Battlecats Colorist: Julian Gonzalez Creator Spotlight

Chris Fernandez: So, Julian, your colors are very vibrant and they really make the art pop in Battlecats. Where do you find your influences?

Julian Gonzalez: My main influences vary. In relation to comic book artists I really appreciate all styles around the globe. Starting with the European artists like Luis Royo and Roberto Ferri, to the eastern style manga artists like Masamune Shirow, Shunya Yamashita, and Hyung Tae Kim. I also really respect North and South American artists like Sakimichan, Reinaldo Quintero (Reiq) and Gonzalo Ordonez (Genzoman).

Another great influence on me comes from video games. Particularly Shinji Mikami’s games like the Resident Evil franchise and the wonderfully terrifying game The Evil Within. Also the dark settings of games like Quake, Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, Castlevania and Bloodborne. I also love the sense of adventure in games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, Elder Scrolls, Fallout and even Mad Max. I also admire Cliff Blezinski’s Gears of War franchise. And finally, I can’t deny the appeal of Blizzard Entertainment’s aesthetics.

CF: As the colorist for Battlecats, what is your process like when you’re handed an inked page?

JG: That depends on many different factors, but usually I color in three stages. The first is a flat color where I apply color blocks inside the line work, another for texturing environments and characters, this step is crucial. And the last stage is where I add special effects, and things like reflections for ambiance.

CF: What is your favorite part about comics and why?

JG: Ha! Well, obviously I really like the coloring in comics. I really appreciate the simplicity of coloring and the impact it can make on the art. I think coloring is an underrated aspect of comic book creation.

CF: Tell me something about your life outside of work? Family? Pets? Any other interests?

As you can tell by my answer to the first question, I really enjoy video games. It’s easy for me to get lost in a game with a great story, one that can provide hours upon hours of entertainment. I also truly enjoy trading card games, Magic the Gathering in particular has me hooked with its incredible art and the complexity of the game mechanics is also something that really gets me. On a side note, I prefer the company of dogs to cats even though I color Battlecats. Ha Ha Ha!

Julian Gonzalez

Illustrator and graphic designer. His main passion is drawing and video games. Although he enjoys coloring, he would like to prove himself as a comic book artist in the near future. As the perfect compliment to Michael’s ink, Julian adds a vibrant color palette to each and every page, giving the reader a captivating feel of action and intensity.