AVENGERS VS ATLAS art by Gabriel Hardman & Elizabeth Breitweiser

By TJ Dietsch

The world of comics usually reserves epic journeys them for stories between the covers as opposed to the people making them. However, newly-Marvel exclusive colorist Elizabeth Breitweiser bucks that rules.

"I was teaching art classes and dating Marvel artist, Mitch Breitweiser," the woman responsible for giving books like the upcoming ATLAS their hues remembers of when she launched her current career. "I had never considered or thought about coloring comic books. I didn't even realize it was an option until Mitch introduced me to the idea. Anyhow, after much contemplation, and a little coaxing, Mitch convinced me to give it a go. My last semester of teaching, I decided to buckle down and get serious about learning my way around Photoshop. When I finally built up enough confidence through practice, I approached [Marvel Executive Editor] Tom Brevoort, about the possibility of coloring some of Mitch's artwork. At the time, Mitch was working on [CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR - OPERATION ZERO-POINT]. I offered to color it on spec for Marvel. If they liked it they could use it, if not, no hard feelings. To my great surprise and glee, they liked it and I've been coloring up funny books ever since!"

And so began a career in comics that has included work on AGENTS OF ATLAS, SKAAR: SON OF HULK and BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS among other projects. Thanks to her art background, Breitweiser has quickly developed a style and methodology that serves her well.

"As a colorist, I think it's important to consider myself an artist and story teller first and worry about everything else later," she says. "Ideally, a colorist should be well-versed in design elements/principals and human anatomy. It's my job to integrate color with line art, so the finished product feels whole and complete and not like separate parts fighting for attention. [Today] with all the shiny, crazy, spectacular things you can do

CAPTAIN AMERICA: PATRIOT #1 preview art by Mitch Breitweiser & Elizabeth Breitweiser

with Photoshop, it's easy for a colorist to swallow up the line art. In my opinion, a good colorist should accent the line art and follow the artist and writer's visual clues for story telling. We should use color theory, value and texture harmoniously with the line art to help lead the reader's eye around the page and create form, emphasis, variety, movement/rhythm, atmosphere, and mood. Like it's been said a million times before: fantastic color can save bad art, and terrible color can destroy really great art."

Marvel recently signed Breitweiser to an exclusive contract which made the artist very happy, to say the least.

"I don't even know how to put into words my excitement," she says. "The past few years have been such a whirlwind. I am working at a dream job that two years ago I could have never imagined. I get to work with incredibly talented writers, artists and editors for one of the top entertainment companies in the world! I thought I was already the luckiest girl in the world, so when Marvel called and offered me the exclusive, I just about fell out my chair! It's really humbling. I can't thank editors like Tom Brevoort and Mark Paniccia enough for taking a chance on me."

In addition to working with her now-husband, Mitch, on the upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA: PATRIOT, written by Karl Kesel, Elizabeth also enjoys collaborating with Gabriel Hardman on the new ATLAS series, written by Jeff Parker, continuing a franchise she's been a part of since the 2009.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: PATRIOT #1 preview art by Mitch Breitweiser & Elizabeth Breitweiser

"Somehow along the way I was lucky enough to get attached to the artwork of Gabriel Hardman, who has become one of my favorite artists in the industry," Breitweiser praises. "He has this really gorgeous classic art style and his storytelling is out of this world. The man can draw anything, and believe me, on the ATLAS series he has! He and Jeff Parker are mad geniuses. They cook up brilliance every issue and I just try to keep up! If you haven't read ATLAS, you really should. The characters are so much fun and very different from anything else going on at Marvel. I feel like Jeff, Gabriel, and I have really gelled as a creative team and are producing a really great comic."

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