Karl Kerschl Talks To Multiverso DC

Karl Kerschl recently talked to Multiverso DC about Teen Titans Year One, Transmission X and The Abominable Charles Christopher.

MDC: How did you become involved with TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE?

KK: Eddie Berganza asked me if I wanted to do it, but at the time we didn't have a writer or a story - just an idea of how we wanted the series to 'feel'. A book about a group of kids tasting their first bit of independence.

MDC: How closely do you colaborate with Amy Wolfram over story elements?

KK: Very closely. We start with a group phone call. Amy, Eddie and I throw ideas around and decide what each issue will be loosely 'about'. Then Amy goes and does a draft of the script and we talk it over again. Often, she and I just chat on the phone, taking what she's already written and breaking it down into more specifically-paced scenes. It's a wonderful process, and it feels right that everyone is involved with every aspect of the production.

MDC: TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE has a very rich, animated look. Can you take us through that artistic process, and how you work with the inker and colorist?

KK: I draw the pages in pencil, but the characters and foreground elements are drawn in very clean lines and the backgrounds are rougher and more loosely pencil-shaded. Serge inks all of the characters to clean them up and give them life and depth, and then Steph colours the page in two stages: first he paints the backgrounds in lush, moody tones, giving them a soft quality and adding lighting, then he colours the characters in a flat style. They resemble cel-shaded art from an animated show and when they're placed over the backgrounds they pop out.

MDC: Do you look at the original source material? If so, how to you translate that to your style?

KK: I referenced the original Teen Titans issues to get an idea of their feel. More than anything, they set the tone for the light-hearted quality of our series. The kids in the old books hung around the cave dancing and listening to music and I wanted to capture that feeling, but in a more modern age.

check out the full interview here!

I'm a big fan of Karl's work, and I'll really miss TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE. The last issue is on sale this Wednesday!