Artist Khary Randolph on Comic Book Excellence

Among Skybound’s many eye-catching comic titles, Excellence stands out. That’s largely due to artist Khary Randolph, whose manga and hip-hop influenced dynamism explodes across the action-fantasy book’s pages and covers. As part of our series of interviews celebrating Black History Month, we chatted with Khary about the genesis and evolution of his idiosyncratic style and the many projects he’s working on. Here’s what he had to say…

What’s your origin story? How did you first become an artist?

Truthfully, I don’t think there was a time when I wasn’t an artist. I’ve been drawing since the time I could hold a pencil. I’m much better at expressing myself visually than I am with words. Even when I was a kid, when there was a school project I didn’t want to do, sometimes I’d just draw it as a comic book. Which surprisingly worked more times than it didn’t!

I tried to avoid the arts as a career for a long time because it didn’t seem like a viable way to make a living, but eventually I couldn’t escape what was right in front of me, which is that I love to draw. I moved from Boston to New York to attend the School of Visual Arts, and immediately I knew I had made the right choice. Being surrounded by incredibly gifted and passionate people who were dedicated to their craft made me put my all into making this whole art thing work. I interned at DC Comics between my junior and senior years of college, and gained some very valuable insight (and relationships that I cherish to this day). I then joined the early aughts world of message boards and made even more connections with some of my oldest industry friends, such as Skottie Young, Mark Brooks, Lesean Thomas and Robert Kirkman. All of the hard work and connection-building finally paid off when I broke into the industry in 2003. The rest is history.

You’ve said that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was your first comic book love. What was it about that book that spoke to you?

I think it was the attitude of it all, it felt very current and street level. In the late 80s, when I started reading comic books, I wasn’t into all the capes and superhero stuff. It didn’t really speak to me. It felt a little old school, whereas TMNT had this griminess to it that felt new and almost hip-hop.

Who were your favorite comic artists when you were growing up? Which ones most inspired you?

Whereas Eastman & Laird were my introduction to being a comic book fan, it was the Image guys that kicked my readership into overdrive. Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane were rockstars to me, and made me love comics. The energy of their art and the new computer colors of the time really turned me into a fan of the medium. And then there was a second wave of creators like Joe Madureira, Jason Pearson, Adam Warren, and J. Scott Campbell that made me realize I could embrace the more cartoony aspects of art that I was always naturally drawn to. Manga was new on the scene as well, and books like Akira, Ghost in the Shell, and Gunsmith Cats opened my eyes to a whole new style of storytelling.

You’ve worked for most of the major publishers throughout your career. What attracts you to a story, project, or publisher?

It’s shifted as my career has evolved. Early on, the publisher meant everything to me. Anything Marvel or DC would throw at me, I wouldn’t hesitate to draw, whether I had interest in the subject matter or not. I just wanted the opportunity. In this current iteration of my career, I’m much more aware of the fact that we have a finite amount of time to create things that matter, and as such the story that we’re trying to tell is much more important to me. Also, the collaborators are everything as well, because every project is like a marriage. You need to know that you can vibe well with your partner, or else it’s gonna be a very bumpy ride.

Your work fuses influences from both inside and outside of comics into your own unique style. How would you describe it?

There are so many influences. I guess I’m most well known for the energy in my artwork. I’m as much of a fan of animation as I am of comics, and I think that shows through. Bruce Timm, Glen Murakami, and Disney are everything to me. I also grew up fully entrenched in hip-hop culture, which I think naturally comes across in everything I do, whether intentional or not. I’ve spent a lot of time studying illustrators and graphic designers that came before my time, like Robert McGinnis, J.C. Leyendecker and Saul Bass. Lastly, anyone that is a storyteller has to be a fan of film, so Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Spielberg, Tarantino, Kubrick, etc.

How did you come to work with Brandon Thomas and Skybound on Excellence? What was the project’s genesis?

Sean Mackiewicz, our editor, thought to pair Brandon and me. We had met previously and were mutual fans, but once we got on the phone and talked about what the book was really about, I knew I had to be on board. The fight scenes and visual flair were definitely appealing to me, but it was the relationships between the characters where I felt the real magic was, and that was what hooked me. It was immediately clear that we had something special with this book.

What is your collaboration with Brandon like? How do the two of you develop an issue?

Initially Brandon came in with a very clear idea of where he thought the book should go, and I was very much on board to compliment and respect his vision. As the issues went on, there were many times when I would go “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if…” and I can’t think of any time when Brandon didn’t find a way to get that thing into the book. It also didn’t hurt that the book was based in New York, and I was living in Brooklyn, so I think I was able to bring an air of legitimacy to the scenery. It was one of the smoothest collaborations I’ve ever had. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Emilio Lopez (colors), Andres Juarez (design) and Deron Bennett (letters) as crucial components to Excellence as a whole. We were all very much on the same page, understood the assignment, and elevated that book to a level that I never could have expected.

What are you working on now?

Lots of stuff! Joanne Starer and I just wrapped up our creator-owned project Sirens of the City, and the trade paperback of that will be released in May from Boom Studios. I think people will find that Sirens shares a lot of similar qualities with Excellence, such as family trauma, relevant social issues, and awesome magical fight scenes. I’m also working on a number of Ninja Turtle related projects at the moment, so things have really come full circle with my career lately.

Do you have any other favorite Skybound titles?

I’ve been down with Kirkman and crew since before Skybound even existed, so yeah, my Skybound library is pretty extensive at this point. Invincible and The Walking Dead obviously, but I’ve also loved Science Dog, Brit, and Thief of Thieves. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Tech Jacket, which I was a fan of even before I drew 15 issues of it.

What else do you nerd out over these days?

Truthfully, and this is gonna sound like I’m kissing Skybound butt but it’s really the truth, I’ve been loving the Energon Universe stuff you guys have been doing. The work Daniel Warren Johnson is doing on Transformers has really rekindled the love I have for comics in a way I haven’t seen many comics do in the last few years. It’s just pure, fun entertainment. Transformers is one of my favorite brands of all time, so seeing it done well pleases me to no end. Plus, I have an upcoming cover on the way so that’s something that was a huge checked box on my resume.

Do you have any advice for someone considering a career in your field? 

One of the most important things I have found in this field is the friendships and connections you make. Everyone here is talented, so talent is a dime a dozen in this industry. Talent can get you far, but your attitude is everything. No one works in a vacuum. You are going to be collaborating with other people, and at the end of the day, people need to want to work with you. If you’re a pain in the ass, or you’re not willing to compromise, or you’re otherwise difficult to work with, your collaborators will take note. It’s a small industry where everyone talks, so you want to try your best to make it so when people talk about you they have positive things to say. Stay humble, do the work, don’t be a dick, and you’ll go far.