Born Coy Turnbull ( I hear a hard C but the K was better so, Koi), I was born December 12, 1976 in Elmhurst, Queens NY. Most of my early years were spent in New York till a change of scenery came and a move south happened at the age of 13.
My family moved to Asheboro, NC and during my time there I learned the ins and outs of the comic industry from working at a local comic shop with fellow future comic inker John “Waki” Wycough working for Rick Davis, inker and former assistant to Uncanny X-Men inker Sam Grainger. From the comic shop through Rick's friends in the industry, I learned from the likes of local artist like Randy Green, Steve Carnish, Jim Amash and Rick Ketcham who I think mentored me in preparation for a future in comics which even at the age of 13 I KNEW I would participate in. This was a great time in my life that I am so fortunate to have had the where withall to take advantage of all the lessons I was given because I still use a lot their advice to this day.
In 1997, after 6 years in North Carolina, I moved back to New York to pursue a career in comics. I joined a studio with artists Louis Small, N. Steven Harris, and Grey. Through Grey, my skills were noticed and I began work as a background artist on Marvel projects for Adam Pollina on X-Force and Walter McDaniel on Deadpool. This lead to my first assignment where Walter walked into the Marvel to hand in pages and overheard an editor needed an artist who can draw Dinosaurs. I just happened to have Ka-Zar samples already penciled in my portfolio. Met with the editor and walked out with What If?! issue 112, my first Marvel assignment and my break into the Big Two.
Later in 2002, my big break happened during the Wizard World Chicago Comic Convention, at a portfolio review with Aspen MLT’s Frank Mastromauro (Executive Vice President) and Peter Steigerwald (Vice President of Publishing), the work caught their eyes and a week after the con they contacted me about future employment with Aspen MLT.
After receiving the penciler job with Aspen MLT, Koi moved out to Venice, CA to work in the Marina Del Rey studio. Working under the direction of Michael Turner, Koi’s talent grew, and with that followed Mike’s run on Fathom with his own run starting with Fathom Volume 2. Not feeling hindered by the large fan following of Mike’s work, I was able to follow Mike’s work with my own look and influence to the comic during my run. Following my run on Fathom, I have since found work with DC Comics (working on Flash, and Superman Confidential), Marvel Comics (working on Terror INC, New Warriors, Black Panther and One Month 2 Live storyline) and other comic projects.