Heroes Of Homeroom C

The comics and movies I grew up loving didn't feature many characters who looked like me.  I was 6 when my dad took me to see Star Wars.  There were lots of green people and purple people and furry people but the humans in my first "favourite film" were pretty darn monochromatic.  More and more, I've come to realize how important it is that kids of colour have positive role models, both in real life and in the pop culture they consume.  In fact, that's important for kids of ALL colours to help them recognize that people of OTHER races aren't something to be feared or shunned.

Now that I have a chance to create my own comics, I want to make sure that a wider spectrum of people are on display for readers of all ages and races to identify with and enjoy and aspire to be.  That's what I'm trying to do with my new company, Aristocrats Comics and with our first graphic novel, Heroes of Homeroom C.  Working with me on the book are artist Carlos Granda (Geek-Girl, Pirouette, The Jungle Book) and colourist Fred C. Stresing (The F1rst Hero, Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return, Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock).  Our cover is by current Marvel Comics cover artist Jay P. Fosgitt.

Heroes of Homeroom C tells the tale of Nicola and Albert Hathaway, twin 12-year-old, African-American superheroes, who lose their powers and get sent back to public school to try and have a "normal life."  But even in the small town paradise of Tranquil, Massachusetts, the kids find themselves caught up in danger and excitement.  In this first volume, Nicola and Albert face off against a young wizard named Damien LeVey. Damien has recently moved to Tranquil, with his mother, following his parents' divorce. The pre-teen sorcerer enacts a desperate plan, filled with dark magic, that he thinks will let him return to live with his father, a not-too-successful west coast supervillain.

Over the course of the story, we learn how the twins deal with the loss of their powers, their new life in suburbia, and suddenly being something other than world famous superheroes.

I also want to encourage kids to read…. ANYTHING.  When kids read, they learn.  About themselves, about other people and about the world around them.  If reading comics encourages them to read in general and learn and grow, then we will all have accomplished something amazing.  And if there's anything we need in our lives right now, it's a smarter next generation.  A generation that will value facts over fear.  A generation with some level of empathy that will put others first more often than themselves.

These are some lofty goals for one little comic book and one fledgling publisher… but I think they are worthy goals.  I don't fool myself into thinking that I, alone, can change the world but I'd like to think that if I try, and other people try, and more and more people decide they will try, together we can all succeed.

That's kind of like Kickstarter, isn't it?  I have an idea.  To bring that idea to life, I have made this effort; written a script, I told Carlos Granda and Fred C Stresing about it.  They believed in my vision and together we've started making the book.  I've put the project on Kickstarter and told some friends about it and they believe in the idea enough to have started supporting it.  Now we're all telling other people, hoping they will believe in the book and go to Kickstarter and make their pledge too.

And here I am, writing this article for Rich Johnston and Bleeding Cool, hoping you will believe in my vision.  Hoping you'll want to read Heroes Of Homeroom C.  And hoping that you will check out what we have to offer at www.heroesofhomeroomc.com and lend your support.

We have two and a half weeks left in the campaign.  There are reward tiers for print and digital versions of the complete graphic novel, t-shirts, chances to appear in the book as a supporting character, commission sketches, script consultations for aspiring writers, wholesale bundles for retailers and even a tier that gives YOU a copy of the book while simultaneously donating TWO copies to local libraries in your name.  And for you Bleeding Cool readers, if you make a pledge between now and the end of the campaign, leave us a message in the comment section and mention "Rich Johnston told me to check out your project" and I'll throw a couple of digital comics from The F1rst Hero back catalogue into your reward packages, just to say thank you for reading Bleeding Cool and for supporting Heroes of Homeroom C!