Alan Lynch sat down (figuratively!) with the amazing comic book creator Mike Watson, also known as Most Epic. A talented writer, artist, and hardworking figure in the Black indie comic book community, Mike has embarked on a monumental endeavor. He is launching a new arc—a series of titles—for his flagship character, Hotshot, called “Hotshot Runs the Gauntlet.”

Take it from the Top

Alan Lynch: For those new to you and the Hotshot character, give us a brief synopsis:

Mike Watson:  I’m a 20+ year indie comics creator, illustrator, and the publisher of Freestyle Komics. Hotshot is my flagship character—a college kid juggling homework, a relationship, and the responsibility of being a superhero. He’s powerful, messy, passionate, and always trying to do the right thing. At his core, Hotshot is about heart, growth, and resilience.

What sparked the idea for this style of crossover?

After finishing the Unforgiven arc, I knew I needed to push Hotshot toward issue #24—and I needed to do it fast, in a way that was exciting, creator-driven, and let me focus on drawing. My original long-term plan wasn’t going to cut it anymore. Watching and reading my own fandoms over the years taught me a lot about what a character truly needs to grow, and that meant rethinking everything.

The spark came during a conversation with Travis Gibb over a year ago. We talk constantly, and one day he said, ‘I see a lot of books coming out… but where’s Hotshot?’ I told him I didn’t want to hog all the Kickstarters. And he hit me with, ‘Yeah, but your fans want more than one issue a year.’

Around the same time, another friend joked, ‘It took twenty years to get to issue ten… y’all gonna be ninety when you hit a hundred.’ That stuck with me in the best way.

My editor Danny Cooper and I realized this isn’t just a Hotshot story—this is an FSK Universe story. So we created a unified reading order. That was stage one.

The Gauntlet came right after. Travis gifted me a full script and a new villain. That felt like a challenge—‘Your boy needs more villains. Let him fight.’ Having that script ready showed me the power of collaboration.

I knew Hotshot needed emotional and narrative prep for issue #24. I needed breadcrumbs, growth, impact. So I reached out to writers I trusted and built a roster of villains designed to push and challenge him. Almost like a Saturday morning cartoon: one-shots, high energy, new threats, all building toward something massive.

That’s how Runs the Gauntlet was born—quick, creator-driven, villain-packed storytelling designed to level Hotshot up and carry us straight into issue #24 with purpose and momentum.

The Dream Team

How did you choose the writers involved, and was it easy to get them on board?

As I designed each villain for the Gauntlet, I didn’t just think about powers—I thought about voice. I wanted every issue to feel like the villain was being written by the creator who could speak their truth the loudest. Choosing the writers became about pairing each character with the storyteller who could bring out their best.

Tell me briefly about your guest writers and what they each bring to the table?

Travis Gibb was a given. He gifted us the first Gauntlet script and a new villain, speaking to the immigrant and working-class experience.

For the magic-based villain, we needed energy—so Danny J Quick was perfect. A Batman/Superman–style crossover fits right in his lane.

Ossira’s story needed emotional depth and transformation. Karla Medrano brings that effortlessly through her work on Luna.

Freight is massive, tactical, and grounded. Morgan Iverson writes with raw authenticity and grit—exactly what Freight needed.

Bastet required passion for combat and high-intensity storytelling. That’s Lloyd Stanley Jones all day.

Mochizuki is a flashy, chaotic thief-type villain. Ted Sikora excels at letting villains steal the spotlight—he was made for this.

Rival is pure rivalry energy—Goku vs. Vegeta vibes. Tony Klapper lives for that kind of storytelling.

Spectrum used to be a joke villain, but now he’s dangerous. Kyrun’s editorial eye and ability to write frustration and escalation made him perfect to evolve Spectrum.

Finally, Brian J. Lambert closes out the run by wrapping up the Carla and Mike arc. His work on Emerald Quest proved he understands emotional weight and can capture Carla’s voice exactly as needed.

It was easier than I expected because I already had strong relationships with each creator. Once they heard the vision, they wanted in immediately.

What were some of the logistic hurdles you and the teams had to overcome?

The biggest hurdle was making sure all the lore, continuity, and character details lined up. Since most of these stories are one-shots, we needed solid through-lines (TL):

TL1: Explore Mike’s college life and show something he’s passionate about as a recurring thread.
TL2: Reveal our villain in the shadows—he’s moving, pulling strings, affecting each scenario.
TL3: Lay the foundation for Zero Event: Emergence.

Keeping all that synced with multiple writers was tough. Scheduling meetings wasn’t easy, so Facebook Messenger became our command center. I reached out individually while weaving the larger map together.

The second hurdle was making sure the writers felt their voice was truly represented. I’m always asking their thoughts, checking if we got what we needed, or if they have alternate solutions. It’s been a great collaborative experience.

Behind the Scenes

As the chief creator and with Hotshot being your brainchild, how much are you involved in each of the individual stories and storylines?

I’m in every room. Every outline. Every draft. Not to micromanage—just to keep Hotshot true and the long-term continuity tight. I give each writer freedom, but I’m the compass pointing everything toward the bigger narrative.I’m also drawing some of the issues, doing all the main covers, and working closely from script to pencils. My hands are on every stage to keep the energy consistent.

Do the writers talk among themselves in order to keep some cohesion?

We’ve got a shared hub, ongoing chats, reference docs, and continuity threads. The writers don’t need to tell the same story—but they do need to play in the same ecosystem. Collaboration is the secret sauce.

Powerful Impact

What is the impact you are hoping to get from this crossover of talent?

There are three major goals. First, I want to put FSK on the map with this run. Consistency is key—dropping a new Hotshot issue every quarter builds momentum and shows we’re operating at a mainstream pace. Second, I want readers to see the full strength of the indie community. This is iron sharpening iron. When great creators come together, it elevates the character and the culture. I want this run to be a blueprint for what indie comics can accomplish together. Finally, this is the dream. Crossovers, big arcs, powerhouse creative teams—this is the level I’ve always wanted to work at. And now we’re doing it.

Do you see this as something more indie creators in the space should try their hand at in the future?

Absolutely. Shared universes, crossovers, creator swaps—this builds excitement, grows audiences, and strengthens the indie scene. We don’t have to wait for the Big Two to innovate. We can do it ourselves right now.

With so many creative voices in the mix, how do you keep Hotshot’s core personality and mission consistent across the series?

Hotshot’s voice is pure heart—optimism in his lowest moments, humor in the face of danger, and a relentless drive to protect people. If the writers hit those pillars, everything else can flex.
We also maintain a queue of Hotshot-specific reference material that all the writers can review. And I’m always available to give Hotshot-specific feedback. That keeps his voice sharp across every issue.         
Plus our Editor Danny Cooper is the one of the best in the business. He is pouring over these pages and he and I are in constant communication to make this an ultimate Hotshot experience

What has been the most surprising thing you learned about your own character while developing this series?

How versatile he is. You can throw Hotshot into any situation—street-level grit, cosmic chaos, psychological battles—and he adapts. Seeing other creators push him showed me he has even more range than I realized.

What can we expect from the art team on this project? We talk so much about the writers, but are you taking on all the penciling and inking duties yourself, or will other artists be stepping in?

I’m the lead artist on the run. I’m doing most of the interiors, all the main covers, and some variant covers. But we also have two additional artists stepping in so we can work in rotation. As soon as a script is done, the next available artist jumps in. It keeps production moving and gives each issue its own flair while maintaining Hotshot’s unified visual identity.

 Are there any moments in the series that will really shock longtime fans?

Yes. We keep the train of emotion and action going. We’re testing Hotshot based on past experiences, setups we’ve planted, and the villains heading his way. Some villains will challenge his ideals, and a few may leave him with ideas he actually agrees with—which he’ll have to process.And yes, we introduce villains tied to real-world consequences. Several key moments plant major seeds for Zero Event: Emergence, which is going to blow open the entire FSK Universe.

Thank you Mike for taking time out of your busy schedule to tell the fans about your amazing endeavor and I wish you luck.

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