Today's interview brings us face to face with HCrealms member

Humphrey Lee

A look at Humprey's profilre tells us he is in the catering business, resides in Pittsburg, PA and he became a member of HCrealms on 9/19/02.

Without further ado, I bring you Humprey Lee:

When did you start reading comic books?

HL: About 13 years ago actually. I was about 12. Bought a random Iron Man comic cause I had a thing for robots back then, and then got X-Men #1.

What or who got you started?

HL:
See above. Robots, and then I saw this book with this dude with claws and a guy with metal skin on the cover and gave them a shot.

What do you like most about comic books? Least?

HL: What I like best about them is I like the blend of visuals and text, and the limitless amounts of stories you can tell and how you can tell them with the format. Comics can be anything you want them to be, and can be as awe inspiring or poignant as the skill of the man penning them can manage.

What I like least, honestly, is the way the industry works. And this isn't too far off from pretty much any form of entertainment, but the truly good stuff in the comics industry gets buried under books that are, for the most part and with a couple exceptions of course, mediocre, retreaded, or just plain boring. The companies that own the biggest market share at the end of the day only really care about money (which they should) and only promote the products that they know have the chance to be 100K or better sellers, preying on the fact that most fans usually just go with the familiar. And that leaves too many truly great books to flounder, and sometimes die, as we just saw with NEXTWAVE and MANHUNTER, and are probably going to see soon with THE IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN and so on. The fact that a book as amazing as FABLES sells barely as well as just a reprint of the last issue of CIVIL WAR in a month is a true crime to the medium...

There. I hope that was properly spelled out with just a hint of "Holier than thou" on my part.

What is your favorite title? Why?

HL: Currently, it's FABLES from Vertigo. I really dig the execution. I love how Willingham has taken all these public domain characters, but given them his own life, and managed to do so without blatantly trying to be "edgy" or giving them the obvious "adult twists" you'd kind of expect from the Vertigo imprint. The storytelling is arguably the best on the stands, from dialogue to pacing all the way up to the "epicness" of the overall story. You just don't always find comics like this.

My alltime favorite comic is Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN, for pretty much that exact same line of reasoning.

Who is your favorite/least favorite comic character? Why?

HL: Favorite is John Constantine out of HELLBLAZER. The character is just always ahead of the curve. His motivations, his arrogance and charm, and the humanity underneath the facade, he's just a great character that has had some of best runs of any character out there.

My least favorite right now is easily Supergirl. There's just nothing to the character. All she has going for her is that S on her chest, the breasts underneath it, and a skirt that screams jailbait.

If your favorite comic book character is a hero, who is your favorite villain? If it’s a villain, who’s your favorite hero? Why?

HL: My favorite villain is actually Lex Luthor, which is kind of odd since Batman is arguably my favorite pure "Supes" character so you'd figure I'd say the Joker. But I love Luthor, because, to be fair, he's actually kind of right in his reasonings. Of course, his methods are a crime to humanity and then some, but a his base he's a gifted man trying to become even better than his bodily limitations. The rub is he takes all his genius and ability and uses it basically for evil out of base jealousy. It's a great character study.

What is your favorite/least favorite hero team? Villain team? Why?

HL: Right now my fave Supes team is easily the NEXTWAVE crew. God, I'll miss those crazy explodo bastards. I'm not particular to any such villain group either way. They're usually just an means to an end. If a writer has a good idea, any supervillain team can be made to be great.

Least fave supes team is, well, eh, I'm not very fond of the Avengers right now, but that's more to do with the current assemblage and Bendis handling of the book than the characters themselves. They don't really mesh well as far as personalities go (about half of them do and that's it) and I don't see much purpose for Doc Strange to be there other than to be a more "street level" Deus Ex Machina for the team. Ah well...

Who is your favorite/least favorite comic writer? Why?

HL: Here's me getting all semantical again...

Alltime fave: Neil Gaiman. His SANDMAN work is IMO the quintessential comic book run and, to be honest, so emotionally riveting I can actually say that it changed my perceptions on life in general. And his work on BLACK ORCHID, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC, STARDUST, etc just adds to the mythos.

Out of the current crop though, Brian K. Vaughan is my hands down favorite. The man almost never puts out bad comics. Y: THE LAST MAN is going to go down as one of the best series ever, and rightfully so, RUNAWAYS is always a treat and a great riff on the teenage superhero, EX MACHINA is an essential read as well as Mitchell Hundred is one of the most important comic creations ever, and PRIDE OF BAGHDAD is easily the best comic to come out this past year, and maybe even this decade.

Least favorite writer, well, I've read a whole five good Chuck Austen comics in my entire life, but at least he had the dignity to fade into obscurity. But from a talent standpoint? Eh, I'd say Daniel Way right now. I've read a good fifty of his comics, and I'd say maybe a whole five of them (his first Bullseye mini) were enjoyable. The rest have been C grade quality at best, and yet he keeps getting high profile, high selling gigs like WOLVERINE: ORIGINS, and apparently he's a bit of a prick too. Bollocks to him...

Who is your favorite comic artist? Why?

HL: J.H. Williams III. Hands down the greatest comic artist I've seen, because he's truly an artist. He has a very great and detailed "noirish" style of his own, but the man can also be a great chameleon too and do more the "overly muscled and iconic" stylings of a Jim Lee, or even copying the great Kirby himself. Plus, his painted art is fantastic as well, and the way he integrates it with his pencils, and quite frankly, no one does panel work like he does. The frameworks that he comes up are revolutionary. Just look through his PROMETHEA work, and you'll see comic art at its finest.

How many comics do you read on a monthly basis?

HL: My pull list is at about 65 books right now. That tends to fluctuate up or down a half dozen depending on mini series and what not.

How much do you spend on comics monthly?

HL: Eh, anywhere from about $225 to $300. Just depends on how many trades and hardcovers I get in with my monthlies.

About how many comic books do you own?

HL: I've got about 22 full long boxes of the damn things, and about 420 TPBS. Not to mention the 8 Absolutes I have on my floor here and two dozen or so oversized HC's.... I've read a lot of comics boys...

What is your favorite comic era- the Golden Age (1930’s-1950’s), the Silver Age (1950’s-1980’s), or the Bronze Age (1980’s to present)?

HL: Current. Comic book storytelling is easily the best it's ever been right now. The execution, the look, the diversity of the stories being told, everything. I'll take one WATCHMEN over anything to come before it (though I'll make an exception for Eisner's SPIRIT work and the like).

What changes would you like to see in the comic book medium?

HL: I just want to see the industry weening away from these damned events and just settling into telling good, character focused stories. I'd like to see the outside influences reduced a bit, and the actual telling of stories that actually affect and even change these characters being promoted more. Also, I think titles need to be streamlined more. I'm sorry, but Spider-Man does not need to be in four of his own comics a month. All that serves is to dilute the quality of the tales being told with him. And the comics that truly do idealize how good comics can be if they're let to be what they are, the DAREDEVIL's, the FABLES', the FELL's and 100 BULLETS' of the industry really need to be better established and promoted.

What is more important to you: good stories or continuity? Why?

HL: I think by now we've establish I just want good stories. If you happen to intertwine it with the continuity, god bless you. Just don't eff with it. No reason to go about and doing something like saying "Gwen Stacy had sex with Norman Osbourne". That's just moronic. Just tell a story, and don't mess with the past unless it's actually for the better. Like James Robinson did with STARMAN.

Do you only read comics from one company? If so which one and why?

HL: No. I'll read comics from anyone. I don't see the point of alligning yourself with just one product. Do you only watch tv shows if they're on ABC? Or do you only go see movies by UNIVERSAL? It's just pointless. Yes, each company does have their own history and way they like to do things, but good comics are good comics, and if you like a character that shouldn't stop you from buying that book just cause they have a different logo on it...

That said, make mine Vertigo.

Pitch 5 comic series, Graphic Novels, or trades to members of HCrealms.

HL: Here, I'll go with some relatively new stuff, or some mildly obscure stuff not everyone knows about (since we all know that we really should read WATCHMEN, PREACHER, SANDMAN, and the like, right?)

• PRIDE OF BAGHDAD - Graphic Novel from Vertigo last year, a tale about an escaped group of lions after the US bombings of the city of Baghdad. Very poignant and metaphorical storytelling, combined with great sense of "frollicking" humor and some very heart-breaking moments. Plus, amazing art from Nico Henrichon. Best $20 you'll spend at the shop.
  
• LUCIFER by Mike Carey. We all know that The Sandman is amazing, but Carey's LUCIFER is no light-weight. In fact, sometimes I think it even succeeds where Sandman sometimes "fails" in that every story is pertinent. The overall tale is properly epic in size and execution, the storytelling is very whimsical, and it has one of the best character assemblages I've seen in a comic.
  
• WELCOME TO TRANQUILITY from Wildstorm. Brand new series by Gail Simone. It's just three issues in but it's really great stuff already. The setting is a retirement community by name of Tranquility where ex-Superheroes (and villains) come to rest away their golden years. Lots of quirky yet familiar characters with a lot of innovation on some archetypes and some good ole pop cultural skewerings.
  
• SCOTT PILGRIM from Oni. Honestly, this one is a "you have to see it to believe it" kind of thing. The premise is really odd. Basically it's kind of like "insert random slacker movie" combined with (I kid you not) River City Ransom. Seriously, just google up some info on this, it's amazing.
  
• CASANOVA from Image. Matt Fraction writes his version of the 70's superspy but with the psychadelicness you'd expect from something Grant Morrison would write. A great Nihilistic sense of humor, lots of action and cool one liners, and a surprisingly large amount of heart with some sublime and pulpish pencils by Gabriel Ba. Oh, and it's only $2 an issue.
  
• And a bonus pick: THE AMERICAN WAY from Wildstorm. A great Superhero deconstruction and a great period piece, this takes place in the 1960's and the Cold War area. Basically, the underlaying theme is that America's premiere superhero team, the Civil Defense Corps are actually fabricated. They're a team created by the government to try and take the minds of the American people off the trials of the time and pull support behind the flag. Like I said, it's a great period piece, so much so that I even say it's the closest this decade will get to a WATCHMEN in that regard (though it's not as literate as that classic work). The trade just came out a couple weeks ago and is well worth the price.

What is your favorite comic-related movie to date?

HL: SIN CITY hands down. That's how you do a comic book adaptation.

If you watch comic-related cartoons, which has been your favorite?

HL: Batman: The Animated Series will always have a special place in my heart.

What do you like about the comic forums of HCrealms? What do you dislike?

HL: It's a solid little forum, I actually don't really have many complaints from a setup point of view. Only thing I would say though, is I don't really get why Wildstorm and Vertigo tend to get lumped into the "Indy" section, but I guess that's up to perspective.

How can HCrealms improve the comic forums, to better suit the needs of the comic book readers who used the site?

HL: Eh, I don't think there's much any site can do for their forums, except give the users the most providence to do what they will. Comic readers need to befriend comic readers, that's how the word can start to spread.

What would you like HCrealms comic readers to know about you, in regards to you as a comic reader/collector?

HL:
I'm just a guy who really loves comics, and wishes to see the truly good ones in the hands of those that appreciate the medium. I've read a ton of comics in my time, and I like to think I've become a little bit of an expert on them, and I just like to promote all the quality titles as I can because I want people to get to enjoy all these fantastic tales that otherwise get looked over. Obviously, everyone has their own tastes, but there's so many books that get looked over, no one knows if it's their thing simply because they don't know it exists. And if I have to be a little bit of a, I dunno, a "snob" and ravenously push these books, than I guess that's what I have to do.

After all, I do reviews for Ain't It Cool News (which you can typically check out ever Wednesday morning, just check the main page at aintitcool.com) and we're not called the a-holes for nothing

Thanks Humphrey Lee! I always appreciate your views on comics, and always consider the advice you've given me. I'd go so far as to say that you are on of the biggest influences in my attempt to broaden my comic book horizons.

So.......... another one who won't confess, eh?

No sir, I did not have sexual relations with those sheep..... yes, I meant to use the plural...

Sheep? Damn, I was thinking "nazi-lover".

I'll second you on Tranquility, Hump! Hellblazer rocks, and Lucifer was very good for a long time, but it also had some "misses" now and then. I guess alot of these vertigo "seemingly" never ending stories lose me after a couple of years of not getting to the end. And I'm talking about the ones that are set up for an ending when they were begun. Like Testament. It should've ended already. Lucifer went for too long IMO also. (Is it finished?). 100 Bullets is doing the same for me as well. Note to comicbook writers: Just because you say it's going to end at issue 100 (or whatever arbitrary number you come up with) don't give us drawn-out filler to get there, please. Another great interview.

D.S.-Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. My condolences.

Lucifer is indeed over, and it was one of the better endings I've seen in a book. Love the series overall, it's definitely in my top ten ever. Sometimes I do agree that they tend to go on a little long, but honestly, the "filler" issues of a 100 Bullets or Lucifer are still typically better than 90% of the comics that come out the same month as them. I'm not exactly a big fan of saying "This will end here" because that makes the anticipation a little cumbersome, but I still like to have a rough idea.

Also, I want to add that I will be picking up The American Way trade solely on your above recommendation, Hump.(Not really, but if I say that then I can blame you later if I don't like it- just kidding)

If you don't like it, I'll kick an elderly person of your choice down a flight of stairs for you.....

...what? Did you think I was going to offer you your money back? Pish posh...

Quit with the humping in here, people will start talking.

In the back and in the front, my hump, my hump, my lovely lady lumps.......


Sorry, had a Fergie moment. Carry on.

Much appreciated! Thanks for the kind words!

Err... someone needs to take a long cold shower... that person being JacinB.

I wish I had a Fergie moment.. well, a moment with Fergie. Well, more then just a moment... 24 hours would be nice. Hmm, I think I'll be the one needing a cold shower if this diatribe doesn't end.