The comic book industry boasts a problem of supply and demand. There are a ton of great artists and writers out there (supply), but only so many properties you can consume at any given moment (demand). This means that breaking in is pretty much impossible unless you're that good or you can prove that Stan Lee is related to you somehow.
Hero Tomorrow is a movie that looks at what a creator goes through as he attempts to get his big break: landscaping job, drugs, basement living, girlfriend who has no business being with him and spandex. The end result isn't what you would expect.
The film was actually released way back in 2007 and was scribed by newcomers Milo Miller & Ted Sikora. Set in Cleveland, OH, Sikora's directorial debut features Perren Hedderson as David, a struggling comic creator with a mane of dreadlocks and a Native American inspired blanket in his basement room. His room happens to be right across from a room full of toy trains as he lives with his best friend (Bryan Jalovec as Greg) and his dad (Pat Milo). Yeah, times are tough.
David has created a character named Apama, a Native American inspired wendigo of sorts that fights crime (a la Spider-man). A quick internet search shows Apama to be wife of the first ruler of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus I Nicator. Intersting. David is struggling to maintain his relationship with Robyn (Jocelyn Wrzosek), an aspiring fashion designer who works at the local comic book shop (also named Hero Tomorrow). When she's not putting up with comic book store readers hitting on her and her mom's absentee parenting, she's also dealing with David's incessant whining.
The entire premise of the movie is basically we're all aspiring to be something. David is waiting to get his big break, while working a landscaping job for his best friend Greg's fledgling business that is waiting for its big break. Meanwhile Robyn is attending fashion shows in hopes of getting her big break as a fashion designer; she actually designs and crafts an Apama costume for David to wear. He wears the costume for inspiration at first, but that inspiration quickly turns to necessity as he becomes obssessed with the character he's created. The movie essentially follows a pretty predictable track as Apama takes to the streets, fighting the evildoers (teens smashing pumpkins and stealing kids' candy) and righting wrongs. The film's ending is somewhat cryptic (and surprising) in that you're not really sure where Robyn and David are going to go next in their lives (or where they've been for the 18 month gap in between).
Wrzosek (pronounced Ro-zak) positively steals she show as Robyn. She shows the widest range of emotions of anyone in the film and, as really the only female role, protrayed the most well-acted and realistic character. I get what Hedderson is trying to pull off in the sense that he's struggling, but his portrayal came across more as whining than anything. I understand it sucks that you have to cut lawns in your spare time while you're trying to get your work off the ground, but I didn't get the impression that he made much of a marketing push. He was best friends with the comic book store owner, but Apama was nowhere to be seen in the store. Couldn't he have put together a few issues of the book somehow?
The movie has garnered tons of positive feedback and is widely considered to be the darling of the indie comic movie genre. The story is very belivable and, as anyone in David's position can attest to, it is difficult to get your character (the best ever) noticed in a sea of Batman, Superman, etc. Hero Tomorrow serves as both an affirmation and a sober reminder of the difficulties creators face in breaking in.
Hero Tomorrow
Hero Tomorrow Blog
The comic book industry boasts a problem of supply and demand. There are a ton of great artists and writers out there (supply), but only so many properties you can consume at any given moment (demand). This means that breaking in is pretty much impossible unless you're that good or you can prove that Stan Lee is related to you somehow. Hero Tomorrow is a movie that looks at what a creator goes through as he attempts to get his big break: landscaping job, drugs, basement living, girlfriend who has no business being with him and spandex. The end result isn't what you would expect.
The film was actually released way back in 2007 and was scribed by newcomers Milo Miller & Ted Sikora. Set in Cleveland, OH, Sikora's directorial debut features Perren Hedderson as David, a struggling comic creator with a mane of dreadlocks and a Native American inspired blanket in his basement room. His room happens to be right across from a room full of toy trains as he lives with his best friend (Bryan Jalovec as Greg) and his dad (Pat Milo). Yeah, times are tough.
David has created a character named Apama, a Native American inspired wendigo of sorts that fights crime (a la Spider-man). A quick internet search shows Apama to be wife of the first ruler of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus I Nicator. Intersting. David is struggling to maintain his relationship with Robyn (Jocelyn Wrzosek), an aspiring fashion designer who works at the local comic book shop (also named Hero Tomorrow). When she's not putting up with comic book store readers hitting on her and her mom's absentee parenting, she's also dealing with David's incessant whining.
The entire premise of the movie is basically we're all aspiring to be something. David is waiting to get his big break, while working a landscaping job for his best friend Greg's fledgling business that is waiting for its big break. Meanwhile Robyn is attending fashion shows in hopes of getting her big break as a fashion designer; she actually designs and crafts an Apama costume for David to wear. He wears the costume for inspiration at first, but that inspiration quickly turns to necessity as he becomes obssessed with the character he's created. The movie essentially follows a pretty predictable track as Apama takes to the streets, fighting the evildoers (teens smashing pumpkins and stealing kids' candy) and righting wrongs. The film's ending is somewhat cryptic (and surprising) in that you're not really sure where Robyn and David are going to go next in their lives (or where they've been for the 18 month gap in between).
Wrzosek (pronounced Ro-zak) positively steals she show as Robyn. She shows the widest range of emotions of anyone in the film and, as really the only female role, protrayed the most well-acted and realistic character. I get what Hedderson is trying to pull off in the sense that he's struggling, but his portrayal came across more as whining than anything. I understand it sucks that you have to cut lawns in your spare time while you're trying to get your work off the ground, but I didn't get the impression that he made much of a marketing push. He was best friends with the comic book store owner, but Apama was nowhere to be seen in the store. Couldn't he have put together a few issues of the book somehow?
The movie has garnered tons of positive feedback and is widely considered to be the darling of the indie comic movie genre. The story is very belivable and, as anyone in David's position can attest to, it is difficult to get your character (the best ever) noticed in a sea of Batman, Superman, etc. Hero Tomorrow serves as both an affirmation and a sober reminder of the difficulties creators face in breaking in.
Hero Tomorrow
Hero Tomorrow Blog
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