SPOTLIGHT
May 2012
Marvel Omega is home to some of the best writers in fanfic. And with Spotlight, readers will get the chance to learn more about their favorite writers here at the site, through an interview where they answer questions about their craft as well as pick some of the best stories they've turned out for the site.
Who is Wesley Overhults? Wow, tough question. I'm still trying to figure that one out myself. I'm a 28-year-old college graduate with a BA in English. I've been an avid reader for pretty much all my life and a huge comic book fan for almost all my life as well. Above all else though, I am a writer. Writing is something I love to do and I'd say it's been one of the main constants in my life. Everything else is still a work in progress as far as I'm concerned. Where do you live and what do you do to keep the bill collectors away? I live in Lexington, Kentucky. Currently I work as a cashier at Kroger (which is a grocery store for those who aren't aware). It's not as glamorous as it sounds. Who are your favorite superheroes? Spider-Man for Marvel and Batman for DC. It's always a toss-up as to which of them is my overall favorite but it's always one of those two. What writers have influenced your style? While I don't really make a conscious effort to emulate a writer, there are things from different writers that have crept into my style over the years. I think Peter David is one of the best when it comes to character development and reading a lot of his work has helped me learn to balance the character development with the action. I'm currently really enjoying Mike Carey's work on The Unwritten so hopefully that can creep its way into my writing. As for non-comic writers, I'm a big fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm not sure if I count him as an influence but I like his work. Why fan fiction? In theory, I've been writing fan fiction since I was a little kid. I was always making up stories about cartoon characters and stuff so I was already involved with fan fiction without knowing it. I never really lost that habit of writing about characters that weren't mine. I think fan fiction is a good way to hone your skills as a writer and I think it's also very liberating. I'm sure if you write TV shows or comics or movies, there are restrictions. You have producers and editors who try to influence what you write and maybe there are times when that's good but there are probably also times when it's bad. With fan fiction, you have no restrictions. You can play with other people's toys and do whatever you want to with them as long as you make it seem plausible and it tells a compelling story. I like making up my own rules. It's fun. There are those who say that writing fan fiction is a waste of time. What’s your response to that? People "waste" their time on lots of things. If you enjoy writing fan fiction then keep doing it. What’s the best thing about writing for Marvel Omega? Writing in a shared universe. It's something I've never done before and I'm starting to like it. I look at it as kind of a challenge. If someone has dibs on a character you want to use and you can't use that character, the challenge comes in finding another character that will fit the same role. Often times the character you find is underdeveloped so it gives you the opportunity to really take a character and make them your own. It’s hard enough writing a team series without the added element of alternate worlds being thrown in. Why write EXILES? It goes back to what I said about making my own rules. I liked Marvel's Exiles and read it for a long time but more than anything the reason I pitched the title was because I wanted to do something outside the box. The realm of alternate realities wasn't something that was really touched upon in Marvel Omega so I wanted to sort of put my own stamp on things. Your favorite EXILES story? It's difficult to pick just one. I'd say "Mirrors" (Issue 8) because the whole concept of literally being your own worst enemy was something I really enjoyed and wanted to use. That was the first issue where I really started getting into Kate's character and I found out that I really liked writing her. Also, that was the first issue that was big on character development instead of action. I think it was important to show that development early in the series. So yeah, that's definitely the one I would pick if I had to pick a favorite. What are your plans for EXILES in 2012? Well, right now I'm building up to an arc called "Killing Time" that will go all the way to issue 25. As to the plot of that arc, the Exiles will be having their showdown with Jules, something that's been building since the beginning of the series. After that, expect to see some big changes in the team roster, a little lighter tone to the book, and even a new main villain on the horizon. There are big things coming up with our heroes so stay tuned. One team series would be enough for most writers but you also write SECRET WARRIORS. Why? Originally, I meant to pitch a New Warriors series but that wasn't working out. Even the initial pitch for Secret Warriors had to be a little retooled but I'm glad for that now because I think it works better than the original. I wanted to write something in MO continuity and I wanted to write something that was a little in the gray area. Even though I never read Marvel's Secret Warriors series, I knew the basic idea of the series and knew that it would fit my purposes. Though I wanted to pay homage to Marvel's series with it, I also knew I wanted to take Secret Warriors in a different direction. The series has actually been a good challenge for me. I'm only now making long-term plans for it and it's pretty exciting. What are the difficulties in writing two team series? Do you ever have problems keeping the two separate in storylines and character development? It can be challenging, no doubt about that. One of the things I tried to do with Secret Warriors was make sure it was different from Exiles. Yes at its core both of them are similar in that you have these teams of people running around doing missions for their employers but I wanted the characters in Secret Warriors to behave differently than the ones in Exiles. Still, you can probably notice that stuff from Exiles will creep into Secret Warriors and vice versa. I don't really mean plots and stuff but more tones and characterizations. I think there's enough differences to make each series distinct from one another though. What are your plans for SECRET WARRIORS in 2012? You'll be meeting a man named Helix who you first saw in the 2011 annual. He will go on to become the main villain of the series and is someone who has had an impact on some of the Warriors' lives even if they don't know it yet. We're also going to get a look into the backgrounds of some of the Warriors. Wipeout will get a spotlight issue after this current arc and then Finesse will take center stage for a short arc. You'll also see more friction between the Warriors and their SHIELD employers. Given their backgrounds, these kids don't play by the rules and it's going to get them in trouble sooner or later. What advice would you give to those wanting to write a team series? Rotate the spotlight and the character development among the team members. Let each character have moments to shine and help make them each distinct. Subplots help with this greatly. Ideally, each member of the team should have something going on even if that something isn't in your main story. You wake up tomorrow and you can write any three characters you want for Marvel Omega. Which ones are they? Spider-Man even though I don't really know what I would do with him. I would probably want to write something X-related since I'm also a big X-Men fan. It would probably involve Nightcrawler and Cannonball so I'll say those as my other two. Do you have any ambitions of writing professionally? It's my dream, yes. I don't know exactly what kind of writing I'd like to do professionally but I'd want to be a writer as my career. Somebody who’s never read Marvel fan fiction emails you and says they want to try it out. Which three Marvel Omega series do you recommend and why? Well, it would depend on who they are and what they like. I would say District X, ARMOR, and Captain America even though I haven't read all of it. I think what Dino is doing with the new Cap is really cool and I think District X and ARMOR are solid, well-written books. I could also recommend a lot of the old X-related stuff if the person in question wanted to dedicate the time to read it. What’s a typical Day In The Life of Wesley Overhults like? Depends on the day of the week. Mostly I get up, shower, eat breakfast, go to work whenever I'm scheduled, and the rest of the time I find various things to entertain me. I write, watch TV, play video games, just do whatever. I try not to make too many plans for myself. I'd rather just see what happens and go from there. Anything else about you we should know? I was going to think of something clever and somewhat shady to put here but I got nothing. If there's something you want to know, just ask. For more works by Wesley Overhults at the site, check out his listing on the Staff page.
PREVIOUS SPOTLIGHTS #1 - Ryan Krupienski (March 2006)
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When Wesley Overhults came to Marvel Omega, half a dozen attempts had been made to launch an EXILES series. He finally found one and made it work, then moved on to add his SECRET WARRIORS title and even write a one-shot for the NEW WARRIORS. Check in here to get to know a little more about him as Derrick Ferguson interviews him about writing, life, and comics!