eSpec Books interviews James M. Ward, contributor to The Side of Good / The Side of Evil, a Superhero Flipbook anthology, http://tiny.cc/SoGSoE.

eSB: What drew you to this project?

JMW: A friend of mine suggested I give it a try.

eSB: Which side are you writing for?

JMW: Lol, side? I wouldn’t put it that way. I am writing about a young villain with some problems.

eSB: What got you interested in superheroes/villains?

JMW: I’ve always loved the comics and especially Jack Kirby stories and art.

eSB: Please tell us a little bit about the inspiration for your story.

JMW: The idea was suggested to me that I do a story about a young villain who has problems being a villain.

eSB: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and how would it work?

JMW: I would love to be able to write 5,000 solid words a day. It would work so that I would be able to pay all of my bills every month.

eSB: What would your weakness be and why?

JMW: My weakness is currently getting distracted filling out questioners.

eSB: Describe your ideal super suit.

JMW: Super suit, hmmmmm. Well it must be red. As I have a big belly it should be lose fitting. I would like an artificial intelligence worked into the weave. Probably should be bullet proof. It also should be unusually stylish and attract favorable attention from the ladies, even though I have been very happily married for 44 years.

eSB: Who is your favorite superhero and why?

JMW: Gold Keys Mighty Sampson. I wrote the first apocalypse role-playing game called Gamma World. Mighty Sampson would fit well in that world.

eSB: Who is your real-life hero and why?

JMW: I have the utmost respect for my three sons, Breck, Jim, and Theon. They are all better fathers than I ever was.

eSB: Who is the villain you love to hate, and why?

JMW: It must be the Joker. He is so capricious.

eSB: In your opinion, what characterizes a hero?

JMW: Situational awareness is vital in a hero. He can’t accidentally hurt a child or bankrupt a store.

eSB: In your opinion, what characterizes a villain?

JMW: Wild selfishness.

eSB: What is your viewpoint on Sidekicks?

JMW: I use them all the time.

eSB: What is your favorite superhero movie and why?

JMW: I am a huge Thor fan so his two movies are at the top of my list.

eSB: What other comic or superhero-related work have you done in the past?

JMW: My company, TSR had licenses to do comics and I help write reviews in those comics.

eSB: What was your most exciting moment working in the comic industry?

JMW: Meeting Vampirella  (sp) was unusually cool. I worked on the Buffy CCG and meeting the cast was great fun.

eSB: If there was one comic franchise you could work on, which would it be and why?

JMW: I have always loved the Gold Key Magnus Robot Fighter storyline.

eSB: Fiction or comics, which is your favorite medium and why?

JMW: Sorry, it’s fiction. There is no why, I just like to read fantasy and science fiction novels.

eSB: Please tell us about your non-comic related work.

JMW: I have been working in the hobby industry since 1976. I wrote the first science fiction role-playing game in Metamorphosis Alpha. I wrote the first apocalypse game in Gamma World. Besides over a hundred role-playing product I designed Spellfire and Dragon Ball Z the CCGs. You can buy lots of different games and novels of mine on Amazon. I’m currently working for Eldritchent.com.

eSB: Thank you for allowing this glimpse beneath your alter-ego. We’re looking forward to more super heroics and evil geniuses to come.