was any other job you could employ in replacement of what you do right now, would you exchange? And for what type of job?

5. Any words of encouragement for newbies dreaming of entering the industry?</sub>

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And here are the answers!


1. What and/or who inspired you to become part of the creative industry (this includes comic art, animation or anything artistic that you do for a living)?

Val: I had wanted to work in comics every since I was 12. I started collecting comics during the boom, and was there for the dawn of Image. It was real exciting to see all these DC and Marvel titles everywhere, but I also loved the notion that creator-owned books stood a chance at being popular. It made me feel like I could be a comic creator too. That dream didn't really advance until about 8 years later when a friend and I explored the self-publishing arena. We learned a lot as we created our own comics and explored how to actually publish comics, and were smart enough to NOT publish what in hindsight was a really crappy comics when it came time for solicitations. By that point, I had invested so much time into learning the art of comics, that I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I pushed forward with the notion I could break in as a colorist, and then hone my other skills until I could one day become a publisher, which I did with MVCreations back in 2002.

Nei: i grew up in a very artistic family, my parents always encouraged me, later on i was a tattoo artist which led me to find dawid, who had encouraged me and it went from there. i wanted to be paid for what i enjoyed doing on my days off, so i pursued that.


2. Has this career turned out what you expected it to be before you entered it? How and why is it different?

Val: Comics when I was breaking in was still near its historical low on sales. I actually feared if I managed to break in, the industry would shrivel up beneath me and I would only get a couple chances to maybe work in comics. But I dug in and actually managed to stick around due to a lot of hard work, good fortune and good timing. Back when I broke in, it was the tail end of the days when you could go up and talk to most publishers at conventions and show your portfolio while standing a good chance of getting work. Digital coloring was fully established as the norm then, but the internet still hadn't boomed the way it has today so there were fewer digital colorists out there. These days, I imagine if I was just now trying to break in, I'd never make it based on all the talent that's out there now in cyber space.


Nei: i dont think it has, but i haven't been surprised. i think it takes alot of hard work that people dont anticipate while trying to break into the industry. i've surprised myself more than the job has.


3. What programs or materials would you recommend for a beginner to practice coloring/inking on? (this includes tablet brands, editions and computers as well if you can recommend)

Val: I'd say this has been well-covered by previous posts so I'm sure I'm just repeating. Adobe Photoshop is a must, knowing Painter can't hurt. Using a tablet or monitor/tablet input is vital for speed, accuracy and efficiency. There are a number of artists and sites that have practice lineart posted. If you want to work in comics as a colorist, you need to practice on good professional art, and not only be a talented renderer, but know how to tell a story in color. For me, Mac or PC is optional. I started out on a Mac, and do everything now on a PC. I still feel understanding prepress is something that gives talented colorists a leg-up on others. Understanding what happens on the printing side of things really affects your understanding of what your output will look like. This will affect how you choose your values.

Nei: i used photoshop 7.0 and a refurbished wacom graphire at first. it's good for starting out,you dont need a gigantic tablet to do good work. some pros still use photoshop 5.5, so it's not about which version you use, just preferences.


4. If there was any other job you could employ in replacement of what you do right now, would you exchange? And for what type of job?

Val: I've always had a passion for science and anything that involved organization and working one-on-one with people. Believe it or not, I'd really enjoy working for the United States Post Office as a mail courier, walking door to door in a small town delivering mail. I also love biology, and I was planning to actually pursue studies in biology (no concentration decided upon) if art didn't work out. I think I was one of the few people who took biology in 9th grade and had an average of over 110% in my class. I went on to studio physics, chemistry, and advanced biology and could have kept on chugging along.

Nei: i wouldn't give this up for anything else in the world, but if i had to, i'd go back to tattooing, or be a mechanic of sorts. i love gadgets and i love to tinker with them.


5. Any words of encouragement for newbies dreaming of entering the industry?

Val: I'd say learn to take your lumps. You WILL hit many bumps in the road. The last thing you want to do is quit when things don't go your way, especially when first starting out. Take a day to sulk and repair your wounded ego, then get back up on that horse and ride. I also recommend working on your professionalism and worth ethic. Being a successful commercial artist of any type is one part talent, one part timeliness, and one part personality. Even if you are the most talented person in the world, no one will keep working with you if you always miss your deadlines and/or if you are a giant pain in the ass.

Nei: it's harder than you think it is, and listen to what other professionals and editors have to say about your work when you're trying to break in, if they feel you need to be better and dont think you're ready, dont give up. study and show them you CAN do it.

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And that's it for this edition, I hope someone got inspired, I know I did!

If you've missed any, they are here:

Behind the scenes: Enter the Comic World, Volume 1
Behind the scenes: Enter the Comic World, Volume 2
Behind the scenes: Enter the Comic World, Volume 3


NEXT SERIES: Behind the scenes: enter the Anime & Manga world!