Fireside Chat with Kelly Tindall

Hello dear TWC readers! Aside from bringing you news on the latest and greatest comics to buy, we here at The Weekly Crisis like to take some time and get to know the creators behind the comics we love.

Today we have Kelly Tindall from Proof, Green Wake, Rebel Blood, Dia De Los Muertos and more! I asked Kelly out of the blue if he had time for a chat and he was more than happy to talk comics.

Kelly Tindall is seven hundred years, but still looks seventeen. He hails from Montreal, Quebec. Aside from working on so many amazing Image Comics with others he is steadily working towards making his own books. Read on as we talk about his work in the field.

Hansel Moreno: I found about about you through Image Comics "Proof" by Alex Grecian and Riley Rossmo and a few years later on Green Wake. How long have you been working in comics?

Kelly Tindall: My first work was a backup story for Proof #4; I think it was in 2007 or so.

HM: What first interested you in coloring?

KT: It was another skill I had some experience in; since I primarily do my own art I thought it would be sensible to master it as best I could.

HM: Is coloring your main occupation?

KT: No, it isn't. I also do freelance illustration and graphic design, I letter several books, and teach.

HM: After following your work I stumbled on to That's So Kraven! Would you like to talk about that?

KT: That's So Kraven! was a webcomic that Trina Johnson and I did for 75 weeks a couple of years ago. We took scripts from That's So Raven, the Disney t.v. show, and transplanted a bunch of Spider-Man characters into it (where, surprisingly, they fit like a charm).

HM: I loved that web comic. Doubling back to your work with Riley Rossmo on Proof and Green Wake. How were you approached to start on these books and what was your reaction?

KT: I met Riley at college and after he saw my minicomics he asked me to help out on Proof. Later, when he saw that I'd taught myself to letter and color professionally on That's So Kraven he asked me to help out on his own projects.

HM: When working on a book how do you approach each book as far as color pallet? Do you chose the color scheme or is it something the team decides?

KT: Every book I've been on, it's been more or less up to me to come up with a complimentary palette to the artwork. I find Riley Rossmo's stuff to work well with a desaturated palette, especially the horror stuff. I tend to use a more bright palette of primary colours when I colour my own stuff.

HM: What influences the colors in your books?

KT: Mostly other colorists (like Dave Stewart, Jose Villarrubia or Dave McCaig, my favorites) but also animation, or stills from movies. The Coen Bros. movies were a big influence on my Archie Snow pages.

HM: Follow up question, When working on these pages do you talk more with the writers, the artist or both about the same?

KT: Usually the artist. I seldom hear from the writer at all.

HM: Do you have a studio/computer space at home or a separate place to work?

KT: I have a home office.

HM: While coloring how do you pass the time? Music? Movies? Podcast?

KT: I like movie soundtracks and heavy metal. I work faster with metal playing.

HM: How do you color? What software do you use? Can you walk us through the process? Do you first read the script or just jump right in? (It would be very helpful if you could send any black and white art work and a colored piece to emphasize the end results. Thank you!)

KTl: I use Photoshop, like pretty much everyone.

Green Wake Pencils by Riley Rossmo

I take the page, up the dpi to 1200 and set it to bitmap, knock out the white, then put it back down to 400 and flat it. Then, I copy that layer and add the necessary details.

Flats added by Kelly

On books like Green Wake or Rebel Blood, I was asked to add white borders around the art as well.

Final Version with added effects

HM: How fast can you color a page?

KT: It really depends on the artist. For rougher artwork, I can carve through a page in about an hour or so. The cleaner the lines, the slower the process.

HM: Do you finish an issue at a time or jump between projects?

KT: I have a lot of projects on the go at once, but I try to commit to a single project per day.

HM: Now most people who know my disgusting addiction to comics will tell you I am an Image Man. I have even starting turning others to smaller, but just as exciting comic books. What can you tell us about the future of your career?

KT: I'm going to start writing and drawing my own comics (and colouring them, obviously).

HM: Will we see you expand in to writing or drawing any time soon? If it is not something we see now will it be some time soon? Will we see you follow in the steps of Jill Thompson and her Scary Grandmother Books?

KT: I'm probably going to launch a new webcomic early this year. Other than that, nothing I can talk about yet.

HM: How do you pick and choose your next project?

KT: If I can fit a job in and the rate is good, I'll usually do it. Most creators are fairly easy to work with.

HM: And a question not related to any specific team you are working with: What comic would you love to color? Biggest Dream Job!

KT: My own stuff! Working with others is fun but I want my name over the marquee, so to speak.

HM: When you have time what are you reading recently?

KT: I'm reading Orc Stain, Saga, Carl Barks's Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge, and the new Daredevil. Looking forward to Ba/Moon's new vampire BPRD book and the upcoming League of Extraordinary Gentlemen one-shot Nemo: Heart of Ice. I'm also re-reading Richard Stark's Parker novels, On the Road, and a book about Sesame Street called Street Gang.

HM: What colorists do you love?

KT: Dave Stewart is a genius, obviously. Love his work with Guy Davis on BPRD and Tim Sale on When in Rome. I'm also partial to Jose Villarubia (Sweet Tooth), Ben Dimagmaliw (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), and Fiona Staples's beautiful work on Saga.

HM: Thanks for your time Kelly!

Kelly Tindall: My pleasure.

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You can find more of Kelly on his Deviant Art, Blog, The Adventurers or his NEW webcomic STRANGEBEARD!