Kristian Donaldson is one of a new breed of artists whose work belay
not only its comic roots but also its inspiration from film, magazine
and fine art. Well known for his collaborations with writer Brian Wood
on Supermarket and DMZ, Donaldson's star is on the rise
even outside comics with illustrations for a line of furniture with
design legend Philippe Starck. Back in the world of comics, his next
project is a two-issue stint on DMZ and an unnamed project which we might convince Kristian to spill out. Let's stop talking and get to the interview...
Newsarama: We've been wanting to catch up with you for awhile,
Kristian. You've got a lot of projects going on. What are you working
on today?
Kristian Donaldson: Today I'm inking pages from DMZ #35. I've got Matty cruising through a wrecked up New York Harbor in a zodiac boat, on his way to Staten Island.
NRAMA: And what else is currently on your plate?
KD: I just wrapped up the run of covers on the Chuck
book from Wildstorm. That was a really fun gig. First time I've gotten
to illustrate a series of covers in a while. My main project at the
moment is full art duties on an upcoming Vertigo Crime book called 99 Days. But, in the meantime I get to do this DMZ two parter.
NRAMA: A new Vertigo Crime book? That's news to me… but let's talk about DMZ
first. This isn't your first time doing a guest spot on art for Brian
Wood's series, so what's it like being a regular player in the series?
KD: Since it's one of my favorite books I'm really into it, and
I really study all the brilliant little touches that Brian and Riccardo
add to make this world interesting visually. I try to get into that
frame of mind when I get a chance to draw this world. it's all about
looking at a finished sketch of a scene and then realizing you could
push more and add more, more rubble, more bullet holes, more weird
signs in the background, more buildings, pipes, fire escapes, smoke,
whatever. It really appeals to this obsessive part of me that wants to
be structured but make a mess. Plus, a lot of the story is in THERE, in
all that mess, there's mystery to it. Your imagination can drift off to
what happened to put a hole in the empire state building.
I also enjoy interpreting the characters a lot. I get really used to
their regular incarnations, and then I get a kick out of interpreting
them through my style. I try to strip the main characters down to their
base, and then add my own embellishments on top.
NRAMA: And how would you describe the two issues you're working on, #35 & #36?KD: Issues #35 and #36 are a two parter called "The Island",
which takes place on Staten Island, which is a US staging ground and
base. It's very atmospheric, and loaded with some dark humor. I can say
that the first six pages of issue #35 are the coolest and moodiest
thing I've ever had to draw. It's a lot of establishing shots, which I
eat with a spoon. we kind of sweep into Staten Island from Manhattan by
water, and get Staten Island DMZ style 101 in a couple of
pages, and then we kind of seamlessly sweep down a street following the
thumping of speakers, and into a soldier house party in an old
Victorian house, with the camera just following Matty as he makes his
way through the house. It's really cool bit of writing in the way it
moves Matty around.
Brian's still working on the second part, but the focus is on US army grunts and their life on the Island.
NRAMA: You're working with Brian on DMZ, you did Supermarket together, and there's also word you two are working on a video game. Can you tell us anything about that?
KD: I can't get into too many details. We're still early on, but
I've done some concept work. The focus is on a wicked visual style
that's never quite been done in a game, and on having a cogent and
engaging plot.
NRAMA: We'll let you slide for now, but
we want to know more as it comes. What can you tell us about the
Vertigo Crime book you're working on, 99Days?
KD:99Days is in the lineup of Vertigo Crime books, the
line which was announced in San Diego last month. I love this book. I
love drawing it. It's such a radical departure from anything I've ever
done. It hasn't been specifically announced, so I don't want to go into
too much detail. It's different from things I've done before in a few
ways, it' a modern day LA noir story. I'm trying to really capture LA
in all its beautiful weirdness. The cast is almost entirely African and
African American. The book is in black and white with grayscale, which
I'm enjoying a lot.
