Kevin Tinsley

Kevin ‘Stickman’ Tinsley is an American comic creator and publisher.

Kevin Tinsley, also known as Stickman, was born in Richmond, Virginia. He attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree in Painting and Printmaking with minors in Art History, as well as Philosophy and Religious Studies. Afterwards, he attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in Dover, New Jersey where he graduated in 1989.

He began working for Marvel Comics in 1990, initially doing art corrections as one of Romita’s Raiders, before moving into the production department, colloquially known as the Bullpen. Tinsley rose to the position of Senior Cover Coordinator where he oversaw the production workflow of cover mechanicals. Between 1994 and 1996, Marvel made a transition from all analogue hand-pasted mechanicals to a company-wide digital workflow. During this time, Tinsley was assigned the task of spearheading this transition within the production department, where he trained personnel and developed new production and prepress techniques unique to the comic industry.

He left staff in 1996 to focus on his career as a freelance comic-book colorist, which he had begun several years earlier as the regular colorist on such titles as Spider-Man and . He also wrote the how-to book "Digital Prepress for Comic Books", which he published in November 1999 under the imprint Stickman Graphics. The sales of this book provided the financial foundation on which Tinsley began publishing his own first-run graphic novels, including "The Festering Season" and the "Stonehaven" series.

In December 2001, Marvel Comics asked all colorists to submit bids for coloring work so that it could lower its production costs. Tinsley severed his freelance ties with the company and posted an open letter to Marvel criticizing the move which he felt would produce both sub-standard wages and work-quality.

Tinsley has continued his career in prepress and production in the publishing and advertising industries, while creating and publising his own books for Stickman Graphics.

PUBLICATIONS

*‘’Digital Prepress for Comic Books: The Definitive Desktop Production Guide’’(1999, ISBN: 0-9675423-0-8)

*"The Festering Season" (2002, ISBN: 0-9675423-2-4)

*"Stonehaven: Milk Cartons & Dog Biscuits" (2004, ISBN: 0-9675423-4-0)

*"Stonehaven: Subterranean Heart"s (2006, ISBN: 0-9675423-6-7)

*"Stonehaven: Fruit of the Poisonous Vine" (2008, ISBN-13: 978-0-9675423-7-9)

References

"Biography - Tinsley, Kevin M.: An article from: Contemporary Authors" [HTML] (Digital).by Gale Reference Team, (December 16, 2007)

"Magic and Crime in the City". by by Kai-Ming Cha, "PW Comics Week", posted August 8, 2006;http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6360366.html?nid=2789

"Tales of the City". by Bill Baker, "Bakers Dozen", posted March 3, 2004;http://www.worldfamouscomics.com/bakersdozen/back20040303.shtmll

"Digital Prepress for Comic Books: The Definitive Desktop Production Guide."(1999, ISBN: 0-9675423-0-8)