The Colour Of Comics with Steve Hamaker

Steve Hamaker is the Eisner Award-winning colorist of Jeff Smith’s bestselling graphic novels BONE and RASL, and the creator-artist of the webcomic PLOX. I had the pleasure of sitting down with him on March 20th, 2025.

---

The Kick Off.

Kia ora, Steve. It’s so nice to meet you. You’ve been on my radar for years because BONE just so happens to be my favourite comic book of all time.

Thank you. That’s very cool.

You’re in the U.S., I’m in New Zealand. The wonder of technology, eh?

I haven’t been to New Zealand yet!

Oh, you’ve got to come. “God’s Own Country,” as we say.

My wife and I are planning to visit in the next few years. We can meet up for a pint!

Or two or three.

Ha, ha!

Before we delve into your career, I’d like to get a sense of who you are if you don’t mind. Where are you from originally?

I was born in Flint, Michigan in 1975. My parents had moved there to be closer to my mom’s family. I had a pretty standard childhood as a “Gen-X” kid in the Eighties.

Were you the baby of the family?

I am an only child, and I had times that I wished for a brother or sister… but I had a close relationship with my cousins, so they filled that void.

Things were different in the 1980s. I remember after school we were free to roam, and the only unbreakable rule was get your booty home before dark.

My neighborhood was filled with kids… we were like the Goonies, but without the treasure hunting [laughter].

All the parents wondering what us rascals were up to. What did your folks do?

My mom had a part time clerical job at a nearby hospital, and my dad was a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. Dad was born in Baltimore, and he attended The Maryland Institute of Art for three years. It was a weird time period for making a career in art, so he diverted his attention to starting a family with my mom.

Did your family see in you a budding artist from early on?

They were very supportive. Dad was always drawing and painting, and he still does, so that rubbed off on me. Art was always a legitimate part of our lives, so once I was serious about both college and a career in art, it was easier for them to support it.

You and I are almost the same age. Reading comics, watching cartoons, and playing Nintendo was my childhood. Is it fair to say you had a similar experience?

Absolutely. I got a Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 or 1988 for Christmas and it changed everything.

Yes! My dad brought home the Nintendo around the same time. It was all a kid could think about.

Ha, ha. Saturday morning cartoons were a staple, too. Building a fort with TV trays, pillows and blankets while eating sugary cereal.

Were you into comic books?

Yes. One of the first comics that got me—and my cousin Eric—was The Dark Phoenix Saga by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. I remember a collected trade paperback that we found at the Flint public library… that one stuck with me. Later on, we went deep into the black & white Ninja Turtles books. And we really loved the role playing game by Palladium.

Oh, there couldn’t have been more than two kids at my school who didn’t like Ninja Turtles.

I also loved G.I. Joe and Transformers cartoons, and their toys, so that definitely spilled over into my comic book reading and collecting. I was a huge Muppet kid too… anything Henson touched.

Absolutely. Those first three Muppets movies were required viewing in my house.

The 80s was flush with great movies... The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Dark Crystal, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Goonies, Pee Wee's Big Adventure. E.T. Sooo many! I was immersed in all of that stuff.

Remember when E.T. turns white, and gets all sickly? That really bothered me as a kid [laughter]. Or the swamps of sadness scene in NeverEnding Story?

Oh, yeah. Both of those examples resonate with me. ET was the first movie I legitimately cried at. I think I was… seven years old? Wow.

I’d probably cry if I saw it now. I suppose it’s those cinematic traumas that made us Seventies and Eighties kids who we are.

Totally. It was the first time I had experienced what stories can do. We can laugh, cry, jump from fright, but in the end, we’re all fine. It’s kind of like a roller coaster. Thrilling!

Inspirations & Aspirations.

I often find a commonality with creative people.. some piece of pop culture—a movie or TV show usually—becomes a childhood obsession and follows them into adulthood. Did you also experience that?

There were these magazine-books that came out when Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were released, and I remember they were sold at the grocery store. Inside they showed behind the scenes photos and had interviews with people that worked on the movies. It was an explosion in my brain. I could grow up to be one of those people!

Lightning had struck!

At eight years old! I knew the names of Ben Burtt, Phil Tippet, Dennis Muren, Joe Johnston at eight years old. Those guys were my idols.

A similar kind of magic hit me over the head with Tim Burton’s BATMAN movie. I probably sound like a broken record to people who read the blog, but it’s just one of those things that’s never left me.

Yeah, I had clocked Tim Burton before Batman, but when that came out in 1989… it was a major life event. We saw that movie so many times in the theater.

And it may not seem like a big deal now, but back then I don’t remember if liking comics was very cool. I mean, not that I cared much, I liked what I liked… but BATMAN came along and everybody jumped onboard that train.

I loved it. I was never treated badly for liking comics, cartoons or super heroes. I think it was partly because everyone at school and my family knew I loved to draw. Being creative gave me way more leverage to indulge my geekiness.

Okay, don’t be shy, who’s your favourite Batman?

Michael Keaton, hands down.

Preach on it.

People may forget now, but casting him was very controversial. Keaton was a comedy guy.

Which is why people thought it was gonna be a joke.

Yeah, “Mr Mom is Batman?” And I don’t remember caring much about that myself.

The anti-Keaton movement from “fans” was the real comedy… and I think he absolutely proved the naysayers wrong.

When I saw the first movie trailer, I was totally in. Tim Burton’s genius is how he immerses the audience in his crazy worlds… and Michael Keaton just blends into the rest of the wonderful madness of that film.

You mentioned never catching any flack for liking comics as a kid. Were you a part of the public school system in America?

I was. However, when I was going into 4th grade, I was placed in what was called a “Magnet Program.” The Flint Public Schools had a few schools that focused more on art and culture. It was still a regular teaching system... math, reading, science, and social studies, but with a more sophisticated focus on creativity.

Wow, it sounds like they understood that not every child needs to walk the traditional path.

I was not great with “regular” school, so this made a huge difference to my education. I was in that program through 6th grade, and then we moved to a town outside of Flint when I was in middle school, so I was back on the ‘struggle bus’ until college.

When I started high school, I was genuinely shocked to find it wasn’t quite like the movies... you know, where there was this divide between “jocks” and “nerds.”

Same. I used my creativity and drawing to shield myself from being labelled, or from being made fun of. I also had a good sense of humor, so I could make people laugh and that also saved me. I could pass as an average athlete in high school so the ‘jocks’ ignored me. Sadly, the cheerleaders ignored me too.

Same.

Ha, ha!

Was high school more nurturing to your abilities than grade school had been?

In high school, I was really serious about my path to art college. I was lucky to have an amazing art teacher, Mr. Wolfgang.

He sounds cool.

Great name, right? In 10th grade he almost flunked me because all I would draw were cartoon characters… Bart Simpson, Spider-Man, you know, fun stuff.

So, he saw the skill was there, but thought it was being wasted?

It really rattled me because my art was always ‘impressive’ to people around me. He shook me up, in a good way, and I started getting serious about drawing from life and watercolor illustrations. I went from a student that Mr. Wolfgang ignored to one of his top five. Gaining his approval was key.

Teachers who push you like that are a godsend.

I credit him with so much of my success because he taught me to keep breaking out of the confines of my own creative limits.

It sounds like maybe you knew what you wanted to do by the time high school was over.

I thought I did! I had my sights set on working for Disney. I was a huge fan of Aladdin and The Lion King. I wanted to be Glen Keane, or at least his in-betweener. Columbus College of Art and Design had an internship program with Disney where juniors and seniors could submit portfolios, and they might choose students to work a summer at the studio. But pretty early on I decided that wasn’t for me.

Why’s that?

The path to Disney seemed like a narrow lane, and I wanted to try different things. Animation seemed sexy, but my heart was always in comics. I thought I could work for Image Comics, or maybe get a lucky break for a smaller publisher like Dark Horse. I still had a love for ILM, so being a model maker was still a pipe dream.

The American dream, eh?

Pipe dreams are definitely the American Dream. Ha, ha.

Working at ReSaurus.

So, you veered away from Disney and set your sights on something else?

My roommates in college were twins named Jay and Chris Borman. They were Industrial Design majors, and mine was Illustration. I learned a lot about building and 3-D design just by association. All of us were ILM nerds, and we also loved McFarlane Toys. The first SPAWN figures were hitting shelves in the mid 90s. Working on action figures would be a very cool career, so we were motivated.

You guys must’ve done well because you all ended up at ReSaurus in your early 20s, is that right?

In the last week of college, Jay was interviewed for an internship position there. It was some kind of career day fair... thingy. The owner, Doug Sapp, hired Jay to help with sculpting, molding, and prototyping. And Resaurus had just made a ton of money by selling vinyl puppets from Jurassic Park 2 into Walmart.

Walmart must be the golden goose for any toy line.

That’s the manufacturing world’s version of hitting the jackpot. But Resaurus were not making action figures at that time. We hadn’t taken over… yet. Ha, ha.

So, your foot was in the door?

Jay [Borman] was bringing work home because there was so much to do. His brother Chris and I became interns by helping him get his work done. We worked the whole summer of 1997, dawn to dusk. Eventually we convinced the owners to make the three of us lead designers, and we began focusing on action figures instead of puppets.

Where was ReSaurus based?

Right here in Columbus, Ohio. We lived closer to Resaurus than the college!

Ha ha, that’s awesome. You and the other chaps created the Crash Bandicoot toys, right?

Yeah! I didn’t work much on Bandicoot, though. I think I sculpted a piece of fruit, maybe an orange or something, and a lizard accessory.

Fruit still counts.

Ha, ha.

What was your favourite project up to that point?

I was in charge of the QUAKE figures, and later I led the Street Fighter line. Street Fighter was huge for me. Working directly with Capcom was awesome, and I’m still very proud of those figures.

I’d imagine it’s impossible to work with toys and not have fun.

It was very fun because everyone in the design department—including the sculptors and graphic designers—were super invested in the figures.

Did they give you a lot of autonomy there?

For sure. I can’t recall specific ideas, but we operated like a team. I should say that I never felt like my ideas were ever ignored. Jay Borman, Chris Borman, Ken Lilly, and myself were the lead designers and we usually agreed or found ways to compromise.

Action Figure Heaven.

How did working on the BONE figures come about?

While helping Doug Sapp move out of his old office we discovered the BONE comics. Doug had worked on some book designs for Jeff Smith… this was years before Resaurus.

Wait, so, you hadn’t read BONE yet?

I knew about BONE, but I had never read it before then.

Okay, so your six degrees of Kevin Bacon was that Doug knew Jeff Smith.

One thing led to another, and Jeff agreed to meet us and talk about making toys. Jay and Chris knew how much I wanted to lead the project, so they let me off my chain. That was massive for me.

And of course you jumped on it.

I definitely jumped on it! Jeff later told me that he didn’t completely enjoy working with Doug on the book design stuff, but he reluctantly came to Resaurus to see the operation. Once he met the design guys—including myself—he was convinced to give it a shot.

What was the toymaking process with Jeff like? Collaborative?

Yeah, it was really cool. I made turn around drawings of each character using Jeff’s books as reference. They were crude likenesses but the overall designs for the articulation and accessories were solid. He took those drawings and traced over them to make them ‘on model’. It was so frickin’ cool. It’s one of my favorite things I have ever done. We worked very well together from the beginning. We were like little kids.

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I’ve heard on more than one occasion that Jeff’s one of the nicest dudes in comics.

He’s great. He’s like family to me, so sometimes we had fights and disagreements, but we always came around.

The two of you sound like a certain pair of BONE cousins.

The art was always the refocuser for our relationship. Make the toy better, or the book better, and then we’re good. There’s no one else that I have worked with creatively that’s been more influential.

Which BONE character did you have the most fun translating from page to plastic?

Phoney and Fone Bone. Because they are designed to work as 2-D characters not 3-D, so making them look right from all angles was a challenge. I think we did a good job.

Hell, they still look great.

I’m very proud of how they turned out.

And the sculpted rubber Mystery Cow suit that came with Gran’ma Ben? That thing is incredible.

That was actually pretty easy! The sculptor just sculpted the cow suit over the existing Smiley figure. I instructed the factory to make it soft vinyl and hollow… it fit like a glove! The real challenge of the whole thing is making sure the factory is able to translate the details of the original designs and sculpted prototypes. Color-matching is tough for example.

As I recall, there were two versions of Smiley Bone… one had his tongue stuck out, and the other had this fantastic sort of shit-eating grin on his face. Do you remember why that was?

The variant thing was big in the Nineties, ha, ha. There’s also two versions of Fone Bone in the regular case pack.

Oh yeah! I’d almost forgotten that.

Yes, one Fone Bone is smiling and the other is frowning.

Were there any other BONE characters that didn’t make the cut?

I had done designs for action figures of Lucius and The Red Dragon. We never sculpted them though.

That’s a shame they never got made. Do you remember the pewter medallion? It was a replica of the one Thorn wore around her neck.

I have one of those medallions!

Oh man, that might be the rarest bit of BONE merch.

It’s very cool.

One of my most prized treasures is the original Fone Bone artwork that came with the “great red boxed set.”

Cool! I love seeing that watercolor. It was my idea to do that… we only did fifty of those. It’s awesome because they’re all inked originals with my paint on top.

Okay, we’ll circle back to BONE in a sec, but what went down with ReSaurus Toys in the end?

The company had some financial struggles from not paying a few bills. Ha, ha. Slight mismanagement on the part of the powers that be. They were looking at downsizing the design department, but at the same time I had been talking with Jeff and his wife Vijaya about the possibility of doing product design full time for Cartoon Books.

Ah-ha, you had a back-up plan.

Jay Borman was my friend but he was also my boss, so when he told me that I was on the list of possible layoffs, I was able to assure him that I’d be okay. That way he could keep someone else on the team.

And you jumped the fence over to Jeff’s side?

I literally got the job offer call as I was packing up my office at Resaurus! I started working for Jeff and Vijaya full-time two weeks later.

Life At Cartoon Books.

One door closes, and another one opens. Could you give me a little snapshot of a day in the life working at Cartoon Books?

We would work from 10am to 6pm as a way to avoid traffic. That was nice. The production manager—Kathleen Glosan—and I would walk to a local cafe and get our coffee. We usually all had lunch together too. It was a very relaxed environment. Although, when we were on deadline, it was all hands on deck… and we stayed late if needed. For a long time, it was a very small group of us. Jeff, Vijaya, Kathleen, Tom Gaadt, a couple of dogs running around…

It sounds like a creative’s dream.

For the last few years I moved to a condo that was a half a block away, so those were even better times.

Some readers might not realise you took the entire original black and white run of BONE and provided glorious colour for it. Is that partly why the action figures had to take a backseat?

The action figures were very difficult to continue for us since we were such a small company. We moved away from that to focus on the books, and smaller product ideas like the blind box figurines. And I took over coloring the covers with BONE issue 43.

Was Jeff coloring them prior to that?

Previously the covers were colored by the great Elizabeth Lewis, who started working with Jeff in the Image Comics days. In 2001, we took a crack at coloring the first issue of BONE as a special edition for the 10th anniversary. Jeff loved how it turned out. I was teaching myself how to color using Photoshop, so I became the de facto house colorist.

Did the idea of coloring the book in its entirety germinate with you, or was it prompted by Scholastic?

All parties deserve credit. When Scholastic started talking to Jeff and Vijaya about publishing BONE, they were not initially thinking about coloring the books. At some earlier date, Art Spiegelman was also going to be involved with Graphix, but that didn’t happen and he later started an imprint called Toon Books. Art was the one who talked Jeff into the idea of coloring the story. I was just the guy in the office that knew how to do it, so Jeff vouched for me, and Scholastic was happy since they would now get full color versions.

I’m partial to the black and white because that’s how I first read it.

I was a fan of the original, too!

But it comes alive in a different way when you see it in colour. It’s like reading Bone again for the first time… the second time.

The fans were nervous, and they definitely told me so. Once the books came out, everyone was relieved since the story works great both ways. I love that the black & white versions are still in print. It’s really cool that both versions have their own successes.

The BONE Holiday Special was my first introduction to Jeff’s world. Do you have any personal favourite moments from the series?

I love the confrontation between Thorn and Kingdok.

Ooo, yeah. Their dialogue sheds some interesting light, doesn’t it?

It’s such an epic moment for both characters.

It’s intense… and surprisingly emotional.

And very fun to color.

How long did it take to colour the whole enchilada?

I worked on all nine volumes from 2003 to about 2009. I was probably coloring four to five pages a day.

Did you have help or were you flying solo?

I had help with “flatting.” That is someone making the layers in Photoshop, and then filling in the shapes with color for me to adjust to my palette and render out, so that made it go faster.

What’s the first thing you do before you start coloring? Do you take a step back and ponder, or dive right in?

Jeff and I would go through each book and talk over mood, time of day, and any other colors for details that would be unknown. A good example is the coloring of the Stick Eaters in Atheia. I took a swing and gave them green, yellow, and purple colors in order to differentiate them from the Old Man’s Cave Stickeaters who wear standard red and orange.

You know, I can’t believe I never noticed that before!

The Stick Eaters in Atheia were supposed to be radicalized, so it made sense to me. Jeff loved it too. By that point Jeff and I were in lock step for the most part.

So, he didn’t have to veto much of what you were doing?

I never really took any swings that Jeff disliked… plus, if it made the story better, he was all for it.

I think many BONE fans are anxiously awaiting the day when it comes to the big screen. Or do you feel it lends itself more to an animated series?

I would love to see three beefy movies, like The Lord of the Rings, but now that we have so many streaming platforms with longform stories, I think that might be a better fit for BONE.

Any other special times working with that crew you’d like to share?

We had so many good times, and we laughed a lot. Jeff, Vijaya, and Kathleen are still like family to me. Anytime we get together we have so many inside jokes and shorthand. I just worked with them on the new deluxe edition of BONE Volume 1 and 2, and we got right back into rhythm like thirteen years hadn’t passed. I love them.

Those are the best kind of friends—where time has no affect on the friendship. And I’d imagine your experiences there must’ve helped with your own comic, Fish N Chips.

Absolutely. Jeff and Vijaya taught me everything about self-publishing. Jeff even did a pin-up for me! Just being there at that time was inspiring and educational.

Fish N Chips and PLOX.

You’re a great artist. And by the way, the title “Fish N Chips” is very, very Kiwi.

Thanks! Ha, ha. I had a blast making that book. I really focused on my storytelling with panel and page transitions which was so greatly inspired but how Jeff worked. I think of that book like a course in comics college.

It’s really fun, and made me laugh out loud. The zaniness of it is reminiscent of Ninja Turtles.

Yes! It’s a love letter to TMNT and Earthworm Jim… with a little Lost Boys and Blade thrown in for good measure.

Your webcomic “PLOX” has been running for over ten years now. Tell me about that.

I was inspired to do a web comic from reading PvP by Scott Kurtz, and Penny Arcade by Mike Krahulic and Jerry Holkins. I became friends with Scott twenty years ago. He and his wife Angie love BONE, so it was easy to force my way into being their friend.

Forced friend is still a friend [laughter].

Ha, ha. Now Scott and I have worked together a lot. I colored Table Titans for years and I help him with coloring his current books as well. I worked on a few small projects for Penny Arcade also. Shoutout to Kiko Villaseñor and Robert Koo. The cartoonist gamer world was so fun to be a part of, and PLOX was my attempt to fit into it.

PLOX has this feel… there’s a truth which it’s rooted in, and I think anyone who knows or is a gamer can appreciate that.

The story was based on my life during a time when I was very serious about playing World of Warcraft. I was one of those people... I had all of these real stories that I thought were funny, so I wrapped it up in a fantasy version of my real life. Chad, Kim, and Roy are each partly me and partly friends of mine.

You stepped back from PLOX for a while but then came back to it last year. Was there a reason for that?

I created two PLOX graphic novels and then took a break to work on a kid’s graphic novel series called The Pathfinders Society published by Viking Books. The writers and editor of that series really loved PLOX, so they hired me for their project. That took me three years to illustrate, so I wasn’t able to make more… but I have other PLOX stories, so someday I will return to that world.

Speaking of a different world, some folks like the way the workplace has changed post-COVID. I’ve tried to do it… but I’m not quite motivated enough to work from home.

It’s not always easy at home. Lots of distractions. I miss going into the Cartoon Books office to work. Mostly because I miss seeing Jeff, Vijaya, and Kathleen. Making them laugh makes me happy. He, he.

I love making people laugh. If there’s an office comedian where I’m at, then it’s me. If I don’t have that outlet, I get a bit deflated… but in saying that, creative endeavours suffer because the bulk of my energy goes into my 9 to 5. Do you find the ups and downs of life affect you that way?

It does come in waves. I took a break after The Pathfinders Society. I was working on those books during COVID so that was very taxing. I have a son in middle school, so being present for that was more important to me… I like being a stay at home dad and husband.

Just like Michael Keaton in Mr. Mom!

Ha, ha! My wife, Jenny Robb, is the head curator of The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, so with her busy job she appreciates that I can keep the house buckled down. I work fast too, so I can still do coloring or design projects that pop up from time to time.

Man, you both have dream jobs! What’s something you’ve learned in your various gigs over the years that’s helped you mature professionally?

Ask for help. Having support in the industry and your personal life makes a lot of difference. As an only child, I often try to do everything by myself and it definitely has limitations. When I can collaborate, or lean on someone else’s advice, it always propels me forward.

Keep On Keepin’ On.

Is there a project you were a part of that never quite got off the ground? Something you’d maybe like to revisit?

I am working on an idea now that I am excited about. I am very happy with how my career has gone. After coloring BONE, I was like, “Well, if that’s all I am known for, I’m good!” Everything else has been icing on the cake. I was in a slump recently, and just talking about it with my pal Scott Kurtz helped me. He said something that sparked an idea. Whether or not it leads to anything doesn’t matter… the inspiration happened!

A few years back I was talking to my sister, and sort of lamenting the black hole that was my creative output. After that phone call ended, boom! An idea hit me and I got some of my mojo back. Do you have any words of encouragement for someone who’s had the wind taken out of their sails creatively?

I think admitting that you don’t have any ideas can sometimes give birth to a seed of an idea. And generally speaking, make art for yourself. Use your own taste as a consumer of comics, movies, and games to inform your own art. Figure out why you like the things you like… you might stumble on something.

Man, I could just talk your ear off, but I know you’ve got other fish to fry. Let’s do a rapid-fire series of questions before you go... you ready?

Ready!

Alright, so there was a Kingdok action figure released back in the day. What are the odds of getting an articulated Great Red Dragon?

No chance! Ha ha, just kidding.

He’d be pretty damn big… the size of a tabby cat or something.

Ha, ha. Maybe if a BONE show or movie happens someone will make one. I had him designed, but it didn’t happen. The fact that the Kingdok toy exists is a miracle.

Kingdok’s big red eyes are unnerving.

Kingdok is scary. The removable arm and tongue was my idea.

Ha! I love that.

Thank you, thank you.

Okay, what’s your favourite video game ever?

World of Warcraft has to be it. And Star Wars Galaxies lives rent free in my heart as well.

How about a favourite film?

JAWS is number one.

My best buddy from high school eats, breathes, and sleeps that movie.

I love the characters so much. The genre is secondary to the story, which in spite of that makes it a very scary monster-movie. The drama and high stakes are propelled by the fully formed characters along with the backdrop of the small seaside town… throw in a killer shark and you’ve got magic.

A project you’ve worked on that you’d most like to see made into a video game?

Technically BONE was made into a game from Telltale Games and I was able to sort of work on that. Fish N Chips would make a great game. Like I said, Earthworm Jim was a big inspiration, so maybe a side-scroller like that?

Favourite musician or band?

Oasis. I’m going to Scotland and discovering my family roots for the first time this summer, plus we’re seeing the band in concert while we are there. I’ve seen them five or six times before, but since they broke up in 2009 I have been dying for a reunion.

Favourite comic? Or a specific run that never gets old for you?

AKIRA is up there. The original Eastman & Laird’s TMNT is solid for me too… the first ten issues for sure.

Favourite BONE character?

Phoney, of course. He and I have a similar demeanor. I can be cranky, and I sometimes blurt out hurtful truth.

Uh-oh.

But like Phoney, I come around in the end. Ha, ha.

One more… something unusual about yourself that most people don’t know.

I have double joints in my thumbs only… I like to think that helps me draw.

Does it?

It does not [laughter].

Steve, this was an absolute pleasure. I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

Glad to talk! Thanks.

---

Follow Steve Hamaker on his Twitch channel or show him your support via Patreon !

---