original_post:_6/29/2001_______________ I grew up in the southern states and had plenty of friends that gladly considered themselves "hicks" or "rednecks." So Willy was a bit of a tribute to those characters. I already knew when I came up with the idea for his character that he would be gay and a musician. The first time we meet him, I figured it would be good to let him play into the stereotype, so that Max, and the readers, would all be surprised at the same time.