Happy Halloween, Goblins & Ghouls! Nice to see you all! I thought I'd take a break from my weekly dialogues and give the spotlight to someone else for a change. Surprisingly, I haven't seen anyone interview the following artist in about, oh... five years. So I felt somebody needed to correct that oversight; might as well be me.

I first met Gene Ha at the Motor City Comics Convention in Dearborn, Michigan, in October, 1993. At the time, I was a student at Central Michigan University, taking a specially developed course revolving around the various aspects of comics production. Gene was one of the very few people who were kind enough to provide me with photocopies of their pencil art for me to produce inking samples over for my class portfolio. I've pretty much been a follower of his ever since.

Gene's career was just starting at that time. DC Comics had given him a fill-in issue of GREEN LANTERN, and he'd just finished his second issue of NIGHT MAN for Malibu Comics. Little did anyone suspect that less than 6 months later he'd be working on an X-MEN related miniseries, THE ADVENTURES OF CYCLOPS & PHOENIX. His star has risen slowly but steadily ever since. Currently, Gene shares art chores with Zander Cannon on the Alan Moore - penned series TOP TEN from the America's Best Comics Line at DC. It is a series about the professional and private lives of a police precinct of superhuman cops in a world where everyone has superhuman powers.

I recently contacted Gene in request for an email interview. Not surprisingly, he was very gracious and quick to reply, despite his 12-14 hour work days at the drawing table. It's nice to know that success has not spoiled this very gifted individual. What follows is a transcript of that interview. Ladies & Gentlemen, Mr. Gene Ha...

B-R: First, let me say thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for this interview.

G-HA: Hey, I'll do anything for a free lunch. You are paying for lunch . . . ?

B-R: (Pauses, takes notes- "Buy Gene lunch at the next con you're both at..") I've broken down our questions into two sections: One section about your current series TOP 10, and a second section of more general questions about your overall career.

G-HA: You're a lot more organized than I am! Go ahead.

B-R: Okay, then, let's get started.

ON TOP 10

B-R: How did TOP 10 come about, and how did you become involved in the project?

G-HA: Ever since high school, I've wanted to work on an Alan Moore book. I didn't really hold out a lot of hope of this happening any time soon. After Alex Ross started doing Supreme covers, I told him how much I wanted to work with Alan Moore too. He told me to get off my butt and do it. I started to call around. I almost got a chance to do some work for Awesome, but they had one of their periodic collapses first. Fortunately, I bugged Wildstorm and I actually got a gig there. They liked my work, and I mailed a pile of samples to Alan and he liked them. It's the only job I've submitted samples for since I broke into the industry.

B-R: I've asked you this before in private, but a lot of fans of the series keep asking me, so I'll ask you to explain: The credits on TOP 10 list both you and Zander Cannon as artists. How much of the work is you, and how much is Zander?

G-HA: At first, it really was very fifty-fifty. Zander did all of the layouts. I would do finishes on three or four of these every week. Zander would do pencils on two of these, which I would make changes on. Then he would ink the pages and I would spot blacks, whites, and textures.

B-R: Wow, that sounds like a lot of time consumption.

G-HA: Yeah. Neither of us was really happy with this system. After issue 3, Zander became the layout artist. This includes loose figures, backgrounds, and rough word balloons. I used to be notorious for not leaving enough word balloon space. After Zander does the layout, I do tight pencils and inks.

We're all very happy with his work. He's going to start doing layouts for Tom Strong soon!

B-R: Do you work from a plot, or does Alan Moore write a full script? How much creative input do you have into the stories in terms of plot?

G-HA: Alan writes very full scripts. He can write a whole page to describe just one panel. I have this theory that he's a bit like Mozart, who was able to hear a whole piece of music in his head before he wrote it down. In the script, he describes where every character and word balloon should be. None of the word balloon tails cross. At least half of the crazy background characters and graffiti in the background are in the script.

But, he's not a control freak. He loves getting input before he writes a script. Jeff Smax is based on an idea of mine, but he'd put such an interesting spin on him I didn't recognize him until I was halfway through drawing issue 1. He also doesn't mind if you make changes. He never complains when we do this, but we still try to do this with some reverence for the script.

B-R: You certainly have created an eclectic group of characters for TOP 10. Who's your favorite character in the series? Who's the easiest / most difficult to draw?

G-HA: My favorite character changes every now and then. I love Blindshot and Peter. For a while my favorite was Peregrine. Right now I really like Toybox. She's based on a model I met while shopping, but I subconsciously made her resemble my wife. Some of my friends thought it was supposed to be her.

The easiest character to draw is Peregrine. I really enjoy the simple and elegant costume. The toughest to draw are Irmageddon and King Peacock's paisley pants. When either of them show up, I know the page is going to be a rough one.

B-R: What is the draw for TOP 10 as a comic series? What, in your mind, separates it from the pack?

G-HA: Well, the best thing about the book is Alan Moore. He's a wonderfully demented writer. I think the things he does with the storytelling are unique. He takes several simple tales and braids them together. It's a wonderful way to write a team book. We have a massive cast with multiple storylines, but it never gets confusing.

And Alan's understanding of the medium is scary. When Scott McCloud gave an example of a master of the medium, he named Alan Moore.

B-R: Coming from someone of Scott McCloud's reputation as a scholar of the comics medium, that's certainly high praise to bestow upon a writer.

G-HA: He also really enjoys asking the questions you're not supposed to ask. I half jokingly asked whether Kemlo dates humans, canines, or only other hyper-dogs, and he just ran with it.

B-R: Cool! Kemlo's probably my favorite character in the series. He's got a cool visual and Alan writes him with an understated sense of humor that I really enjoy.

B-R: If you lived in a world like that of TOP 10, who / what would you be?

G-HA: Wow, that's scary. I don't know what I would be. We'd all like to be a Jeff Smax or something, but I'm afraid I'd be a Shock-Headed Peter type. Probably something like the Sumi-E Sumo.

ON COMICS IN GENERAL

WORK QUESTIONS

B-R: How long does it take you, on average, to complete a comics page?

G-HA: A little over a day. If I work 14 hours a day for 7 days, I can get out 5 or 6 pages in a week. But I can't keep that up for long. I do about 4 pages per week.

B-R: What tools do you use?

G-HA: I draw with a lead holder (a type of mechanical) pencil using an F lead. You have to buy a lead sharpener to sharpen them. I use my own special blend of kneaded eraser: about half Maped and half Faber-Castell. I ink with Higgins Black Magic ink. I use a Windsor & Newton Series 7 size 1 sable brush and Staedtler- Marsmatic 700 .30 tech pen.

B-R: Staedtler-Mars? Does that company even make Tech pens anymore? What happens if it breaks? (I have a penchant for breaking my own tech pens when working- usually a .30 or .35! HAHAHA!)

G-HA: Remind me never to let you borrow mine! Actually, they're fairly easy to come by here in the Twin Cities.

B-R: Do you work on DC / Wildstorm supplied pages?

G-HA: No, I buy my own paper. I like Strathmore 500 series Bristol medium surface. I work at 144%, a lot smaller than the industry standard.

B-R: Who is your favorite inker to work with?

G-HA: Andrew Pepoy and Al Vey. They're both great.

B-R: Do you listen to music while working? (Specifics?)

G-HA: Not a lot. Mostly Tori Amos when I do. What I listen to the most is National Public Radio. I especially love This American Life and Car Talk.

B-R: Y'know, that sounds rather wise. You can work without being distracted by a favorite song, and you probably learn all sorts of useful information.

G-HA: Oh, NPR isn't distracting at all! But for me, drawing only uses my visual faculties. Listening to the radio or talking on the phone doesn't bother me at all.

B-R: What is the most challenging aspect of being a comic book artist?

G-HA: The schedule. To get out a monthly book, you have to sacrifice your social life. I've heard a lot of artists say "I got married so I wouldn't need a social life". Comic book artists tend to be iconoclastic loners.

B-R: Define your goal(s) as a comic book artist. What do you strive for? What do you look for in an assignment? Artistic challenge? Hi-profile?

G-HA: My biggest goal is to work with writers that I love. When I see an artist I really love working on a book with mediocre writing, it really breaks my heart. I'd feel really sad if I drew a beautiful book that wasn't worth reading.

If I can fit it into my schedule, James Robinson is interested in doing a Shade origin story with me. That would be another dream job. He's a wonderful writer.

B-R: Alan Moore, James Robinson, Gerard Jones (whom we'll talk about in a moment), Archie Goodwin... sounds to me like you're meeting your goals very well.

G-HA: *laughs* Yep. There aren't that many writers left whom I feel a desperate need to work with. Maybe Kurt Busiek, J.M. DeMatteis, and Neil Gaiman. But I've pretty much already worked with the ones I was desperate to work with.

B-R: You cite being influenced by several Name Talents in the industry, such as John Byrne, Frank Miller, Walter Simonson and Matt Wagner. Yet your work is completely different from anything they've done. Many of your contemporaries in the industry emulate their "influences", more or less being wholly derivative, and some of those people are perhaps better known than you. Have you made a conscious choice to create your own style of expression, and if so, how important is that to you as an artist?

G-HA: Oh yeah. I think I may have tried too hard to be unique. I wouldn't read Steve Rude books for years because I was afraid I might try to copy him. It's kind of silly.

B-R: Yeah, that does sound silly, but you know, it probably made you work harder in the end.

G-HA: Oh, definitely! When I do copy someone, I don't try to copy their style. I try to match what they've accomplished. I love the clean pop sensibility of John Byrne. I love Miller's storytelling. Wagner and Sienkiewicz are the ones I really keep in mind. I'm still amazed by the power of the first Mage series. I'd love to inspire someone else the way Matt Wagner inspired me. And I love the range of Bill Sienkiewicz.

OTHER QUESTIONS

B-R: You've worked on some pretty hi-profile characters in your career: Batman, Green Lantern, the X-Men . . . Is there a character / book that you haven't worked on yet, but would like a shot at in the future?

G-HA: I'd love to do Superman because I love the early Simon and Shuster stories so much. They're still some of my favorites. And I'd love to do Iron Man because I think there's so much unexplored potential left in the character. He's an alcoholic with what could be the most dangerous weapon made by man.

B-R: Sounds like you need to sit down with Kurt Busiek and Tom Breevort- I smell miniseries! And a lot of fans asked me when I mentioned I was doing this interview to ask when you were coming back to Marvel. Maybe this is your bait?

G-HA: *laughs* There are still a lot of projects I'd like to do. If Kurt would be interested in working with me when I get done with my current commitments, I'd love to do it.

B-R: TOP 10 is not the first creator-owned series you've worked on. You and writer Gerard Jones did a 4-issue miniseries in 1995 called OKTANE for Dark Horse. Sales were not as good as you had hoped, according to the lettercol in the final issue by Gerard. Yet it was one of the most intelligent comics series of the 1990s. Was it just before its time? Do you and Gerard have plans for a return series in the foreseeable future?

G-HA: Sheesh, who would publish it? I love that series, but it's not an easy read. I'm glad we did it, but we're not planning on doing it again.

B-R: When I met you at Motor City Con years ago, you had a penchant for being something of a joker. Instead of charging money for sketches, you'd make fans bring you some odd knickknack, or give some form of performance (usually something slightly embarrassing) to entertain you. I specifically remember my then retailer having to stand up on a chair in the middle of the room to sing "I'm a little teapot" at the top of his lungs to get a discount on his purchase of the original art Green Lantern that he wanted. Are you still as jovial and involved with the fans?

G-HA: Oh yeah. In Kansas City, I made two fans do the 60's TV Batman wall climb in the middle of the convention.

But I don't do it just to entertain myself. I don't charge money for really nice sketches. I ask for embarrassing deeds to keep the investors away. I give small sketches away for free. And I do sketches for children for free.

B-R: Well, at least you know that whomever gets your work is more likely to appreciate it. I still have the full color marker drawing you did for me of Hal Jordan beating up a Darkstar... Oh, quick aside question! I know you're a Hal fan, what do you think of his becoming the Spectre?

G-HA: I haven't read the story yet, but I like the concept a lot.

B-R: You've been in the business for six, seven years now. How do you see the changes that have taken place in the industry during that time, and how has it affected your work? Where do you think the industry is moving towards as we approach the next millennium?

G-HA: I got in just as the boom ended, and the decline began. It's been a harrowing few years. I was afraid the whole industry would collapse for a while. I thought Marvel would go under. I thought DC might pack their bags for Atlanta and fire 3/4ths of the editors. These things didn't happen.

I'm actually pretty happy with where we are now. We're still publishing the classic superheroes, and I think the books on the alternative market have never been better. I really love books like Sock Monkey, Stray Bullets, and Art Babe. And I even read Steve Rude books now!

B-R: Which I'm sure Steve appreciates the support! *laughs* Gene, it has been a pleasure. *shakes hand* Gene Ha, ladies & gentlemen. Be sure to check out his site at http://www.visi.com/~geneha for more information about TOP 10 and other projects. Thank you all for stopping by this week. Next week, I'll be back with the usual hijinks, and the topic of discussion will be fantasy / magic related comics.

The preceding interview is copyright 1999 B. Louis Reinke, A.K.A. Louis Bright-Raven. All Images this week courtesy of Mr. Gene Ha via his website. TOP TEN is Copyright / TM 1999 Alan Moore and Gene Ha. OKTANE is Copyright / TM 1995, 1999 Gerard Jones & Gene Ha. The photo is courtesy of Gene Ha. All Rights reserved. No duplication of anything in on this page is permitted without the permission of the copyright holders.