Getting The 411: Ben Raab

In just about ten years of writing in the comic industry, Ben Raab has certainly made a mark. His work at Marvel includes: EXCALIBUR, UNION JACK, and a variety of other X-projects. Over at DC you’ll know him from BEAST BOY, LEGEND OF HAWKMAN, and he’s the current writer on GREEN LANTERN.

With THE PHANTOM, Ben Raab has taken on the task of re-launching a classic comic book icon. While the character enjoys huge popularity overseas, in the United States he could use a bit of a boost. Star Man Matt Morrison and myself had the chance to get an early look at the series. Check out Matt’s column and my review, for more details. Let me just make one thing perfectly clear, THE PHANTOM is the real deal.

I recently had a chance to conduct an interview with Ben Raab, and I think everyone will be excited to read his very candid answers.

411: What were your favorite comics growing up?

BEN RAAB: As a kid, back in the ‘70’s, I was a total Marvel Zombie. I had subscriptions to a ton of titles. Mostly team books like X-Men, Avengers, Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight, New Mutants and the Defenders (Yes, I admit it, I liked the Defenders), but also some of the licensed properties like Godzilla, Shogun Warriors, Micronauts and Rom, as well as the team-up series like Marvel Team-Up and Marvel-Two-In-One.

I read some DC books, like New Teen Titans and Justice League of America, but I really wasn’t as hardcore into the DC characters, like Batman and Superman. Sure, I had the toys, but not the comics. Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkman and Green Arrow were more my speed when I started reading DC. Also really liked books like Brave & The Bold and DC Comics Presents, because they always featured new and different characters besides the “Big Three”.

But my all-time favorite comic book growing up was, without a doubt, X-Men. That’s the series that really got me hooked on the medium.

411: I’m sure you’ve been asked a million times, but how did you break into the comic industry?

BEN RAAB: I started as an intern at Marvel in the summer of ’93. Busted my ass working in the Special Projects department, gathering reference for the various trading card series, including the X-Men Series 2 set (if I remember correctly). I was in and out of the X-office all the time, and my savant-like knowledge of the various characters and stories, sometimes down to the very panel, impressed editor Bob Harras enough that he eventually offered me the job as his assistant. During the two and half years I worked on the X-Books, I started writing. First, for trading cards. Then, I did a couple of articles for Marvel Age. Soon after, I landed my first professional comic writing gig with a back-up story in Avengers #375. In the summer of ’96, I became Marvel’s first online editor and launched their AOL domain and website. Six months later, I decided to go freelance and have been ever since.

411: Is there a particular writer, either comic or otherwise, that inspired you on to your career path?

BEN RAAB: Oddly enough, I draw less inspiration from writers than I do musicians. Specifically, the band Rush. It’s weird, I know. I’ve been a huge fan since ’81, and a great deal of the way I try to guide myself as a writer, an artist, a creator, what-have-you, has been based on their example. They’re not the biggest band in the world. They’re not the most popular. But they love what they do, they do it to the best of their abilities and they’re constantly trying to improve their game. That’s pretty much how I see myself. I’m always trying to improve my craft and achieve that next level. Which is, naturally, a never-ending process…

411: What interests or hobbies do you have outside of comics?

BEN RAAB: When I’m not writing, or when I hit that wall and the writer’s block becomes insurmountable, I pick up my guitar and play through it. I love music. Listening. Playing. Whatever. I’m definitely a failed musician trapped in a writer’s body. Since I sit in front of the computer pretty much all day, I try to keep physically active. Living in Los Angeles, where the weather is freakishly perfect, it’s almost impossible to stay indoors all day and not go nuts. I try to break for an hour or so at least a couple times a week to go bike riding or swimming or hiking on the nearby canyon trails. My wife and I have a whip-smart 3-year old border collie who goes pretty stir crazy when he’s cooped up inside for extending periods of time, so it’s good to get outside with him, too. We spend all day together in the house, and I could swear he’s talking to me…

411: What’s the biggest change the comic industry must make to become a more viable outlet to the youth market?

BEN RAAB: Hold on… Let me check my crystal ball… ;-)

411: Tell us about how you got involved with the Phantom character?

BEN RAAB: A fan emailed me back in ‘98 and told me all about how Scandinavia publisher Egmont – publisher of Phantom comic books for the past 50+ years – collaborated with talent from all around the world in continuing the adventures of the Ghost Who Walks beyond just the daily strips. I sent Editor-In-Chief Ulf Granberg some samples of my work, we met to discuss some ideas and I soon started pitching in with Team Fantomen…

411: Were you at all surprised by the popularity of the Phantom on a global scale?

BEN RAAB: Absolutely! Scandinavia and Australia are the two biggest audiences outside the States, but apparently India and Spain are also bastions of Phantom fandom, as well. Those foreign fans are diehard. It’s awesome!

411: With the many generations of characters bearing the name of the Phantom, will the new series only follow the adventures of the “modern” Phantom, or will it be more of an anthology?

BEN RAAB: The three arcs I’m working on now – “Stones of Blood”, “Curse Of The Phantom” and “The Aviatrix” – all focus on the current Phantom, the 21st Walker to don his ancestors’ mantle. But while the stories are set in modern times, there’ll definitely be references to past Phantoms and their adventures. “Curse Of The Phantom”, for example, actually does have an anthologized feel to it, as it’s an adventure in the present that features flashbacks to as-yet-untold tales about Kit’s ancestors. But that’s a plot device we’re using specifically for this story. Most issues will feature a single Phantom, rather than multiple stories about different ones. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do a totally historical adventure (like they often do in Scandinavia’s Fantomen) or an anthology issue or two down the line. That’s the beauty of this character; 500 years of history opens the doors to all kinds of storytelling possibilities…

411: How much creative freedom do you have with respect to writing the Phantom?

BEN RAAB: Quite a bit, I feel. Moonstone is great about letting me do what I want. Publisher/Editor Joe Gentile and I share a vision about what can be done with this character. We both want to make the Phantom as accessible to the modern American comic book-buying audience as possible. Of course, we recognize that the fans overseas have certain expectations as well and we certainly don’t want to alienate them. Ultimately, the final say belongs to Hearst/King Features, who own the rights to the Phantom. So if they say it’s good to go, then you can bet that it is…

411: Considering that you’ve done creator owned work, do you find it more difficult, and less fulfilling, playing with other people’s toys, so to speak?

BEN RAAB: Depends. I’ve found the Phantom to be very easy to work on, despite a continuity that’s almost 70 years old and multi-faceted on a global level. That’s due in large part to the fact that Moonstone has had access to two great experts on Phantom lore: Dr. Bryan Shedden (www.deepwoods.org) and Mr. Ed Rhoades (http://home.ptd.net/~rhoades/). Their input has been invaluable in helping stay the course in the often-tumultuous waters of such an expansive character history.

The only problems I have with working on someone else’s property are the expectations and preconceived notions people build into the character. And not just those who own the rights, but also the fans. If you go a certain way with the character, you’re bound to piss off the people on one side of the fence. Try to please them, then the people on the other side get pissed. It’s a real Kobaiyashi Maru pickle. Ultimately, you just have to go with your gut and do what feels right. What I think a lot of readers sometimes forget, unfortunately, is that creators are just as much fans of the characters they‘re hired to write as they are. They assume you have some “agenda” to put forth when really, all you’re trying to do is tell a story you yourself would want to read.

411: Is the 1996 film “The Phantom,” the most underrated comic film of all-time?

BEN RAAB: Hell yes! Can I get an “Amen!” When I was a little kid at summer camp, rainy days were movie days. They’d tack a white sheet up on the bunk wall and project old movie serials for us to watch (in other words, to shut us up). The one that made it all worthwhile was the old Republic “Captain Marvel” serial. It was the BEST! I freakin’ LOVED that series! When I saw “The Phantom” on the flight back from San Diego Comic Con in ‘96 it totally reminded me of that. Guess that’s why I have a soft spot in my heart for it.

411: What type of comic is the new Phantom series, and what type of audience are you trying to grab?

BEN RAAB: Each issue of Moonstone’s new series, THE PHANTOM, is going to be 32-pages and will be released (on or about) a bi-monthly schedule. Unlike last year’s graphic novels, which were self-contained stories, the new series will be broken up into two chapter arcs with nail-biting cliffhangers guaranteed to leave you on the edge of your seat! To say the book is full of cover-to-cover action-adventure might seem like an overstatement. But it’s not! Each issue is gonna be bursting with non-stop action and teeming with white-knuckle adventure!

But that’s only one facet of this series. Naturally, the Phantom legacy and legend will be a thematic undercurrent running through each story. It’s what defines this character and makes him so unique in the pantheon of costumed heroes. As does his supporting cast… The Phantom’s wife, Diana, will be right there beside him kicking ass like only she can. We’ll also see his ever-loyal sidekick wolf, Devil, and trusty steed, Hero. And then, of course, there’s his children, Young Kit and Heloise. And Guran, the Bandar Chieftain… And Old Mozz, the storyteller… And Colonel Worubu and the Jungle Patrol…

And since the Phantom has had his fair share of memorable foes throughout the years, we’re about to introduce some new rogues to the gallery. After all, what good is a hero without great villains?

Basically, this series is targeted at Phantom fans both old and new. While we’re determined to tell kick-ass stories that can entertain those who’ve been following the Ghost Who Walks for years, we also want to expose this character to those who’ve never read a Phantom story ever before. It’s time the vast majority of the American comic book buying audience knew what the rest of the world already knows… The Phantom rocks!

411: Artist Pat Quinn’s style seems to be the perfect choice for this book. What’s it like working with Pat?

BEN RAAB: Pat’s great! This is the second time he and I have collaborated (the first being 2002’s CRYPTOPIA) and I have to say, he’s going to be big very soon. He’s one of the few artists that I can send a script to with the complete confidence he will not only bring my vision to life with his art, but he’ll actually make it even better than I had imagined. He’s got a classic approach to storytelling, but he does it in such a way that it seems completely modern and, best of all, cinematic. So few artists understand that they’re not just illustrators, they’re cinematographers. Pat gets that and he uses his “camera” to incredible effect. I sincerely think people are going to be blown away when they see how he’s brought the Phantom to life. I certainly was.

411: I’m a big DC fan, and I’ve really enjoyed your DCU work. With your departure from Green Lantern in the near future, do you have any other projects on the horizon for DC?

BEN RAAB: As a matter of fact, I do. I’m writing a maxi-series called THE HUMAN RACE that I co-created with artist Josue Justiniano (who I last worked with on the JLA: SHOGUN OF STEEL Elseworlds). Equal parts sci-fi parable and super hero adventure, it’s set in the current DC Universe and will debut sometime in 2004.

411: I thought the Legend of the Hawkman mini-series you wrote put a great spin on the character. Are you a big Hawkman fan, and would you like a chance to write the current incarnation at some point?

BEN RAAB: Hawkman (and Hawkgirl) is certainly another childhood favorite. I’d definitely welcome another chance to write those characters, regardless of the incarnation. I just love the wings, the maces, their relationship, the whole nine yards!

411: Any news on Cryptopia, either as regards a new comic project, or the rights optioned to Hollywood?

BEN RAAB: Last I heard from producer Gary Goodman at GMG Films, they were looking for potential show runners to help develop a TV pilot script. Not sure if they’ve made any progress on that front yet… As for a comic, Pat and I have been busy working on a sequel to last year’s “pilot” issue. We’ve got 44 pages of all-new material and are in the process of ironing out the publishing details as we speak. So keep an eye peeled and look for CRYPTOPIA: INHUMAN NATURE sometime in 2004…

411: I read mention of a Spirit story you wrote for Kitchen Sink that went unpublished. Are you a fan of the Spirit, or was that just another writing gig?

BEN RAAB: It started out as a gig, but it certainly got me interested in the character. I really enjoyed writing the Spirit and was sad to hear that Kitchen Sink was going to be shutting down production. Especially since the story was solicited! So close, yet so far…

411: What’s the most memorable moment in your comic career, thus far?

BEN RAAB: Meeting my wife, Tracey, when we were both working at Marvel. I was in the X-office, she was in P.R. The X-Men generated the most publicity for Marvel at the time, so she was constantly coming around looking for artwork. She got stuck with me instead, poor thing.

411: The Phantom looks like it’s going to be a great book, the preview was excellent. I can’t wait to see the finished product. Thank-you very much for taking the time to do the interview, Ben.

BEN RAAB: My pleasure, Chris. Thanks for helping us spread the good word about Moonstone Books’ new series, THE PHANTOM, on sale starting this November! (What? Was that shameless plug not subtle enough?)

NOTE: Be on the lookout for a companion interview with Pat Quinn, the highly talented artist of THE PHANTOM, in the near future.

And, make sure to check out the new PHANTOM series, in stores in November!