Scott Kolins

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Cover to The Flash #199

Scott Kolins is an American illustrator, writer and creator for multiple different superhero and science fiction comic books. His main credits are as a penciler but he is an established inker as well as colorist and has some credits as a writer.

1 Early days
2 Style
3 Creator/writer credits
4 Trivia
5 Bibliography
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Early days

U.S. Agent on the cover to New Invaders #0

Promotional art for Omega Flight

Wake Up, art by Scott Kolins and Dan Panosian

The Thing, being sick to his stomach, art by Scott Kolins and Andy Lanning.

Cover to Beyond! #1

Kolins' interest in drawing and comics began when he was around 10 years old as an avid comic book reader in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, he worked under Dennis Jensen, and then under Kim Demulder and Bart Sears. In 1991 he went to New York to the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art where he attended 2 years and then got a job with Valiant Comics. He was then hired as a Romita Raider (in house art corrections under John Romita Sr.) at Marvel Comics.^[1]

[edit] Style

There are several steps which bring a American style comic book to the hands of readers - notably a writer creates the story, a penciler begins the visual rendering of the story, an inker finishes the line art, a colorist sets the color scheme to the line art, and a letterer presents the print content. It's most often a highly collaborative process.

Kolins has a strong reputation of combining speed and consistent attention to detail as a penciller. He has often worked on multiple titles at the same time. His secret is to "just put down the TV remote and the Gameboy" ^[2]. He states that he can produce an entire average comic book in a month, with cover, with a little time to spare. Most of Kolins' credits are as penciler and he follows the modern tradition of "tight penciling" in that the pencil work is nearly finished art in its own right. Since his work on The Flash, he has a tendency to do less shadows and varying of the weight and width of lines—the impact is also partly to shift some of the content of the page from the responsibilities of penciller to that or inker or colorist (less lines and definition by line and more by color contrasts). This tends to make the art very "clean". To help fill out the page more Kolins developed a compensating quality of adding extra detail to the background. The whole pattern of emphasis has been the subject of discussion ^[3].

However several of Kolins' credits are also as inker, and there he brings that final line art quality to his work. Generally speaking, following the production norms of each business, Kolins has inked his own work at Marvel while at DC others ink.

Kolins has also been learning the art of the colorist^[4] but also acknowledges that other colorists have brought a crucial aspect to the effort of producing comic books. Kolins emphasizes this collaborative approach to the art in some of his appreciation of the work of his fellow artists ^[4].

He has stated while he appreciates many artists. His influences include Barry Windsor-Smith, Michael Golden, Jack Kirby, Mike Mignola, and Frank Miller. "These five are the core artists who teach me something almost everyday when I look at their work and 'listen' to their 'storytelling voices'. They each have a pronounced style of conveying a story. Something about how they do it works for me and informs me on how I want to do it... (and outside comics books): Frank Frazetta, Bill Watterson, Alphonce Mucha, Patrick Nagel, Bev Doolittle, J.W. Waterhouse and even Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema."^[5]

Each comic book has its own particular qualities and Kolins seeks some nuanced approach in his art to each comic book. He has drawn over two dozen different titles and develops some variation organically with the demands of the story and the history of the character or freedom from that history sometimes^[6].

His work is generally well-received as evidenced by being a 2003 nominee of the Wizard Fan Awards 'Favorite Breakout Talent' for his work on The Flash and rave reviews from fans.^[7]

Several examples of Kolins' art are scattered across the published interviews of him—generally as each new title comes out. Some pictures of art are also available on a professional blog as well as some Internet sites.

[edit] Creator/writer credits

In 1993, sequence 4 of Marvel Comics Presents #123, Taped Confessions[1] featuring Master Man with Scott Kolins (Script), Scott Kolins (Pencils), Scott Kolins (Inks), Mike Thomas (Colors), Steve Dutro (Letters).
In 1996, Prime #8, You Can't Have Light Without Dark[2] featuring Prime with Gerard Jones; Scott Kolins (co-plot) (Script), Scott Kolins (Pencils), Scott Kolins; Justin Bloomer (Inks), Michael Tuccinard; Malibu (separations) (Colors), Vickie Williams (Letters)
Titanus -Titannus is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 3) #2, co-created with Robert Kirkman.
Peek-a-Boo is a DC Comics super villain and a member of Wally West's Rogue's Gallery. She first appeared in Flash v.2 #180, January (2002), co-created with Geoff Johns.
Iron Maniac is a Marvel comic book character created by Robert Kirkman and Scott Kolins, who is an evil alternate universe version of the regular Marvel Universe character Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He first appeared in Marvel Team-Up (Vol. 3) #2 in 2006, wearing armor resembling that of Doctor Doom except with the mask design looking more like the traditional Iron Man style.
Gear, (I.Z.O.R.) is a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future. He is a Linsnarian, who are a race composed of organic machinery beneath humanoid shells, co-created with Tom Peyer and Tom McCraw.
The third Crimson Avenger is a DC character and like the original El Diablo serves as a minor Spirit of Vengeance. She possessing the power of teleportation and intangibility, is an African American woman who might be called Jill Carlyle. This incarnation was co-created with Geoff Johns in Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E..
Tar Pit is a fictional super villain in the DC comics and one of the new rogues of the Flash - a younger brother of a local drug lord he was arrested for armed robbery. While serving time, he discovered he had the metahuman ability to inhabit inanimate objects. Co-created with Geoff Johns.

[edit] Trivia

Kolins has attended every San Diego Comic-Con for a decade or more.
The day Jack Kirby died he took his (name saked) dog for a walk because, "It felt like something huge had ended."^[8]

[edit] Bibliography

Primary reference, The Grand Comics Database Project, [3]. Note that actual publication dates may have only a little to do with when Kolins worked on the art. Sometimes comics are published at the same time that Kolins drew months apart.[4] However Kolins does have a reputation for speed and detail.[5] Additional reference is Quality Earth Comics - Mars Import. Additionally many comic books are collected and sold bound in higher quality prints so some of Kolins' art appears in such collections.

Marvel Comics Presents Kolins' did several issues in 1992. The series presents a member of the X-Men and other Marvel characters - regularly Wolverine is the main X-Men character. Kolins also did a Punisher story in #101.
December 1992 and January 1993 - Excalibur #59 and 60- Enter... The Panther and Braddock of the Jungle featuring Excalibur.
Namor, the Sub-Mariner #40 in 1993 [6] written by Bob Harras.
In 1993-1995, Freex from Malibu Comics for two years (Kolins did the 12th through 18th of the comic series.)[7] The cover of the last one with his early mentor Dennis Jensen as inker [8].
The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #27 - In 1993 [9] sequence 2, featuring Black Cat and Solo.
Avengers West Coast Annual #8 - In 1993 [10] sequence 3, featuring the Avengers West Coast.
Darkhawk Annual #2 - In 1993[11] sequence 5, featuring [Savage Steel]
L.E.G.I.O.N. '93 Kolins did several issues in 1993.
Green Lantern There are 4 comics split between 1993 and 1996 Kolins was the penciler on.
Hawkeye and Hawkeye - Earth's Mightiest Marksman At least the start of the 1994 Hawkeye Marvel series.[12]
Justice League America #104 in 1995 [13].
There are at least 7 comics or comic covers Kolins did for Dark Horse comics.[14] Some of his work was in 1996.
The Untold Legend Of Captain Marvel 3 story miniseries, in 1997[15]. Kolins did pencils on all three.
Power Man and Iron Fist In Heroes for Hire #11 (May 1998).
The Amazing Spider-Man #438 in 1998, Kolins did the pencils.
Superboy #54, 55 Kolins did pencils.
Legion of Super-Heroes #110, 112-115, 117, 120-121. In 1998-1999 Kolins did the pencils.
Kolins was co-illustrator with Brandon Wallace in Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons written by Daniel Wallace, published in 1998.
Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E." #9-11 in 2000 Kolins did the penciling.
Sins of Youth: Wonder Girls #1 in 2000 Kolins did the penciling.
Wonder Woman #160, 161 in 2000 Kolins did the penciling.
Legends of the DC Universe: Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner #37, 38, in 2001 Kolins did the pencils.
9-11 - The World's Finest Comic Book Writers & Artists Tell Stories to Remember #2, in 2002, by DC. Kolins did the pencils for Wake Up[16][17]. The second of two books that helped raise money for victims of the attacks on New York and Washington, DC on September 11, 2001. All contributors, as well as the suppliers, printers and distributors donated their work on this project.
Hellboy: Weird Tales #4 in 2003 sequence 8, featuring Hellboy. [18]
JLA / JSA Secret Files & Origins #1, in 2003 sequence 14 featuring Hourman.[19]
In 2003 Scott contributed to the More Fund Comics - a series benefiting the comic book legal defense fund.
A series of coloring books based on the second series of Star Wars movies published by LucasBooks for Young Readers:
- Jedi Missions to Color(1999) written by Michelle Knudsen, co-illustrated with Jeff Johnson.
- Jar Jar's Coloring Fun (1999)
- Driods. Creatures, and Vehicles coloring book (1999)
- The Phantom Menace Coloring Book(spring 2000)[20],
- Jedi Knights and Heroes(fall 2000)[21], '** Anakin and Amidala (flipbook) (2002)[22], and
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones : Movie Scenes to Color available in Japan (2002)[23]
The Flash DC's third incarnation of The Flash, as Wally West between 2001 and 2003. Kolins was the illustrator during a major reappearance of a number of enemies of the Flash: Zoom(also known as the modern Reverse-Flash), Magenta, Pied Piper. An online interview covers this work.
The Freak Show miniseries featuring The Thing from the Fantastic Four in 2002. Most famous for the cover of the third of four comics on which The Thing was sick to his stomach.
Avengers In 2004. Many comments are in an online interview.
Hulk / Wolverine: 6 Hours A miniseries. [24]
B.P.R.D. 2: The Soul of Venice and Other Stories A short series published in 2004 by Dark Horse.[25]
Marvel TeamUp SpiderMan and other superheroes... 2005-6.
Thor: Blood Oath - Kolins was the artist for the 2005-6 6 book miniseries about the Marvel character Thor.[26]
Civil War: Choosing Sides Kolins is the main illustrator for this series highlighting U.S. Agent.
Omega Flight Marvel release of the Alpha Flight Canadian superhero team. Written by Michael Avon Oeming, Scott is the illustrator with its release in 2007. The central team member is Vindicator, aka Guardian.
Earth's Mightiest Heroes 2006
Marvel Fanfare 2006
Beyond! in 2006