EXCLUSIVE: Omar Spahi talks THANIEL

OSSM Comics is a relatively new but expanding company, having several series lined up for release in the near future. The first of these is a series called Thaniel which is about a young man with extraordinary powers. Aiming to rid the world off all evil Thaniel uses his supernatural abilities in a brutal yet effective way, taking down murders and drug dealers. Following my recent advance review for the first issue (which you can read here) I’ve been fortunate enough to ask series writer and OSSM Comics CEO Omar Spahi a few questions about this series and the future of OSSM Comics as a company.

UTF: What influenced you in becoming a comic book writer?

Omar Spahi: I’ve always wanted to make comics, and since I can’t draw. Writer became the obvious choice.

UTF: What comics or writers inspire you?

Omar Spahi: I first got into comics reading Geoff Johns Flash run and have loved Brian Buccellato’s Flash, Foster and Black Bat. I also greatly admire our Editor In Chief, Siike Donnelly and his work for charity Solestar.

UTF: How did you get into the comic book industry?

Omar Spahi: I just started making comics and going to conventions and meeting people. I became more involved at our local store in Santa Monica, it all just developed from there and the people in the industry being so nice.

UTF: How does it feel being the owner of your own comic book company?

Omar Spahi: It’s exhausting, but it’s the most fun job I’ve ever had. I love comics and love creating comics. I know we have an uphill task trying to compete with Image, Dark Horse and other major publishers, but we’re going to try to do everything we can to build OSSM Comics into the next major publisher.

UTF: What do you love writing the most (dialogue, action, character interaction ect.) and what is your favorite genre to write?

Omar Spahi: I love to plot more than actually write dialogue, but out of all the dialogue I write Dom’s from Xenoglyphs has to be my favorite.

UTF: What inspired you to create Thaniel?

Omar Spahi: I wanted to make something new that hadn’t been done before that people can relate to. I kept seeing all the monsters have family but I’ve never seen Grim Reaper have a family. I always found it interesting how Death works and how children are the legacy we leave behind.

UTF: What should we expect to see during this mini-series and how does it differ from your previous work Xenoglyphs?

Omar Spahi: Xenoglyphs tends to be a lot more fun and light hearted, while Thaniel is much darker and geared for mature readers. I expect Thaniel is going to be our coming out party, if you haven’t heard about OSSM Comics you will after Thaniel.

UTF: Have you anything planed for Thaniel following the mini-series?

Omar Spahi: We actually have our next book Monomyth by Siike Donnelly and Eric Ninaltowski coming out just as soon as Thaniel wraps up. The book rocks so hard, I know people are going to love it.

UTF: You’ve also got another new series in Seperators coming out soon. What should we expect from that series and when should we expect to see it in comic shops?

Omar Spahi: Separtors follows up Xenoglyphs with many of the same characters. It’s kind of a Xenoglyphs 2.0 with a fresh start and lots of new characters.

UTF: I’ve had the pleasure of talking with your Editor-in-Chief and marketing director Siike Donnelly. Has his addition boosted OSSM comic as a company, and do you work closely alongside him?

Omar Spahi: Siike has been superb, he’s a one man army. Superman needs to rip the “S” off his chest and give it to Siike because he’s really the heart and soul of our company. I work with Siike pretty much everyday to make sure we’re on the same page with everything moving forward.

UTF: Will OSSM Comics ever become a universe style company or will there be no connection between your series.

Omar Spahi: At this time we wanted to put out lots of new standalone miniseries and titles without crossovers, but you never know which characters will end up in a comic together.

UTF: Final question. What advice would you give to an aspiring writer about getting into the comic book industry?

Omar Spahi: The biggest advice I can give is work with comic people and make friends within the industry. Comic people are the nicest people so it shouldn’t be too hard. Oh, and practice writing and structure everyday.

I’d like to thank Omar Spahi for taking the time to answer my questions. I’d also like to remind everyone that the first issue of Thaniel is out April 9th. I for one will be getting this magnificent issue and urge every fanboy to give it and OSSM Comics a try.