Let's face it: There aren't many original ideas left in this world, whether it comes to music, literature, or movies. So when the idea for Spandex came to me (while I was working on another comic), it was something that I thought was original, and it became something I really wanted to do.
Once I'd hit on the idea and decided to go with it, the characters and storylines just flooded into my brain. I really wanted to get the comic out there, so it was frustrating that the first issue took a year to create! Every time the Previews comic catalogue came out, I looked through the pages with a horrible sensation in my chest; I thought it was only a matter of time before someone else came up with the same idea!
But I think I was lucky, and it's actually really weird, because just as my book is coming out, there are lots of big gay things going on in the comics world (gay marriages, characters coming out, etc.). I wonder when DC will launch a "Gay L.A."?
Developing the Spandex series was a generally easy process. Diva, Glitter, Liberty, and Pussy already existed; I just had to flesh them out a bit. They all just came alive: Liberty is such a deep, unpredictable character; Glitter has a lot of hidden depths; and Diva, I ultimately discovered, has one of the most shocking secrets in comics.
Butch and Mr. Muscles came next, mainly inspired after their names popped into my head. Butch is such a fun character: She's really quiet and intense, so I have to work out ways to make her likeable. I didn't warm to Mr. Muscles at all, and he's not in the first few issues much, but I've since realized that he is pretty essential to the dynamics of the team.
Prowler and Indigo took a long time to get right, and I delayed starting work on the first issue until I was happy with them. I'm glad I waited, because I think they are pretty unique and original -- Prowler with his ability to absorb the skills of any gay person, and Indigo with her ability to teleport in and out of her Indigo Room, which contains weaponery, costumes, and all sorts of useful things.
The Spandex book contains the first three issues, and it's very much about setting up the characters and getting to know them. It's three standalone stories, but there are some continuing sub-plots. After that, we hit my "O.M.F.G." storyline. At this point, the readers knows the characters inside-out -- and that makes the twists and turns even more powerful, I think.
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