When James Askew was an undergraduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in the early 1990s, he saw a flier on campus about a fencing club.

He went to a club meeting and has swung a foil ever since.

Askew now serves as a coach and president at the Omaha Fencing Club and he competes regularly — most recently at the Cornhusker State Games last month in Lincoln.

Below Askew — a research technologist in the Munroe-Meyer Institute — answers questions about his favorite sport.

What do you like about fencing?

What I enjoy most is the challenge that this sport continually offers me. To be able to outscore someone in a fencing match is succeeding in a contest of wills. I like a good challenge and enjoy winning a little bit, too.

Munroe-Meyer Institute research technologist James Askew, center, works with students at the Omaha Fencing Club, where he serves as a coach. Askew has fenced since the early 1990s. (Photo provided courtesy of the Omaha Fencing Club)

What is the highest level of competition at which you have competed?

When I was 18, I fenced in the Junior Olympics, which was my first exposure to a national level tournament. The highest level I have competed at would be Division 1 foil at a Summer Nationals, which is the last tournament of the season and you must qualify to be able to attend. It is huge, imagine more than 6,000 fencers all competing in a number of events. It is truly a sight to behold.

How and/or where does one get fencing equipment?

There are no stores in the area that sell fencing equipment, so we mail-order for all ours. Some of the best equipment comes from Europe, as you can imagine given the long history of the sport in European countries.

Those uniforms seem pretty tough but does it ever hurt when you get stabbed with that foil?

You bet it can! The weapons we use are made of steel. Though they are flexible, you can get hit hard enough to get bruised, even through all the layers of thick cotton and kevlar. I had a large number of bruises after the Cornhusker State Games. This is why safety is paramount — we don’t fence unless we are following all the equipment guidelines set by our governing body, the United States Fencing Association.

What benefits would one get from taking up fencing? Is it good exercise? Does it teach lessons that are applicable to other parts of life?

First of all, fencing is a great way to keep active and in good physical condition. A bout can be demanding on the body with the constant movement required to keep distance from your opponent, the need to instantly react to a situation, the long lunges that are used for attacks and the endurance required to stay with an opponent through a whole match. Also, fencing keeps one mentally sharp. Some have said that a fencing match is like a chess match on your feet. Watching, influencing and reacting to your opponent requires a competitor to be mentally sharp, and by practicing you can train yourself to be able to handle yourself against any opponent. There is a certain amount of pride that comes from that and the feeling of accomplishment when winning a tournament after a whole day of competition is very fulfilling.

What do you find most rewarding about fencing?

I would have to say taking home a medal, most any medal, is very rewarding. It’s like a certificate telling me my hard work has paid off and that I am having a good day.

By day, Eric White is an unassuming graphic artist in UNMC’s print shop.

But like Batman, Superman and Spiderman, White has a second identity that surfaces when he leaves the office.

In his free time, White — an unrepentant comic book geek — draws and writes his own comic stories, some of which have been published in anthology collections.

He also has done what is called “flatting” work for major comic titles including Superman.

Below White reflects on his passion for comics and some of the roads he has traversed as a result of this obsession.

Eric White shows off the cover of the comic anthology, CGS3: Comic Geek Speak Anthology 3, Issue No. 1, which the UNMC graphic designer helped create. (Photo by Andrew E. Nelson, UNMC public relations)

How did you get into comics?

I first bought a comic book when I was 4. My grandma took me with her on Thursdays when she would get her hair done. Her salon was right next door to a drug store. Every week she would give me a couple dollars and tell me to go next door and stay out of trouble. The drug store had a spinner rack of comics so I would get two comics and a soda and sit there until my grandma was done. I couldn’t read at that time but I was so intrigued by the art and action. I’ve been hooked ever since.

I always wanted to draw comics but it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that I really started to take the idea of being involved in comics seriously. I still have a long way to go before I can say I’m any good at it but I’m enjoying the journey!

What do you like about comics?

First and foremost I love the stories. I love the medium of sequential art — seeing a well-crafted story and following it is just amazing to me. I’ve become a real student of comics over the last few years and am having fun with the whole process now. Now with Facebook, Twitter and forum sites, you can interact with the creators.

What’s your favorite comic book?

It would be really hard to narrow it down. My first loves in comics were Amazing Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk. But there are so many amazing books out. Titles like Mouse Guard, AtomicRobo, Umbrella Academy, Buffy, Mercury and the Murd, Avengers, Superman, Booster Gold, the Ultimate line and Batman. Then, of course, there’s all the amazing Web comics that I read. It’s hard to pick.

How many comic books do you own?

At last count, I had about 3,000. Serious collections don’t really start until you reach about 10,000 so I don’t feel too bad about having those 20 short boxes in my house.

How many have you written(drawn)?

I’ve drawn loads but I’ve had stories published now in four anthology books. I’m hoping that within a year or so I can have enough confidence in myself to produce my own book. There’s also a Web comic that’s in the works.

Aside from the drawing, at this point, the bulk of the comic work that I do now is flatting. Flatting is a step in the process of creating a comic between the inking and coloring where someone (like me!) goes in Photoshop and fills in solid flat colors in behind the line art.

It’s an uncredited job that is basically the tedious grunt work of the comic book industry but it allows me to get paid (a little bit) to work in comics. It kind of feels like I snuck into business but how many people do you know who can go to a comic book store and pull 10 books off the wall on any given day and say, in all honesty, “I worked on these books”? (See White’s flatting portfolio online.)

You recently were published in an anthology. What’s it called and what’s it about?

The anthology book I recently edited is called “CGS3: Comic Geek Speak Anthology 3, Issue No. 1.” It’s the first of a two-issue series. The story opens with the heroic and powerful Visionary as he battles his nemesis, Discord, all across the city.

What’s different about this book is that when that main story concludes, we move on to see what has happened in the city from other points of view during and after the battle.

We see the city from the point of view of a taxi driver, a photographer, a mouse and many others. There are more than 40 creators involved in the two books (each story is created by a different team) and both books turned out amazing! (EDITOR’S NOTE: White’s anthology is for sale online.)

What other activities do you do besides writing comic books?

My 4-year-old daughter, Willow, and 9-month-old daughter, London, keep my wife and I very busy at home. So between UNMC, kids, comics and a little bit of design on the side — that’s pretty much all I do. Lots of work, very little sleep.

By the way, my wife and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary on July 10. Happy anniversary, honey! Thanks for putting up with all my geekiness for a decade now. I love you!

Who wins in a fight — Batman or Superman?

Any Batman/Superman fan knows that the Bat carries a chunk of kryptonite around in his utility belt “just in case” he has to do battle with Superman. So even though Superman has the powers, Batman comes prepared and pulls out the victory. That Batman — he’s hard core.

OK, then who wins between Batman and Spiderman?

Again, even though Spiderman is my all-time favorite superhero, I have to be honest to the characters and say that Batman wins again. Spiderman has the strength, flexibility, webs and even the spider senses but Batman is the ultimate warrior. There are very few characters in all of comics that could beat the Bat in a fight.

Quick, think of five things others should know about you.

That’s the theme behind a series in UNMC Today called “Lookin’ at U.”

Each Thursday, we will randomly select a medical center employee or student to feature.

This week, we feature Brenda Jeter, video resource scheduler in information technology services’ video services.

Brenda Jeter

Here, in her own words, are five fun facts about Brenda:

• Everyone in my immediate family was left handed, except for my dad;
• Everyone in my immediate family had red hair, except my dad;
• I love to travel to new places;
• My hobbies include fishing, golfing and gardening; and
• I was born in Lakehurst, N.J., the same Naval Air Station where the Hindenburg exploded.

Read UNMC Today next Thursday to see who is featured in the next Lookin’ at U article. Who knows — it could be U.

Quick, think of five things others should know about you.

That’s the theme behind a series in UNMC Today called “Lookin’ at U.”

Each Thursday, we will randomly select a medical center employee or student to feature.

This week, we feature Dana Meyer, communications specialist in the department of orthopaedic surgery.

Dana Meyer

Here, in her own words, are five fun facts about Dana:

• I grew up on a small farm in southeast Nebraska. The entire town had a population of fewer than 400 people and I graduated with a whopping 19 people in my class — which was considered large!
• I have seven nieces and nephews and love to spend time with them because really, I’m just a kid at heart.
• As of last November, I am a proud owner of my first home. Currently, I am trying to trap and relocate a family of groundhogs that has taken over my backyard. This relocation project has become a popular reality series on my Facebook page.
• If I won the lotto, I’d quit my job tomorrow and travel the world (apologies in advance to my boss). I once took a three-week leave of absence and traveled to Sweden. It was fabulous and I hope to return someday.
• I am blessed to have three of the best friends in the world. We have been inseparable since the first grade and plan to still be living it up together when we are 90!

Read UNMC Today next Thursday to see who is featured in the next Lookin’ at U article. Who knows — it could be U.