JOSEFINA LOPEZ: "I wrote it because I had never seen anything about people like me, women my size. So to have so many people embrace 'Real Women Have Curves' and to have a buzz and people waiting and the excitement I was like, wow, it's speaking a truth that goes beyond being Latino or being a woman. It's about people always underestimating you."

You can watch a video about Josefina Lopez and her theater at voaspecialenglish.com

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STEVE EMBER: Marvel Comics has entertained generations of comic book readers with characters like Spider-Man, the Hulk and Captain America. These days, with competition from video games and online entertainment, comic book creators are trying to think outside the box. For example, most Marvel superheroes have been based in New York. But now the company is establishing new characters based in other cities, including Houston, the largest city in Texas.

On a recent day, comic book fans from all over the area came to the 8th Dimension Comics and Games store in Houston. They came to meet the author and artist responsible for Marvel Comics' new Scarlet Spider series.

It was a good day for the owner of 8th Dimension, Jeremy Bulloch.

JEREMY BULLOCH: "I own a comic shop, but first and foremost I am a comic book fan, so as a fan I am super-excited that this is going on."

This latest version of Scarlet Spider is Kaine, a cloned copy of Peter Parker, better known as Spider-Man. Kaine went on a dark path, but is now being given a second chance at life to fight crime in Houston.