No person would argue that coloring is the number one reason a book sells. The actual story and text is the most driving part of the book followed by the illustrations. Coloring is more like lettering. Lettering, presents the text on any given frame or page. The font can have it’s own presence which conveys a tone, type of voice or way a phrase is said. The lettering can give a character’s voice emphasis. Coloring is to art as lettering is to the text.

The colorist helps the story teller set the scene. Maybe the characters in play are mysterious and evil…a colorist may use darker shades. Or in the case of Stumptown, a P.I. crime  drama, Lee Loughridge’s coloring is very simple. Loughridge uses a limited pallet with dull coloring. It ads to the murky world of mystery Stumptown tries to convey. Plus, the coloring doesn’t take any attention away from the driving force of the book, which is the plot.

Other books need bright bold colors. A big action packed caped character story needs bursting colors and tones to take the characters right off the page. Laura Martin of Astonishing X-Men and Secret Invasion fame is a superior colorist who know when to accent action with strong coloring and mellow down the page with less dominant shades in more intimate moments.

Recognizing coloring achievement can be difficult. If a comic book is down well, you may not even notice. At times all you see are colors that liven your eyes. Next time you pick up a book take a look at who colored it and maybe even give them a shout out on a review post from time to time.