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Humberto Ramos: Web Developer

For better or worse, Humberto Ramos is at it again and there’s no stopping him. The stylish penciller of Spectacular Spider-Man, in cahoots with series writer Paul Jenkins, will soon be adding Doctor Octopus to his growing list of classic Spidey villain updates. Like Venom and the Green Goblin before him, Doc Ock will be given a more modern spin, if you’ll excuse the pun, with Ramos getting the character out of his traditional octopoda duds and into the latest villain couture. And just in time to drum up some interest in the new Spidey flick, too. In just a few short weeks you’ll be able to check it all out in the pages of Spectacular Sider-Man #6.

Meanwhile, Ramos also has a new mini-series out from Cliffhanger, one that will likely be his last for the imprint for some time (more on that in the interview). Kamikaze is a bit of a change of pace for the artist as he has taken on the writing chores for the series with collaborator Olallo Rubio, and leaving the artwork to Francisco Herrera. The mini takes an adventurous look at the world of extreme sports and makes a point of featuring, in the words of Ramos, “no superheroes!”

SBC recently caught up with the busy Ramos and chatted him up about his monthly gig in the webworks and his creator-owned efforts.

MIKE JOZIC: What do you and Paul bring to Spectacular Spider-Man that maybe wasn’t there prior to your coming on the book?

HUMBERTO RAMOS: Umm…us?

No really, the way Paul and I work together feels like a great symbiosis. His stories are great, the way he goes deep into the characters is just awesome. I haven´t seen anybody work as hard into the villains mind as he does. About me, I can just tell you this; Spidey is my golden dream come true, so I will work my ass every day to make it look the best I can.

JOZIC: Last time we talked, when I asked you if you would do more interiors on Spider-Man after your Goblin storyline you said, “Maybe,” and, of course, you eventually ended up doing Spectacular full-time. I’m curious, how far back was Marvel talking about putting you on the book full-time, and was the relaunch part of those discussions?

RAMOS: Yeah, but when you have a surprise you don´t want to give it away, right?

The conversations existed when we talked the last time, but of course I still needed to finish my commitment with Cliffhanger.

JOZIC: Your two storylines so far – featuring the Goblin and Venom – have both been pretty dark. Do you and Paul plan any lighter stories in the coming months?

RAMOS: There are a couple of them, but Marvel still has to approve them.

JOZIC: Will you be taking any breaks or can readers expect a regular dose of Ramos art every month on Spectacular?

RAMOS: How this book is schedule to be an 18 issues a month book, we will have as well the amazing pencils of Damion Scott - or should I say spectacular?

JOZIC: Did you have any say in the selection of Scott as your fill-in penciller?

RAMOS: No, but the guy rocks - good pick!

JOZIC: Out of the 18 yearly issues, how many will Scott be pencilling?

RAMOS: I really don´t know.

JOZIC: How far ahead do you usually work on the book? Which issue are you drawing when the most current issue for us hits the stands?

RAMOS: Issue #4 is out at this time, and I’m half way through issue #8.

JOZIC: Even before you came on the book, Paul and Bucky’s Peter Parker was always in the shadow of the more high profile Amazing Spider-Man. Do you feel that, with the relaunch, you’re still in their shadow or that you’ve gained some ground?

RAMOS: I wouldn’t see it that way. We are a team, and the competition is friendly as hell. That’s pretty much up to you guys to decide, but if you ask me I like to think of us as a great team all together.

Also, I am a John Romita, Jr. fan, as well, so…

JOZIC: Is there any real interaction between the two Spider-Man teams?

RAMOS: No, the great thing about this is we can work as two separate cells, showing at the same time different aspects of our beloved guy - just for your fun.

JOZIC: So, you prefer the creative freedom that keeping the two Spider-Man books separate allows?

RAMOS: Yeah, but at the same time, I feel we are all part of the same team there, aren´t we?

JOZIC: Doc Ock is the next villain you guys are bringing on, and with him comes another Ramos redesign. Are you getting a charge out of redesigning these Spidey villains, or is it actually kind of nerve wracking?

RAMOS: It´s a joy and a privilege to be asked to change the look on these legendary characters. I just hope I am delivering something people will appreciate.

JOZIC: Is the new design going to be closer to what the character will look like in the film?

RAMOS: ...maybe, close but not the same.

JOZIC: How many designs did you actually go through on each character before you got an approval from Marvel?

RAMOS: The easier was Venom because they wanted to have something close to the original. The Goblin, he came after a couple drafts, because they were clear in the look they wanted him to have. The hardest so far was Ock, but in the end we went for the Matrix look.

JOZIC: Have you gotten any criticisms from fans regarding the new looks you've given to Venom and the Goblin, or do you find the response is mostly favourable?

RAMOS: Well, so far I haven´t gotten any criticism from that, but I would love to hear what people think about that because that will give me the big picture of what I am doing. At the same time it will help me to update my work.

JOZIC: So, what character will be next to get your redesign treatment?

RAMOS: I don´t know.

JOZIC: Given a choice, who in the Spider-Man universe would you like a chance to redesign?

RAMOS: The lizard, pleassssseeeee!!!

JOZIC: I know that Venom was a character that you wanted to tackle, and now that you’ve had the opportunity, what has that been like for you?

RAMOS: It was great to take him on. I really wanted to show the creepy feeling I always got from him - more animalistic and savage. It was pure joy.

JOZIC: Did you have any input on who the first villain for Spectacular would be?

RAMOS: It was everybody’s choice. We all love and hate Venom.

JOZIC: Even if you weren't giving the character a new look, who would you like to see appear in future issues of Spectacular?

RAMOS: Sinister Six…or is it Five now?

JOZIC: Do you communicate with Paul more regularly now that you’re a regular member of the team? How closely do you guys work on the stories?

RAMOS: I always respect the writer’s job, but Paul has been so kind to ask me my opinions about why and how a character acts. He makes me feel important.

JOZIC: Would you have any interest in writing your own Spider-Man story? Is that something you think Marvel might be open to?

RAMOS: No, I suck as a writer. I come up with ideas but that´s as far as I can get.

JOZIC: Now that you are a part of the Spider-Man team, how much movie material are you privy to?

RAMOS: None. Damn!!

JOZIC: When a character like Spidey has become a succesful film franchise, there is always pressure to make the comic book more like the film. We saw in on Blade,we saw it on the X-Men. Have you experienced any of that on Spectacular yet?

RAMOS: Not yet, but let´s wait for next summer.

JOZIC: On a different note, where did the idea for your latest Cliffhanger series, Kamikaze, come from?

RAMOS: When Francisco, Olallo and I talked about doing a book, the first thing we said was, no superheroes! There are enough of them already. We thought the X-Sports people could appeal to read a book about their lifestyle, so we just added a little mystery and conspiracy.

And, visually, drawing people surfing, or skating is just awesome!

JOZIC: Did you do any of the design work for it, or was that all Francisco's job?

RAMOS: It was both, but Francisco gave them the final look.

JOZIC: How did you and Fransisco pair up on this project?

RAMOS: We´ve been friends for years, and he is a very struggle kind of guy, so when the time come, it was just right to do this project with him, and there are others in the oven.

JOZIC: Why the choice to write instead of drawing the book?

RAMOS: Because Francisco and I decided it that way. We both worked hard on this one and he is an amazing penciller. And his look works for this book - wait and see.

JOZIC: You seem to have a pretty good relationship with the folks at Wildstorm and the Cliffhanger imprint. Are there any more projects you have that will be coming out from them?

RAMOS: No, my contract ended, and they let me go, so there are no projects with Cliffhanger in the future for me.

JOZIC: Why were you let go from Cliffhanger? Was it your move to Marvel, or just time to move on?

RAMOS: Let´s say they let me go.

JOZIC: Will Kamikaze be the last project you do for Cliffhanger, then?

RAMOS: Seems that way, at least for the upcoming years.

JOZIC: With your commitment to Cliffhanger finished, and your position on Spidey locked down, how long are you hoping to stay on Spectacular? Have you even thought that far ahead?

RAMOS: I´ve thought [about it], but they have to decide. So far, I am really happy at Marvel, so if you ask me, I´m not planning to leave anytime soon.

JOZIC: You have a very unique style and I don’t believe I’ve ever heard or read who your influences are. Is there any one, or a number of people, who have played a role in how your style has developed?

RAMOS: My master was Art Adams, he made decide to join this world. So, if you want to blame somebody, he is the one. Now, most of my influence comes from my dear friend Carlos Meglia, he is the greatest. Also, I can´t forget the major crush I have on Mr. [Jason] Pearson´s art. Thanks guys, I owe you!!

JOZIC: Are there any influences on your work (writing and art) from outside the comic book industry?

RAMOS: Movies of course.

JOZIC: Ever since you first broke into comics I've heard your art style referred to, sometimes critically, as Amerimanga, or very Japanese influenced. Coming from Mexico, do you find this amusing, or has Manga played a role in the development of your style?

RAMOS: Not at all, my work as I said before was most influenced by the American artists, so I am more comfortable (if somebody is) with the “cartoony” label. That´s it.

JOZIC: Do you manage to read many comic books?

RAMOS: I really don´t read comics that much. I did read them as my hobby, now my hobby is my work, so when I´m not doing my hobby/work I would rather do something else.

JOZIC: Cliffhanger or no Cliffhanger, will there be any more creator-owned work from you in the future, or are you pretty comfortable with Spectacular right now?

RAMOS: There is one coming soon, maybe late next year. Not soon enough.


	Mike Jozic has spent the last several years interviewing comic book creators and other entertainment related personalities for various publications. He has been published both online and in print, with his work appearing in The Comics Journal, FearsMag.com and Silver Bullet Comicbooks. He maintains his own website at www.meanwhile.net and currently serves as the Features Editor for SBC.

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