ONE TREE HILL's Rob Buckley, Geek, Talks Comics

So I'm doing this interview with ONE TREE HILL's Robert Buckley for AOL's Popeater, which is really the only non-geek site I work for, and surprise, surprise, the man is a comic geek!  You do really find us in the strangest places these days.  He told me funny stories about being on THE PRICE IS RIGHT, underbidding a stoner and starting out with an economics degree...then I asked about being voted Most Likely to be a Superhero in school.  Got to love a hot guy who appreciates a good graphic novel.  We chatted about the art in WATCHMEN, FABLES and his favorite, CAPTIAN AMERICA.  Check out the rest of the interview on Popeater.com,

I had read that you were voted Most Likely to be a Superhero in school, and you've now mentioned Robert Downey Jr. and Archie Comics.  Are you a comic book geek?

Busted.  I totally am. 

Good.  I am too.  Tell me more.

I collected comics as a kid.  And I would say...I thought we'd died out by seventh grade.  But don't worry.  The nerdery doesn't stop there.  Oh no.  I think by that time I was well into my magician phase.    So if you add on being a little bit chubby and a little bit awkward, and being in the two worst grades of any young person's life, seventh and eighth grade.  Add on to that being a magician?  Oh, it's a recipe for so much social success!  My love for comics...[would] lie dormant until, oddly enough, I got into acting and I went to Comic Con one year.  [laughs]  It was like reuniting with an old flame.  Oh!  I love these things!  And everyone at work makes fun of me.  'Oh you got some more comics in the mail today.'  And I'll be like, 'They're called graphic novels!'  Which I suppose is like saying, 'It's not a wine cooler.  It's a flavored alcoholic beverage!'  But it's like, 'Listen dude.  You're drinking a Zima.'  Grab a Fuzzy Navel and come drink with the big boys. 

[laughs]  Oh, that is just awesome!  What comics are you a fan of?  I write for a bunch of geek sites and I'd love to hear...

Really?  Oh, that's fantastic.  Tell me you abuse that power for freebies.

[laughs]  I love to abuse that power...free video games and graphic novels...

You're like, 'Yeah, I'm doing a piece on the progression of the X-MEN over time, so if you could just send...I don't know...all of them my way for reference, that would be great.

[laughs]

I would get fired so fast from that position.  I would probably go crazy.  It's kind of like the perfect storm of nerdery meets disposable income meets free time with me.  And when I kind of rediscovered comic books, around the time that I found Amazon.com, oh boy.  I went...I lost my mind.  I went out of control.  And so when you ask me what my favorite books are, that's like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.  I mean, sure, she could.  But she would never say it publicly, because that would just make everyone feel terrible.  [laughs]  No, I'm a big fan of CAPTAIN AMERICA and...let's see here.  I can't just list Marvel titles for you because then it will seem like I'm just being a poser.  How about...what are some good ones off the beaten path?  LOVELESS was good.  INCOGNITO was good.  BATMAN: HUSH was good.  Now I'm really overdoing the nerd.  I should just slow down on my laundry list of titles here.  How about you?

I read WATCHMEN right before the film, and that really made me a bit obsessed with graphic novels.  I'm getting into all the Red Hulk/Rulk now...

OK, I'm going to ask you this.  I don't consider myself a terribly vain person.  But when it comes to comics, I am horrible.  I am so vain.  If the art doesn't do it for me, I can't sit down with the book.  And actually, WATCHMEN took me three tries until I finally gave it enough time.  And then, of course, it's such an incredibly well crafted piece of work.  I mean, I loved it.  It was one of my favorite books, hands down.  I thought it was fantastic.  The HULK stuff I haven't gotten to you.  But what did you think.  Are you the same way?  When you pick up a book and it looks like something that could have been in the newspapers when your parents were kids?  Can you get into books with vintage art?

Yeah, I had a lot of trouble with it, honestly.  I loved it and the story is incredible, but the art isn't great.  Look at the stuff that's out right now.  The art is so amazing.  It did look a bit like a Sunday morning cartoon...

Yeah.  Again, in my experience, for my money, I think that is the best graphic novel I've ever read.  That I've ever come across.  And that book took me three tries.  I'm never going to be able to sit down and read old vintage comics.  [laughs]  That's the best book out there with that art style, and I'm horrible.  If I pick up a book and it looks remotely like it could have been around during Vietnam, I'm like, boring.  [laughs]

Did you ever read FABLES?

Yeah, you know what?  I've read the first book or two and I haven't gotten further.  I really liked FABLES.  How about you?

I loved it.  I've read all of them now.  I believe they're doing a television series now.

Really?

Yup!  ABC Family, last I heard.

Oh!  You know what is another great book?  THE WALKING DEAD.  Speaking of that, AMC just picked it up.  They're going to go ahead and make a pilot for it.  You've got to check that book out.  And you know, zombies are in right now.

I do enjoy the zombies.

No vampires, but zombies. 

Since the geek thing is really big right now...if you were going to play a superhero in one of the upcoming movies, who would you want to play?

Well, hands down I would be Captain America.  Yeah, it's kind of a no contest right there.  Having said that, there are so many great books out there, that I'm going to go ahead and just...if Captain America didn't work out, there are a bevy of good choices out there.  And that Ryan Reynolds, he takes GREEN LANTERN and DEADPOOL?  How selfish is that?  He'd better have been chubby and awkward as a kid reading comic books while other kids were riding bikes and being cool, because otherwise that is just way too selfish for a good looking cool kid.  [laughs]

ONE TREE HILL airs at 8/7c on the CW.