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Humberto Ramos: The man behind Spider-Man

SINGAPORE — His comic book characters battle all sorts of fearsome creatures. But to Mexican artist Humberto Ramos, only one enemy stands between his work and sanity.

SINGAPORE — His comic book characters battle all sorts of fearsome creatures. But to Mexican artist Humberto Ramos, only one enemy stands between his work and sanity.

“The one word that keeps me from obsessing about a page is ‘deadline’,” the 43-year-old Ramos told TODAY in an e-mail interview, ahead of his appearance at the Singapore Toy, Game and Comic Convention (STGCC) next week. “Every hour I am not sleeping, I’m working on pages. When I’m on vacation, I spend that time with my family, away from the pencil and drawing board. Sometimes I’ll read comics on the plane when I travel, but that’s about the only time I have to read.”

Still, Ramos probably has the best job any fanboy could ask for. The artist, who has been drawing comics professionally since 1993, has worked on Peter Parker: Spider-Man, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Wolverine, X-Men and Avengers: The Initiative for Marvel Comics. Ramos is now also one of the men behind the Amazing Spider-Man series and has drawn characters like Electro, Black Cat and Silk.

“The best thing about being a comic artist is that I have an awesome job. I get to do what I like every day and get paid to do it. It’s pretty cool to create the world every single day in every single panel,” said Ramos. “Also it’s cool to make friends with artists whom you idolise and to travel to exotic and faraway places to go to comic conventions to meet great fans.”

He added: “(But) the worst part about being a comic book artist is that you quit being a comic book fan. Being a fan of something is when you enjoy your free time with that hobby. If I get free time during a weekend, I don’t want to read comics, I want to do other things. And that sucks, because when you start out, all you want to do is draw. But it changes over time, and you love it in another way once the deadline is met.”

Q: If you were a superhero, what powers would you want and do you think you’ll be able to take on Spider-Man in a fight?

A: If it’s a question of how many, I’d want every power. But if I could only have one, I’d always cheer for being invisible. But I think I’d take mind control. And with mind control, I believe I could take Spider-Man in a fight, for sure.

Q: What do you like and dislike most about Peter Parker?

A: I like that Peter is a guy next door, just a regular average guy, aside from the superpowers. He has common people problems. And he solves them as a common person would. And I’d say the dislike side would be … Aunt May. (laughs) She never dies, never gets ill, and I don’t think the Marvel Universe knows that Aunt May is the one with the healing factor, not Wolverine!

Q: What is the silliest and most awesome superhero name you’ve heard of?

A: Silliest superhero name would have to be Squirrel Girl. And the most awesome … Spider-Man.

Q: How large is your own collection of comic books?

A: I used to have a decent collection. It was never huge, as I wasn’t a collector who collected a lot of books. When I started working in the industry, I stopped because I didn’t have time or the will when I wasn’t working. But I still bought books of artists I liked, so I’d say I have maybe six boxes of books. I have a thing for the Monsters Unleashed saga as that made me consider becoming a comic book artist.

Q: New York City is always getting attacked by monsters in comic books. Why do you think NYC is so dangerous?

A: I would like to ask that to (director) Roland Emmerich, as he’s always destroying New York. I think New York is the Earth’s example of the perfect cosmopolitan city, having a blend of cultures, iconic buildings, places and images that, in some way, reflect all of humanity.

Q: Who’s the most underrated superhero of all time?

A: I would say the (Fantastic Four’s) Human Torch. He can produce supernova heat and that would mean that he could destroy the Earth. And I think they’ve never really explored that part of the character.

Q: Your work has been described as having a distinct “manga style”. How did you develop this?

A: I’ve never been a big fan of manga as people think. I’m a fan of artists like Arthur Adams and Joe Madureira, who are fans of manga and anime. So whatever related ideas people may see in my work stems from what I take from these guys.

Q: Have you been to Singapore? Do you think Spider-Man would fit here? But he’d probably be uncomfortable in his costume because of the humidity…

A: I think the perfect superhero would be Namor or Doctor Manhattan. As far as Spiderman goes, he could adapt to Singapore. And since he’s a boy genius, he’d make modifications to make sure his web formula for his web-shooters would have any issues with the temperature/humidity.

Q: What do you have in-store for your STGCC fans?

A: I will have my new 2014 My Marvels vol 2 sketchbooks, prints, signatures and doing sketches. I might fit in a commission or two depending on time, as well as hopefully a panel to talk with the fans.

The Singapore Toy, Game And Comic Convention is on Sept 6 and 7, 10am to 8pm, Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Level 1, Hall B and C. Tickets at S$19 (1 day), S$25 (2 days) and S$70 (VIP) at the venue or authorised retail outlets. For more details, visit http://www.singaporetgcc.com

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