Post by brentlambert on Mar 13, 2012 16:51:04 GMT -5
GAVIN MCMAHON INTERVIEW
Marvel Anthology: What appeals to you most about Marvel Anthology as a site?
Gavin McMahon: The friendly community environment at Marvel Anthology is largely what appeals to me about the site. There's always some interconnectivity to play around with and the titles are normally so well timed that nothing seems outdated or impossible. Activity plays a large role in this community. It's a pleasure to write for somewhere that is friendly, with consistent updates. It's unlike anywhere else online at the moment.
MA: Top three favorite titles at the site. Put them out there. Why do you like them?
Gavin: This is a tough one. I'll do this in alphabetical order.
Academy X by Jeff Rist is a title that I was surprised to find myself liking. I read the initial script which featured only original characters and I was concerned. Academy X was initially a roundtable title that there was then interest in from somebody outside of the community. This is a community that welcomes fresh talent, I know because I was there once. This was the pay off of a major event in the X-Line and it wasn't the pay off I had expected. It then happened that there were changes made, a cast was put in place and despite the limitations of canon characters - Jeff has turned it around and made a magnificent series. He's in tune with the younger cast, and he finds appeal in the delicious soapy goodness that is a villainess like Adrienne Frost. I think when a writer is willing to learn as he goes along, their work is infinitely better. Like Jeff, we should all still be learning. Academy X was his first attempt at fan fiction and he overcame his earlier works like all of us had to, but he did so in a timely fashion because the X-Line is so progressive. Well done to him for that.
Avengers by Jamie Primas is one of Marvel Anthologies finest titles. It's a title that comes with the expectation that it's going to be a fine story with magnificent characters and Jamie manages that flawlessly. There have even been times when he's taken smaller, obscurer characters and transformed them into Avengers. Fan fiction is more than reiterating what we have already known and seen. It's an opportunity to expand on ideas and missed opportunities, taking stories places that the mainstream can't. Jamie had a task ahead of him when he stepped onto Avengers, the title was a bit of a mess, and I hadn't read much by him so I was apprehensive. I can't imagine anyone more suited to the title.
X-Force by Brent Lambert is a title I love simply because of its premise, but it has proven to be a longstanding and innovative title in the field of black ops. I love dark titles, and even darker characters. It's something I've always been interested in, and these covert operations have made for some excellent stories since X-Force began. Operating from the formerly abandoned Muir Island, we have an international team who are doing what is necessary in the most explosive manner. I often wonder if a black ops team can be heroes, and whether or not they can recover from the stigma of murder, but I don't think they have to be defined in that box. X-Force shows these characters as human but also putting aside their own personal agendas to save the world. It's a job that involves sacrificing yourself and I think Brent has done a great job portraying that.
MA: Who's your favorite writer at the site?
Gavin: There are so many excellent writers at the site but for sheer innovation in a title I had considered doomed, Jamie Primas takes the crown. His work is intriguing and enthralling. I could read most of it endlessly; his casts never fail to keep my interest piqued because I want to see, "how can they work together?" There are some honourable mentions to be made though. Brent Lambert and Meriades Rai are another pair of my favourites writers in the community and I honestly admire the former because of his prolific ability to tell a story and meet a deadline. It's a skill I wish I had.
MA: What do you like the most about what you get to write at Marvel Anthology?
Gavin: Marvel Anthology gives me to write a title that I haven't seen elsewhere. I began at Marvel Omega and I love the titles I've written there and continue to write. However, Winter Guard holds a special place in my mind. I write about a country that no one else is really playing with (yet but there are plans) and this isolation gives me a lot of leeway. Erik is very good to me, as well as all of us, in terms of accepting that we aren't machines. My work never has large gaps but there are times when I consider myself to be a bit behind. Another final thing that makes writing for this site great, the feedback from the editors when work has been submitted and edited.
MA: Your dream title. What would it be? And if you're already on it, then what would be your dream title you'd like to see someone else write?
Gavin: I'm going to say X-Force is my dream title. The darker the better in my opinion.
MA: Who's your favorite character at the site to read about?
Gavin: Monet St. Croix in X-Force. It may be because I know a bit of where that storyline is headed but when I'm reading that series, my eyes are on her. She interests me because despite being a heroine, she's incredibly cold and distant. I see true depth in her, something that can be missed. There are caricatures that it’s hard to avoid, such as the role of the bitch, but Brent manages to make her a relatable character who just happens to be flawed.
MA: Who's your favorite character under your pen?
Gavin: I think it comes as no shock for me to say Paige Guthrie, who has taken the forefront of XSE even without me planning for her too. It'll surprise no one that she'll be taking even more page time when they read the newly rewritten XSE 5, as part of the recent realignment of the X-Line.
MA: Which character do you most look forward to writing?
Gavin: Kitty Pryde, the Shadowcat. I always wanted to write her, and I've now got the opportunity. She'll be taking the lead in XSE.
MA: So what are all of the titles you write at Marvel Anthology and how do you feel that they fit into the wider Anthology universe?
Gavin: New Mutants and XSE are titles, while not at the forefront of the X-Line, that largely serve their purpose in expanding the characters and the reality that they inhabit. I set out to write stories about characters in New Mutants, and the series is about them growing up because the title will make way for a new batch of heroes in that respect. I find them to be a stagnant cast and I stepped in to try and change that. I'm transforming them into characters that other people can hopefully use in the "big leagues" without thinking that they don't fit in just yet. XSE is a police procedural turned government agency, but it's expanded heavily beyond that I think. It's turned into a cross-examination of the hatred between humans and mutants alike and examines those who work together - it's a look behind enemy lines. Winter Guard is one of the first titles to really explore the outside world consistently. Russia is such a unique and diverse location that I had to write about the characters that would inhabit such a place. I'm telling stories in my element, character pieces laced together with action and purpose. Winter Guard is a title that has an end in sight but in getting there, I hope that it becomes the definitive title in the International Initiative.
Champions is another title that is in pre-development, but it’s difficult. I can't say there's a deadline for when my newest international title will begin. H.H. Neville and I planned it on a basic premise with a small cast and threw about some undeveloped ideas. I hope that we can get back to it at some point, and the characters are in hold until then. I can see myself continuing with it as a miniseries if necessary. It's a story about many nations coming together under a United Nations banner and acting as a pro-active, worldwide heroic team. Alpha Flight, Omega Flight, and Peoples Defense Force are titles that have at one time been mine. I cleaned up the mess left by the former Alpha Flight writer who left the series in a difficult place to be continued, and I struggled to finish it but in the end I believe it became a more workable story with a defined initiative. Omega Flight was a second miniseries in Canada based on the plans of Erik Fromme, it set up how he saw the Flight Initiative. Omega Flight is currently the only surviving title from what was planned to be an in-depth look at the Canadian heroes (including Delta Flight).
MA: What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer? And/or weakness?
Gavin: I'll be slightly immodest here and start with my strongest point as a writer. I honestly believe that my characterization and the development I can slowly build with characters is my strongest attribute. Every moment I spend on a character is intricate and designed to build them, or create the foundations towards something. Honestly, I understand when people say to me that I write too much but I don't consider any of it to be unnecessary. I write as I would like to read, perhaps it’s a flaw. My biggest disadvantage is action - which adds to the hardships people have reading my work. I get bogged down in characters and settings because action doesn't come naturally to me. I have to think and constantly rewrite scenes that go beyond quick brawls. I like to write massive battles, but I often fear it too.
MA: Which writers do you draw influence from and why?
Gavin: I don't believe I draw inspiration from anyone, not in terms of style at least. I've been compared to Joyce but I've never even read the man's work so I couldn't possibly respond on that score. I don't even know if that's a compliment. I think I tend to bend towards stories of belles, gentlemen and impossible epics. I like action as much as I like love stories, and the two don't have to be mutually exclusive. My favourite book is Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, closely followed with my love for Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I like introspective, sweeping paragraphs of in-depth description and characterization. I may be called verbose, but I prefer to think of it as building this world firmly in the minds of those who read my work. It's how I approach my original fiction and my fan fiction alike.
MA: What is it about Paige Guthrie and Kitty Pryde that appeals to you as characters? What do you feel makes them unique? Do you feel they share any common characteristics?
Gavin: Paige and Kitty are similar in one respect; they are both passionate women who have been torn apart by the world they have inhabited. And they've survived it. I would say that's true canonically for Kitty but much of that has happened under my pen with Paige. I like their abilities. Paige has an ability that it entirely unique. It's a form of shapeshifting but not to the same limited standards as most mutants, aesthetically her power is intriguing. I mentioned before that I've never been able to resist a southern belle, and Paige has always been born from that archetype in my mind. Kitty, to me, is a character with such appeal through a unique background, outlook on life and abilities but nothing is ever really done with her. I can think of several moments when she has been a heroine but I don't think any added considerable growth to the character. Kitty is a character who has such unlocked potential, same as Paige, and I wanted to be able to explore them in this regard. I like strong women; I find them to be more unique and interesting than a strong man because we expect men to be the stronger species. Women fighting for a cause regardless of the risks in always a pull.
MA: In the next year or two, which character or characters do you think are going to change the most heavily under your pen?
Gavin: I'll skip Paige and Morales because I believe they've already been long enough in the spotlight to be old hands at the development game. I think characters that will be undergoing the most radical developments under my titles are likely to be characters such as Red Wasp, Tracker, Karma, Thornn and Julia Cabot. Red Wasp and Tracker will soon be joining the series regular cast of Winter Guard, something I've been excited about for much too long. I plan to remain true to them as characters in terms of their origins, but I plan to develop them in a similar calibre to the Avengers. Winter Guard will be transforming into a PR friendly team, like the aforementioned, and I wanted to have heroes that aren't suited for that. Red Wasp is a victim and Tracker is a villain. It's a story of growth. Karma is a stagnant a character as they come. I'm taking her away from everything that I believe to be holding her back and attempting to define her abilities and make her more desirable. Thornn is a character that will recur heavily, beginning with XSE 5, and she'll have a variance of roles. Feral once made the transition to heroine and, although by different means and with a different outcome, I want to see Thornn do so also. Julia is ... I won't spoil that but she isn't the Juliet of this story, maybe more along the lines of Frankenstein.
MA: So give us a bit of insight into the antagonists that the heroes under your pen are about to face. Which ones in the next year or so do you believe are going to be the most threatening?
Gavin: Given my timing, they are likely to be facing one singular threat - under the framework of splinter factions. The Mutant Underground Search Engine is making a triumphant return to the title, pushing their former member Bedlam into the spotlight, and they will be involved in a large scale storyline. The climax of that storyline is previewed in the very first issue involving this new team, XSE 5. This is a story that I set out to tell from the very beginning and it intertwines a noir drama with the basic premise of something like Generation Hope. I'll be introducing or establishing many young and unique mutants, most of which could potentially cause serious problems for our heroes. Shepard is a character to look out for because he plans to destroy the XSE so that human-mutant relations will destabilize and mutants will turn to him. Some of the baddies he putting forward though should be interesting.
MA: Power wise, who do you feel are some of the most lethal characters at your disposal whether they protagonist or antagonist?
Gavin: I'm going to go slightly left field on this and skip raw power on this question; instead I'm going to focus on political power. Alisande Morales has quickly risen to power as a character that people love to hate. I've established her as a threat, and I may spin that on its head and show the XSE from her perspective. I've heard her called a blatant racist, and I won’t turn back from that. I do believe she is a racist, and I don't condone racism but I think it would be an injustice not to explore her motivations. Politically, she has the power to topple the XSE and create that rift of animosity between the two species. I don't consider anyone else in my arsenal to hold as much power, or threaten the team as much, as their very own division Director and I'm not even sure Wisdom could stop her. Morales remains a very real and understated threat against the organisation.
MA: So I see you have a pretty strong passion for Winter Guard and its international setting? Do you like having the playground of Russia to yourself or would you like to see other writers start jumping in there?
Gavin: What writer doesn't love having an entire country, and in reality it includes most of Northern Asia, to themselves? I think it's a wild ride and I'm enjoying it. I would like some playmates though and I welcome writers in exploring these regions as much as I am. I don't want people to step back or feel intimidated by my presence there. I won’t lie; I've dibbed almost every Russian character going because I am trying to tell a story involving the people of the country. Russia is changing and I believe Russians should be at the forefront of the story. Mainstream Marvel would likely send in the Avengers with Black Widow as a guest star. I dominate Russia simply because no one else really uses it. I welcome other writers and I'd be interested to hear ideas, or maybe even correspond on a brief crossover between the Winter Guard and another title. I know that another title will be playing in Russia shortly.
MA: If you could write the hero team of any other country, which country would it be and why?
Gavin: This is a difficult one but I would have to point you towards Champions for an answer on this. I can't choose one country or a singular culture to explore in a title of my choice, I would have to blend them into one unique tableaux of characters and settings that would need to overcome themselves, their teammates as well as their foes. Human nature is what makes a story for me.
MA: You were a part of the Weapon X crossover in the X-Line? Did you have fun writing that and what were some of the highlights of that crossover for you, reading or writing wise?
Gavin: I think the conception and the laying of the foundations really made the Weapon X crossover great for me. I would say it was the gritty realism that grounded it for me, the deaths of characters such as Firestar and Abyss, as well as the reactions this left for their teammates and loved ones. It was an event that spanned the world, a singular attack on all things X and it had real and horrific effects. It left wounds that still haven’t been healed and that's something to be very proud of. Several titles were co-ordinated, all pre-existing X-Line titles, and it turned out cohesive and well done. It's Marvel Anthology's role as a community of writers who communicate and discuss that made the event work so well. I didn't have a stand out moment but I did love that despite every one of the annuals dealing with the same issue - none of them lost their individuality.
