Epsen Pharmaceuticals

A story set in the 80s wouldn't be complete without an evil corporation looking to stop our protagonist. When I began Katie Kennedy, I knew I was telling a story with multiple themes, with two of the bigger ones being an origin story of a superhero in a small town and corporate culture in the 80s. Epsen Pharmaceuticals was born from the latter.

When you're placing a corporation in a small town, it inherently becomes a major factor in that town. People move there to work for Epsen. The company has a massive influence on the town and the decision making in its local government. Epsen would take the advantage of being in a small town, having less attention focused on its day-to-day, and ultimately create a stronghold in its local area.

Of course, we're dealing with a fictional story, set in the 80s, and my imagination, so why wouldn't there be underground levels where experiments were happening? The first half of Katie Kennedy takes place in the offices of Epsen. We meet Katie's co-workers and managers. We learn the dynamics of the workplace. We see who runs the show.

Then, later on in the story, we eventually learn about the dark side of Epsen. Katie's newfound abilities have piqued the interest of those in charge and Epsen wants to know more. While Epsen becomes an antagonist to Katie, they're also a big part of her origin story. Through their experiments and nefarious ways, they help show Katie how powerful she can be.

They also wind up creating a final antagonist or final boss, for those video gamers out there, that Katie must defeat to protect her family and the town.

But where does Epsen fit into this universe? While Katie Kennedy is where we first meet Epsen, I'm confident it won't be the last time we hear from them. After all, their treacherous reach will no doubt span decades.

If you're interested in learning more about Brookville, check out my other stories: Paradoxed, The Corn Maze, The Brookville Arms and All Things Weird: The Jar of Pandora.