Fred Hembeck is an American cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from major American comic book publishers. His work has frequently been published by the firms whose characters he spoofs. His characters are always drawn with curlicues at the elbows and knees. He often portrays himself as a character in his own work, in the role of "interviewer" of various comic book characters. Interviewer Daniel Best has said of his work, "If you take your comic books seriously, and think that those characters are real, then you're probably not a fan of Hembeck."
Fresh out of college, and failing to get work as a traditional comic book artist, Hembeck developed a unique artistic style based on the version of himself he used to write illustrated letters to his college friends. Hembeck used this character to conduct comedic "interviews" with Spider-Man and the Flash, which he sent to the leading fan publication of the day, The Buyer's Guide for Comic Fandom. Much to his surprise, the submissions were published, and Hembeck's strip, called "Dateline: @!!?#", became a popular feature. The "best" of these strips were published in Hembeck: The Best of Dateline: @!!?#, put out by Eclipse Comics in 1979 and reprinted by FantaCo Enterprises in 1980. From 1979–1981, Hembeck wrote and drew a 3-panel comic strip that appeared in the Daily Planet page of DC comic books. From 1980 to 1983, FantaCo produced a series of black-and-white magazine-format books featuring Hembeck's stories and strips. Hembeck also contributed humor pieces to other FantaCo titles, including Smilin’ Ed, the Chronicles series, Gates of Eden, and Alien Encounters. Hembeck wrote and laid out the artwork for Fantastic Four Roast #1, a one-shot which commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Fantastic Four series.
Hembeck was especially visible in the 1980s when his strips appeared regularly in Marvel Age, a Marvel Comics promotional magazine. Because Hembeck has a particular fascination with the minor Marvel Comics character Brother Voodoo, he regularly featured the character in the cartoons he drew each month in Marvel Age, generally depicting him as a lame character constantly trying to get his own series. He introduced Brother Voodoo's sister and nephew: Sister Voodoo and Voodoo Chile. When Brother Voodoo finally got his own solo story in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 3 #1, Hembeck drew it, in a serious art style very different from his normal cartooning look. In his cartoon in the final issue of Marvel Age Hembeck claimed he had only begun mocking Brother Voodoo because he had the character confused with an "even lamer" Silver Age character, DC's Brother Power the Geek.
Although most of Hembeck's work is itself parody, Hembeck and his drawing style have also been the subject of parody:
In issue #3 of the first Omega Men series, a team member named "Humbek" appears, drawn in a style approximating that of Hembeck. His thoughts reveal him to be an underground cartoonist exiled from his homeworld. Seconds later, he is killed by Lobo.
Later in issue #307 of the second volume of the Legion of Super-Heroes, the words "I killed Fred Humbeck" appear in the filigree of a panel border.
The Nearly Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus — 900+-page compilation of previously published strips and comics not owned by other companies, including all of the books published by FantaCo. Introduction by Stan Lee.
