With Canada in the grip of some very interesting political times, it seems fitting that Zeros 2 Heroes is again fostering a Direct 2 Development opportunity. In that spirit, we creators are lobbying for the support of and votes by the Z2H community.

I'm hoping that my friends here will read and support my creations -- MAGIC & MAYHEM (formerly AGNES CULPEPPER) and EVOLUTIONARIES. I feel these works would make good-readin' comics, but I need your votes and commentary and engagement to make that happen.

My studio partner Ronn Sutton (co-creator, EVOLUTIONARIES) has been busy providing some uber-cool pencils for Z2H's own MINUS ONE. His art on EVOLUTIONARIES is first-rate too, IMHO. EVOS is a straight-ahead, kick-butt superhero story, and I hope you'll check it out.

As for me, I've been writing some screenplays, and my work in that area led me to the conclusion that MAGIC & MAYHEM is a better title than AGNES CULPEPPER. Do you agree? Please check this pitch and provide the magic of your support as you deem fit.

Thanks for listening. Here's hoping that I'm pitchin' a winning game here!

Cheers--Janet Hetherington

There's piles of snow everywhere, but Easter comes early this year. The Easter bunny will need to be energized to hop through all the snowbanks to deliver those chocolate eggs.

Do I still believe in the Easter Bunny? Of course I do! I write comic books, for cryin' out loud. Maybe you've read some of 'em. Also, check out the pitches Evolutionaries and Agnes Culpepper (wink, wink, plug, plug!).

I just bought some home-made baked treats at a fund-raising bake sale at my day job. Yummy! Gotta love all those pink/purple pastel colours. Makes me want to break out a bonnet with all the frills upon it.

Whatever your religious inclinations may be, I wish you a Hoppy Easter as we wait for spirng in Canada!

 Cheers, Janet

The current campaign for Zeros2Heroes involves developing Canadian talent. Canada's Aurora Awards recognize achievements in science fiction and fantasy by Canadian writers and artists.

This year, the Aurora Awards have a new online home, an new online nomination ballot and links to a new online database reflecting eligible works. 

The Aurora Awards (presented via Canvention 28) for works completed in 2007 are being given at Keycon 25, taking place May 16-19, 2008 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The closing date for nominations (online) is March 17, 2008. Nominations that are mailed in must be postmarked by March 10. Canadians can nominate, and later vote, for the awards.

The new website for the Prix Aurora Awards is http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/English/home.html, and the online nomination form can be found at http://www.prix-aurora-awards.ca/English/AwardProcess/nominationForm.php. 

Trying to determine who and what works are eligible can be challenging, so author Robert Sawyer and web guru Marcel Gagne joined forces to create the Canadian SF Database in 2007. The "wiki" style list is designed to provide a reference list of Canadian SF and fantasy genre works. 

These are the notes form the Canadian SF Database Welcome page: "You have arrived at the Canadian SF Works Database, a collaborative storehouse of knowledge about the world of professional Canadian science fiction and fantasy writing, publishing, and art. Why did we create this? Every year, usually at awards time, a few people scramble madly to assemble lists of the works published in the previous year. These lists help determine works that are eligible for those awards. Sometimes the lists are reasonably complete and accurate, sometimes they aren't, and sometimes they are just plain unavailable thereby leaving your favourite SF story in no-award purgatory. Oh, the humanity! Who knows what to do? Who can help? You do and you can! Here's how: Register, log in, and help us build a comprehensive list of Canadian science fiction and fantasy fiction and art published each year."

The current list of eligible works for 2007 (in English) can be found at: http://www.canadiansf.com/node/4.

The Canadian SF Database is itself eligible for nomination for an Aurora Award, as are artist Ronn Sutton (HSStudio) and myself (BestDestiny).

Hmmmm... maybe the Zeros2Heroes website is eligible too?

Cheers--Janet

P.S. Vote AGNES CULPEPPER and EVOLUTIONARIES on Z2H!

What a rush! I've added a new pitch... a straight-ahead, action-packed superhero adventure called Evolutionaries (a co-creation with artist Ronn Sutton).

Evos has been around for a bit, but upon re-reading the script, I felt it had legs -- er -- feathers, because Evos is about an eclectic  flock of enchanced humans with birdlike abilities.

While I love writing supernaturalaction and humour (see my pitch Agnes Culpepper), I also enjoy a good, old-fashioned superhero tale. Writing this kind of action lets me flex different scripting muscles -- character through dialogue and punchy scenes to keep the plot rolling.

Take a look at Evos and enjoy the ride. Comment and cast a vote if you're inclined. Be sure to check out the Evolutionaries art in teh HSStudio gallery too.

And please don't forget Agnes Culpepper. She's still magic to me, and I hope you will support both her and the Evolutionaries.

I have often written that I followed in the footsteps of Lois Lane, studying journalism and pursuing a career as a writer and editor. But mostly, like Lois, I fell in love with Superman -- that red-and-blue icon of good -- and I was delighted to discover that Kal-El was actually half-Canadian (as the co-creation of artist Joe Shuster).

I also fell in love with comic books full out. I grew  up watching TV and movies, but there wasn't computer and Internet as we have them now. As a kid, I drew comics on typewriter paper in pencil and then inked them in with ballpoint pen. I wrote and drew romance stories, supernatural mysteries and even fannish copyright-infringing stories about favourite characters, like Aquaman and Supergirl.

I think this is why the notion of publishing on the web, to the web, or via the web is so fascinating to me now. I have access to new marvelous tools -- I can do digital colour and letter professionally with computer fonts. I can make my comics pop onscreen. I can realize my vision.

One of those visions is "Agnes Culpepper," my Zeros 2 Heroes pitch. Due to a reality-check-time situation -- having surgery in late January 2008 -- I hadn't checked the site in awhile. Imagine my surprise when, through the Z2H newsletter, I discovered that my little Agnes had been creeping up in the ranks. People had beed reading my vision and little puffs of super-breath -- and votes -- have been blowing her along.

To everyone who has taken the time to discover Agnes, thank you. For those who are kind enough to take a look now, thank you.

Agnes Culpepper may not be faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but she's smart, sassy and magically delicious -- and she's all Canadian and she's mine.

I'm delighted to share Agnes Culpepper with you.

FYI: The panel below is from my Eternal Romance comic series. Reporter Lisa Larue meets alien love interest Halkyon.

When I first heard about Zeros 2 Heroes, I was excited by the opportunity that was being afforded to me, as a Canadian creator, to showcase my writing and my ideas. Picking the first concept to pitch was exciting (which one? which one?) and preparing the pitch was hard work but fun.

What I didn't expect was how fragile my creative ego can be. I've now posted the pitch,  and I'm waiting for the judgement of my peers. I must confess I'm feeling edgy. I'm hoping my Z2H colleagues will see the potential of Agnes Culpepper: Witch Practitioner (a PG romantic fantasy comedy) --  just as I do.

(You may not have found Agnes yet; I've got a problem with the title not appearing on the Z2H pitch box. I emailed Z2H tech support so hopefully that will be resolved.)

I chose Agnes Culpepper to adapt for Z2H because I always saw it as a TV show or movie, and it translated well into a comics script. Agnes first appeared in "The Power Lunch," a short story published in Bell, Book & Beyomd: An Anthology of Witchy Tales, and I always had a soft spot for the characters and story. (Don't worry; I checked the copyright before I began the adaptation, and it is mine.)

I thought I had a pretty good handle on the plot, dialogue and characters -- but adapting the prose story to a comics script was still a challenge! I went ahead and did character sketches based on descriptions in the text; one major change was to Demon Freddie, who lost his long, flowing hair in demon form. The demon, even in the original text, was big and rocky, and that's what I concentrated on. Check out the character sketches and let me know what you think.

The story was fairly easy to pace out for the script, but I did make dialogue changes -- more than I would have expected! In the original story, Peter Osgoode often plays comic foil to straight woman Agnes, and I needed to make that clear in the comics version. I ended up giving Peter more lines in the comics script. I invite you to read the script posted as part of the pitch.

I did enjoy "rediscovering" these characters as I prepared the pitch. I am more convinced than ever that there are more stories to tell about Agnes and Peter, and perhaps even the "spirit zoo" revealed over the course of the Power Lunch.

Adapting Agnes has been a labour of love. What's next? Maybe Agnes' Book of Shadows has something that can guide me to another, winning pitch!

Cheers -- Janet Hetherington

BestDestiny

Writing is work. I have been writing (and drawing) since before my teens, and I can only hope that with each new project, the writing gets better. I do know that it gets harder.

One of the things that helps immensely before tackling any new writing project is knowing the parameters for submission. I am looking forward to reading the Zeros2Heroes pitch framework so I can adapt and tweak my story ideas. (If the pitching tool for comics creation is already on the Z2H site and I haven't seen it, please direct me!)

It seems to me that while writing comics is about the visual, Z2H is about the visibility.  I will be interested to see this community forum at work.

Soon to be caught in the act of creativity,

Janet (BestDestiny)