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Gene Ha
Now your artwork has a more European or French feel to it, what influenced and shaped your style to what it is today? Though I've read some European comics, they weren't my major influences. I did read a lot of Asterix when I was young. It's just my commercial illustration background that gives me a different feel. My biggest comic book influences were people like Matt Wagner, Sienkiewicz, and Miller. Oh, but I did actually keep a set of the British A1 comics by my side when I started in the industry. And my style in my first comic book was a failed attempt to copy Barry Windsor Smith. So I did have a strong British influence. Having a more detailed style then the current norm comics style, how long does it usually take you to do a page? I currently take about three days to get out a page. That's way too slow. I used to be able to get out a page a day, but I'm too old to get by on four hours of sleep. I'm 31 now. For the TOP TEN graphic novel I'm going to take my friends' advice and work smarter, not harder.
It's a prequel to the current series, and it's called The Forty-Niners. In 1949, Neopolis is still being built by Nazi mad scientests. The main characters so far include young Jetlad, and the figures in the mural from the precinct lobby. Will we be seeing anymore of the painterly style you used in the JLA story? I am going to create a new, more painterly style, but not the one I used in the JLA story. I'm hoping to do a one issue story with Bill Willingham between TOP TEN #12 and the graphic novel. That's where I hope to develop a my coloring style. Can you handle a schedule doing colouring as well? Would you ever be interested in colouring another persons artwork? Well, I'm expecting to streamline my style for the new book, so that should speed up things. When I did coloring for Starman and the Shade, it allowed me to use shortcuts like blurred backgrounds that I can't use now. I'm not really interested in colouring other people's work. For me the colours are just as important as the black & white art. I suspect most pencillers and inkers would not appreciate this philosophy. What was it like coming on board with Alan Moore? Is it ever challenging trying to bring Alan's visions to the page? It was a dream come true to work with him. I've never met anyone who understands comics so gracefully. I think he must have afternoon tea once a week with Greek Muses and Chinese demons. The scary thing about working with Alan is how well he understands my style. He understands it much more than I do myself. He knows what I'm good at and he works to those strengths. It's not necessarily what's easy or what I do quickly. I find it fascinating to compare the kind of stories he creates for each of the ABC artists. The storytelling is very different. When I read TOM STRONG, I think about how I'd love to draw a story like that. But I know Chris draws it better than I ever could, and that he couldn't draw TOP TEN. So it is challenging, but I'm very proud of what Alan's written and what I've drawn. How did you break into the biz? What was your first published work? I got my first job at the end of the speculation boom. I sent photocopied samples to both Marvel and DC. I figured after five years of art school, it would be easy. They were hiring anyone back then. Which is why it was so painful when Marvel rejected my samples. Fortunately, Neal Posner liked my work at DC. He hooked me up with Kevin Dooley. And that, eventually, led to GREEN LANTERN #36. I'm not proud of that work. It was an odd story about Hal Jordan fighting a Christmas tree. So how does a day in the life of 'Gene Ha' work out?
Most people see the industry as being in a slump right now, have you been keeping up with any such issues concerning the current state of the biz? I try to keep up, and I'd like to do what I can to expand the comics market. The biggest problem seems to be a fear of rocking the boat. Most companies just fight for a bigger slice of the comic shop market. The only comic you can consistently find in groceries and drug stores is ARCHIE. They're also the only big company that successfully markets to kids. DC and Marvel should do this too. I'm very curious about whether one could make a living doing an adventure strip on the web. What content would you include in a Marvel or DC childrens book? Any particular creators? I think my ideal DC children's book would be a side project from the Batman Adventures TV crew. You take a house style, and take a variety of writers and artists who can work in that style. Then you put out a digest size comic book next to the Archie comics and TV Guide near the cash register. This would be a risky move since renting prominent display space in a store is expensive. I can understand why DC hasn't tried it. If you were to do an online comic strip, who would it follow, what sort of story? I would love to do a weekly strip in a simplified style. It would be like a 1920's Sunday strip, about twice as long as a modern Sunday funny. The story I'm thinking about would be a 25 year old version of the Narnia children or Dorothy. The heroine just never stopped visiting magical lands after she hit puberty. This makes her a bit cynical about those worlds. She knows what happens when you introduce machine guns to Oz. Who would you say has been the most influential Author on your career? Early on in my career, it would have been William Gibson. But as more time passes, the most lasting influence from literature is probably Dashiell Hammett. He had a very elegant and minimalist way of describing the world that I can't imitate. I think he shares the best qualities of Faulkner and Hemingway. Other hard boiled authors seem over the top to me now, but Hammett's work still shines for me. Right here and now, I'm reading Armistead Maupin and the written work of Bill Willingham at Clockworkstorybook.com. Favourite old school artist? Writer? If we're talking about creators from my youth, I have a very strong affection for Archie Goodwin's writing and Mike Grell's art. I still reread their stuff today. Their work seems very natural, with characters whom I can believe in. Nothing stiff or stilted, but still dramatic. But if we're talking about the golden age, I'm always amazed by Will Eisner. Best Kirby creation? When I was young, I liked his less mannered work. The earlier the better. But now the Kirbier a Kirby, the better. Captain Victory all the way! Most under appreciated creator currently in the biz? I'm trying to think of someone who hasn't gotten an award lately, and is very obscure. This is tough because I keep thinking, there must be someone even less appreciated. I'm going through my comic shelf... Glenn Barr. I really don't understand why he isn't a superstar. And I really wish I could draw like him. Amazingly cool and stylish work. And I really adore some of the subtle storytelling of Roberta Gregory. Worst fanboy experience?
Proudest body of work? As far as a total package of writing and art and lettering, TOP TEN is the greatest. I'm working with comics' greatest writer and letterer, and the rest of us are pretty good too. As far as my own work goes, I'm proud of my Starman stories. THE SHADE #1 and STARMAN #46. And James Robinson is a master of his craft. Advice to those trying to make it in the Biz today? Find your own way. Be quirky, and don't be satisfied with just getting as good as your heroes. My generation of artists will quickly be overshadowed by the latest crop. The young ones continually achieve things I only dreamed of ten years ago. The Red Star: E-Sheep.com, and Will Steahle's Red Cap are all doing things I had hoped to do when I first started working. My advice is to keep on learning about art, not just comic books. The generation under 25 isn't going to put forward the next Frank Miller or Jim Lee. They're going to make something much more shocking and innovative. What has been your favourite book to work on?
What comic titles are you reading now? ASTRO CITY, ART BABE, NAUGHTY BITS, STARMAN, PROMETHEA, BLUE MONDAY, BARRY WEEN and ZOT Online. What's your dream project? If you could work with any companies, characters, writers, artists, no restrictions, no rules, complete creative freedom, crossover as many characters from as many different companies as and if you wanted without any complaints, put together whatever creative teams you wanted, and no one would stop you, what would you do? I'd create my own online comic and charge the equivalent of 25 cents an issue. I'd do everything myself. If I had to work for a company, I'd work with Alan Moore, a great colorist like Alex Sinclair, and a great letterer like Todd Klein. A wise man told me that if I wanted a job like that, I should start hunting for it. He was right. Comics journalism, in any form, how important is it? The comics audience is smarter and more literate than ever. So comics journalism is very important write now. I do wish more preliterates and illiterates were reading comics right now. Comics code, we want to get rid of it, you in? I'm hoping it soon just dies in its sleep. How many people actually look for that badge before they buy a comic? You've just been given a chance to rework the industry, starting with the major publishers and distribution companies, what do you do, what DO you do?
Finish
these sentences; Before we go, tell us something no one else knows. Something you've never told anyone... I have no idea what makes my art unique and wonderful. I really don't. And every time I change my style, I am afraid the editors and readers will lose interest. But editors go on hiring me. Let's hope the new style I develop has its fans! Plug time! This is where you plug as many things as you want, comics, websites, movies, Charities, prints, Gene Ha tupperware supplies , novels, anything old, new, current and upcoming, teabags, they're bags, and they have tea ...Ahhhhhhh, art , and whatever else. Anything that could somehow lead to money in your palm, lots of money, so much money that no matter what you do you can't get it out of your hands, no matter what you do, it's there, money, and more money, AND MORE MONEY, until there's so much money that you go mad 'cause you can't even itch your nose 'cause there's, Just, Too, Much, MONEY!!! (...But in a good way...) There is my website, at http://www.visi.com/~geneha/. I'll be at the Seattle ComiCard convention in November, and then the Chicago Comic Fest. For the first time in my career, I may start selling original art. If you're interested, contact me through my website. If I do decide to sell, I'll post info there. Thanks Gene. TOP TEN is available through Alan Moores ABC comics line, more info at DC Comics.com.
All characters,
titles, images mentioned or shown are copyright and trademark their
respective creators.
|
Gene
Ha, born in Chicago, and raised in South Bend, Indiana grew to work
on such titles as GREEN LANTERN, ASKANI'SON, OKTANE, the original
Graphic Novel: BATMAN: FORTUNATE SON, and the current series TOP TEN
from one of comics most popular scribes, Alan Moore. Gene developed
his own style setting him out from others because of its detail and
originality. In a time when speedlines were the norm and very little
care was put towards a page, Gene was one of the few whose work stood
out because of the obvious effort put into his art. For more on Gene's
current work on TOP TEN, an outline of the title can be found on 
What
can we expect to see from the TOP TEN GN?
I
wake up, and put on enough clothes to walk the dogs. I see my wife
off as she goes to work, and then I make breakfast. Usually, I find
something to listen to while I draw such as a book on tape or "This
American Life" on line. Then I get to work. More meals, more walks
for the dogs, and an hour or two of TV with my wife Lisa. I continue
to draw all day. I usually get to sleep around midnight or one. Then
it starts all over again.
I
think almost everybody else in comics has more obnoxious fans than
I do. The worst fanboys don't know who I am but follow me around anyway.
The very worst fanboy I ever encountered was plaguing all the artists
at a Pittsburgh con. He had a portfolio of badly drawn, badly airbrushed
pages. The characters were really derivative and the storytelling
was lazy. But that's not what was annoying, that was just sad. The
annoying part was that he had a sales spiel, and you could hear it
while he was still three artists away from you. You had to listen
to his spiel three times before he got to you, and three times afterward.
And no one could convince him he wasn't the greatest artist alive
or that he had anything to learn. "Isn't this character great? Wouldn't
you like to meet her? Look what I did here!" He had the social skills
of a two year old. When he started, the artists were polite. By the
end, they were just trying to make him leave.
TOP
TEN. But I've had fun throughout my career. As long as you have
a good editor, the project is always fun. And I've been luckier than
most.
I'd
have all the major companies sell digest size comics to kids right
next to Reader's Digest, Archie, and the Snickers bars. This is expensive
and risky, because you actually have to rent space next to the cash
registers. But it needs to be done. You don't need to run a big company
to reshape the industry. You just have to do something new that other
people copy. Comics like ELFQUEST built the direct market.
Comics like THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS changed the way DC and
Marvel work.
