Hero Tomorrow

Masque of the Red Death 2011

2011-11-23T17:23:00.001-05:00

Arts Prize Channel

2011-10-05T00:24:00.003-04:00

This year one of my biggest ventures is filming profiles of recipients of The Cleveland Arts Prize. Interviewing/shooting all these talented folks is extremely rewarding, and it's pushing me in new creative directions that I never before imagined. Check out the first six on the brand new Arts Prize Vimeo Channel. They feature Amy Casey, David Giffels, John Paul Miller, Melvin Rose, La Wilson and Don Vanderbrook.

Raging Bullets Podcast

2011-09-24T20:51:00.001-04:00

Just had a great talk with Sean and Jim from Raging Bullets about Apama 2. Check it out here.

Raging Bullets Apama 2 Podcast

Terminal Tower

2011-08-18T04:41:00.004-04:00

View of the Terminal Tower hanging out of a chopper last night. What an amazing shoot - and the most perfect sky. As a bonus got a Hawkeye look at the Avengers movie carnage on East 9th - just crazy - gotta love Cleveland.

Spider-Man Lizard Comic Con Image

2011-07-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

I'm a freelancer.

2011-05-04T06:26:00.002-04:00

In April I made the leap to freelance as a filmmaker. Once I came to this decision there was almost an avalanche of evidence that this was the right move. I'm happy to report that some really fun and unusual projects are already underway. I also recently landed a pretty sweet suite in Akron for editing and client meetings too.

It's kind of funny, because even though we didn't end up selling Hero Tomorrow for big bucks, it sure has given back to me in ways that are truly immeasurable. If you or anyone you know has a indie film script, web content piece, TV commercial, music video, family archive interview, anything at all - let's talk about it : )

Thanks, and please take a look at my new CINEMATOGRAPHY REEL

Apama #2 is Online Now

2011-05-04T06:23:00.000-04:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More hero tomorrow

The Spidey Project

2011-03-23T07:34:00.002-04:00

The Spidey Project (Zero Dollars - 30 Days - The First Spiderman Musical to Officially Open in NYC) is now online.

As a lifelong fan who hasn't missed Amazing Spider-Man since 1974 I have to say I LOVED it. Spidey wears the silly parody treatment pretty well. He's always been a nutty character and this is fun like we haven't seen before.

The most surprising thing is that amid the breakneck pace and campiness a lot of heart worked its way into the mix. Peter Parker is great! Gwen sings like and angel. Betty Brant is... um... indescribable. The tunes are pretty good too - much better in fact than any of the droning U2 b-sides I've been hearing from Bring on the Dark.

The audio quality of the recording is a bit rough, so I recommend listening with decent headphones and watching in full screen 720p.

Congrats to the creators and cast. Here's hoping they follow through with their recent threat to make a cast recording.

Ted

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

We lost a great one.

2011-02-16T12:12:00.002-05:00

Our prayers go out to the family of George David Phillips. George played talk show host Grant Coakley in Hero Tomorrow. He was a sweetheart of a guy and we'll miss him immensely. I was blessed to have worked with him and we're honored to have George in our film.

FROM THE PLAIN DEALER

Cleveland's Own Superhero Takes to the Streets

2011-01-21T10:36:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Hallie Witwer for this article on all things Apama.

ALTOHIO

Apama Installation Press

2011-01-14T09:16:00.005-05:00

Erin O'Brien just wrote about our Apama installation for Freshwater Cleveland. It' s great to see Joan Smith getting the credit she deserves.

Erin also went more in-depth with Apama and Cleveland history on her amazing blog

Thanks Erin!

2010-12-23T09:41:00.007-05:00

(Click the image for a larger view)

Congrats to Brian McCann for "Santa tonight, Hero Tomorrow - Happy Christmas from the dirty City." Brian will be receiving an original art page from issue 2 of Apama.

This was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who entered. I'm sure we'll do it again. Thanks also to our judges, Chris Hixson, Jocelyn Wrzosek, Joe Reboudo, & Rob Sikora who helped Benito, Milo and I pick the winner.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa. May a blessed New Year be yours.

Here's some honorable mentions:

Now all that's left is this bag of coal for LeBron!
- Eddy Newell (The best of the LeBron captions)

And as their vigilance prevailed, so too did the midnight’s Christmas church bells.
- Adrienne

Happy Apama-ka!
- thefreakytiki

A few too many nogs, Vica and Apama hijack an aircraft!
- Adam Muskewicz

Has Apama gotten his tinsel in a tangle?
- Patrick

Silent Night Holy Terror
- Mary Gerity

Squid dreams are made of these.
- John Ceperich

Apama Christmas Caption Contest

2010-12-04T15:50:00.003-05:00

It started out pretty simple. We asked artist Benito Gallego to create a holiday themed Apama pinup for issue 2. The only direction we gave him was to try and incorporate Cleveland into the background.

Once again he blew our doors off and we were utterly speechless. So speechless, in fact, that we've decided to send out a desperate plea for help. Shoot us an idea for the space in the Christmas scroll, and if we use it in the final, you will receive an original Bento Gallego signed art page from Apama - The Undiscovered Animal ($300 dollar value.)

Send caption ideas to letters@apamanation.com or add them under the image right here on the APAMA FACEBOOK PAGE

UPDATE: DEADLINE DECEMBER 16th 11:59PM!

-- On top of this, while the holiday season is upon us, we're also offering the critically acclaimed feature film Hero Tomorrow DVD for a mere $9.99!

Click here to Own Hero Tomorrow Today

Masque of the Red Death

2010-11-10T02:40:00.002-05:00

I had the honor and pleasure of shooting this wickedly entertaining party.

The Akron Civic Theatre and Evant, Inc. present a Halloween party like no other: a macabre masquerade that pays homage to Poe's classic tale!

Masque of the Red Death from Ted Sikora on Vimeo.

Apama - Superhero - Downtown Cleveland Art Installation Video

2010-10-07T10:06:00.004-04:00

We had so much fun with this, and huge thanks are in order for everyone who was involved - especially Cleveland Storefront Art and the building's owner, Joseph Ditchman. We're also greatly appreciative to everyone who purchased merchandise to help fund the project. The final install ended up being almost 30 feet high. Somewhere in Pittsburgh our beloved Jocelyn Wrzosek is surely blushing. If you're in Cleveland please pop on by 811 Prospect Avenue for an up close and personal look.

I also need to thank and plug REPROS PRINTING.

Apama Comic Book - Downtown Cleveland Art Installation from Ted Sikora on Vimeo.

Canton Palace International Film Festival

2010-10-05T00:02:00.002-04:00

We have a screening this Sunday at the first annual Canton Palace International Film Festival. Hero Tomorrow was invited to be the closing night film this Sunday October 10th at 7PM. We'll be showing in glorious High Definition (finally) for the first time. Hope to see you there -- take a look at how gorgeous this theatre is.

The Canton Palace Theatre

605 Market Avenue North

Canton, Ohio 44702

Apama #2 Cover

2010-10-04T21:25:00.003-04:00

Here's the cover to issue 2 illustrated by Benito Gallego! This issue features a villain based on Hero Tomorrow's Bryan Jalovec. Click for a bigger view.

Apama - 811 Prospect Avenue Building Proposal

2010-09-09T16:55:00.002-04:00

This one has been brewing for quite a while. Huge thanks to Joan Smith of Cleveland Storefront Art for making this a reality. We'll be installing the actual pieces this Saturday and real pics will soon follow!

READ APAMA ISSUE 1

2010-08-20T07:19:00.002-04:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More animal fight

FIRST APAMA COMIC REVIEW

2010-08-11T11:17:00.008-04:00

Thanks to Eric at the Pullbox for this article!
BEHOLD - APAMA: THE UNDISCOVERED ANIMAL!
Yes, I giggled a little bit too when I said it out loud. But you know what, this FREE online comic is worth a look. It is a Kirby-esque origin story that made me wish there was a second ish ready. Benito Gallego does an outrageously good job of bringing this “comic within a movie” alive. I know Gallego from his fantasy art work, but with this project he shows he can play in the superhero realm just as well. The story written by Milo Miller and Ted Sikora is a modern PG-13+ (language and innuendo) version of a classic heroic melodrama. This comic would be worth buying, let alone getting to read for free.

Check it out here!

This comic is a film tie-in to Hero Tomorrow (from Swinging Cane Productions), one of the best indie dramas I have seen in recent years. When all is said and done, Hero Tomorrow is a fantastic comic-book-themed movie that outdoes the vast majority of mainstream movies that are marketed towards the fanboy and girl (and yes, Kick Ass, I’m looking right at you)

Posted by Eric at The Pullbox

Superhero From Award-Winning Film Makes Online Debut in Free Comic- Hey World, GET READY FOR APAMA!

2010-08-11T09:59:00.012-04:00

The first issue of “Apama- The Undiscovered Animal” is available to read free online at www.herotomorrow.com. The web comic is a new ongoing series that will publish on a quarterly basis, with issue 2 already finishing production for an anticipated October release.

The character Apama made his debut at San Diego's Comic Con International in the independent feature film Hero Tomorrow. HT has been an international film festival sensation, screening at festivals everywhere from New York to Montreal, Rome, Brazil and Australia.

In the Cleveland based film, David is a struggling comic book artist who can't sell his original superhero idea, Apama, to a publisher. His girlfriend, an aspiring costume designer, makes him an Apama costume for Halloween. Once David's life goes to pot, he embarks on various misadventures dressed up as his own superhero.

The comic book version of Apama is a realization of what David would have created had he succeeded in his comic book career. So it's a fresh start for new readers and no knowledge of the film is required to enjoy the comic.

Apama is also done in a style that's an homage to comics of the 70s. Apama creator Ted Sikora explains. “We're attempting to create a book that gives us the same feeling we had reading comics growing up. It’s really a valentine to the classic 70’s bronze age of comics, which is why finding the perfect artist was so important.”

"We put an ad out for an illustrator on the website ConceptArt.org and to our shock over 100 artists from all over the world applied for the project. It was tough to narrow it down, but Spaniard Benito Gallego was our ultimate choice."

"Benito's art really had that timeless flavor - you look at it and can't say when it was created." says Sikora. "His page layouts give the story a very seamless flow. He draws beautiful females, and does wonderful work with architecture. In the past he had done quite a bit of animal-monster themed comic art, so he was a great fit."

Says Gallego of the project, "It's a very mature approach to the superhero genre, It goes from comedy to horror passing through romance. There are references to spiritual knowledge, ethnicities, culture, religion, and mythology."

“Outside of Howard the Duck I can’t think of anyone else who heroed it up in Cleveland, Ohio,” enthuses co-writer Milo Miller. “It’s a lot of fun working on a book with some real local flavor. Lebron James? Who needs him, C-town is gonna belong to Apama!”

The DVD for Hero Tomorrow, which has over four hours of material, is currently available for purchase on the film's website and iTunes. Both the film and comic book are intended for mature audiences.

A NEW SUPERHERO ARRIVES IN CLEVELAND - THE ORIGIN CITY OF SUPERMAN - GET READY FOR APAMA!

2010-07-15T01:56:00.005-04:00

A NEW SUPERHERO ARRIVES IN CLEVELAND - THE ORIGIN CITY OF SUPERMAN - GET READY FOR APAMA!

Back in 1932 two guys from Cleveland Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created the world's first super powered crimefighter, Super-Man. Over the years thousands of characters have been created in the genre but almost none have ever called Cleveland home. Now longtime friends and filmmakers Ted Sikora and Milo Miller have co-written and produced a new comic book series entitled "Apama - The Undiscovered Animal" whose adventures take place all over Cleveland.

Apama made his debut at San Diego's Comic Con International, in the independent film "Hero Tomorrow" which has been an international film festival sensation, screening at festivals everywhere from New York to Montreal, Rome, Brazil and Australia.

In the Cleveland based film, David is a struggling comic book artist who can't sell his original superhero idea, Apama, to a publisher. His girlfriend, being an aspiring costume designer, makes him a costume of Apama for Halloween. Once David's life goes to pot, he decides to embark on various misadventures in real life dressed up as his own superhero.

The comic book "Apama: The Undiscovered Animal" is a realization of David's dream that imagines what David would have created had he succeeded in his comic book creating career.

So what is an Apama? With so many great super-heroes based on creatures from nature (Spider-Man, Bat-Man, Wolverine) the creators asked themselves, "What if there was another creature that was so powerful and stealth that is was still undiscovered by modern man?" That creature is the Apama. In the comic book, Hungarian ice cream truck driver Ilyia Zjarsky goes hiking one day and finds the ancient Native American scroll that reveals the key to enabling the Apama's spirit in a human. Says Sikora, "This isn't just some adaptation of a movie. Milo and I felt that we truly had something new to say in the genre. This book will stand on its own two feet without any knowledge of our film."

When the team decided to make this into a comic book they put an ad out for an illustrator on the website ConceptArt.org. "To our shock over 100 artists from all over the world applied for the project. It was tough to narrow it down, but Spaniard Benito Gallego was our ultimate choice."

"Benito's art reminded us of the classic '70s comic book style we all grew up loving." says Sikora. "His panel layouts give the story a very seamless flow - a very rare quality. He draws beautiful females, and does wonderful work with architecture. In the past he had done quite a bit of animal-monster themed comic art, so he was the perfect fit."

Says Gallego of the project, "It's a very mature approach to the superhero genre, It goes from comedy to horror passing through romance. There are references to spiritual knowledge, ethnicities, culture, religion, and mythology."

To help Benito capture authentic Cleveland, Sikora went all over town, photographing various locations to create the right feel. "It was just like scouting for our film all over again. I actually got permission to show some actual storefronts and apartment buildings as well."

The first issue of "Apama" is available for free downloading on the film's website (www.herotomorrow.com) The comic is expected to publish on a quarterly basis, and is intended for mature audiences.

The DVD for Hero Tomorrow, which has over four hours of material, is currently available for purchase on the film's website and iTunes.

Apama Red Bubble Site

2010-06-23T01:04:00.007-04:00

Apama #1 Cover merchandise is now available at our APAMA RED BUBBLE SITE.

The posters are extremely high quality. You could make a hammock out of it.

Apama - #1 Cover

2010-05-28T12:30:00.003-04:00

Here's the final cover to Apama The Undiscovered Animal - illustrated by the incredible & spectacular Benito Gallego! We're about a month away from getting this baby up and running. Click the image for a larger view ;-l

Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking

2010-05-14T18:20:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Smash or Trash Independent Film-Making for their Hero Tomorrow DVD review.

Get 'cher Brats Here!

2010-05-07T11:13:00.005-04:00

This one really took me by surprise. Thanks so much to Glenn Andreiev for talking kindly about Hero Tomorrow in his recent article that features AVATAR!

FILMS IN REVIEW

Spaces Art Gallery Members Show

2010-04-09T10:50:00.006-04:00

HT DVDs and posters will be on sale the Spaces Gallery Artmart. There's also a brand new Hero Tomorrow promo video on display with our ever-creepy Apama Mannequin!

BVS Reviews

2010-04-07T02:34:00.007-04:00

"Over the last year or so I have screened and reviewed some very interesting and different films..." "But the most different, avant-garde if you will, film that I have watched recently is Hero Tomorrow"

BVS Reviews - Hero Tomorrow

Paul Kientiz Review

2010-04-06T02:14:00.001-04:00

PAUL KIENITZ is a someone who started reviewing lots of comic book films. His HT review is mixed, but overall we fared pretty well compared to other massive budget hero type films.

http://paulkienitz.net/comix/index.php?herotomorrow.html

Space Booger Review

2010-04-05T02:05:00.000-04:00

This is a really sweet Hero Tomorrow DVD review from Space Booger!

Apama Illustration by Benito Gallego

2010-03-31T10:56:00.002-04:00

Here's an advance look at another Apama image by Benito Gallego.

Magazine Ad

2010-03-18T12:12:00.003-04:00

This image was almost our DVD cover. The photo was taken by Laura Ruth Bidwell in the bathroom of The Phantasy Night Club. We did use it recently in a magazine ad. Be sure to click it for the full detail ;-l

Power of Pop Review

2010-03-17T12:03:00.005-04:00

We just got reviewed in Singapore! Thanks to Kevin Mathews for this POWER OF POP HERO TOMORROW REVIEW

Multiversity Comics Review

2010-03-16T10:26:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Gilbert Short for his Hero Tomorrow review on Multiversity Comics -- a site that is by people who love comics, for people who love comics.

The Trades Review

2010-03-15T17:34:00.002-04:00

Hero Tomorrow was just reviewed in "The Trades."

Hero Press Review

2010-03-04T09:11:00.002-05:00

This was a really nice Hero Tomorrow DVD review from Tim Knight at Hero Press.

UPDATE: I just did really fun follow up interview with Tim for Hero Press.

Benito Gallego

2010-02-21T11:50:00.006-05:00

Apama - The Undiscovered Animal is back on track with the amazing artist Benito Gallego.

When our very talented and dear friend Eddy Newell became unavailable to illustrate the series we placed an ad on ConceptArt.org explaining the project and looking for artists. We were completely overwhelmed by about 100 extremely gifted illustrators from all over the world. The decision was difficult to say the least, and we hope to do pin-ups with a bunch as the series goes forward, but in the end it was Benito's style and storytelling that really struck us and felt so right for this project. This piece in his portfolio entitled ESCAPE TO MADNESS absolutely sealed the deal.

Comic books today are wonderful - I love what is going in in the Marvel Universe - but as the cliche goes.... they sure don't make 'em like they did in the 70s. Milo, Benito, and I are absolutely products of that era, and we trying to do something that is really groundbreaking by picking up the 70s torch and making a u-turn away from the 80s/90s evolutions.

We're beyond excited, and percolating with ideas that will make this series a wild mix of action, romance, horror, and comedy.

Nothing Like Vaudeville

2010-02-10T05:11:00.005-05:00

Back in the early 90s my brother Kurt and I had an original rock band called Nothing Like Vaudeville that recorded a concept album. The tagline read "Somewhere in the 1920s a runaway freak clashed with bizarre mob violence and a diabolical ringmaster."

At some point it seemed that this concept album would be better served as a stage production. In November of 94 "Nothing Like Vaudeville - The Musical" opened in Cleveland at the Phantasy Theater.

After the show's initial run we went into the studio to record a demo with audio engineer Chris Keffer. When the demo was completed it was sent to Michael Kerker of ASCAP publishing who suggested that it be released as an original cast album.

The disc was subsequently picked up for international distribution by Original Cast Records and scored some rock solid reviews. The show was next retooled in 1999 for a run at Daytona Beach Community College directed by Derek Mason.

This video is a trailer for the original cast album. I had a great time putting it together using Magic Bullet Looks filters to give it that dirty old time film look.

Hero Tomorrow's Tara Kamman makes an appearance at around the 2 minute mark.

www.nothinglikevaudeville.com

ITunes February 16th!

2010-01-22T18:38:00.004-05:00

Hero Tomorrow will be available for download on Itunes on February 16th. We're proud to be one of the first films to get accepted to Itunes without a traditional distributor.

Comic Book Outsiders

2010-01-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Grandison and Steve from Comic Book Outsiders "Bringing you some of the very best hidden gems from the worlds of independent comics, movies and TV" In episode 69 the Hero Tomorrow section begins at 28:15

Episode 69

Order the Hero Tomorrow DVD Online

2009-10-16T14:35:00.007-04:00

The Hero Tomorrow DVD is available online - shipping October 19th. ORDER THE DISC

Loaded with Extras

"The Making of Hero Tomorrow" - 24 minute documentary featuring interviews with 14 cast and crew members, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
"Soundtrack Who's Who" - 20 minute montage that introduces you to HT's incredible music artists while showing alternate takes and bonus scenes.
Auditions
Cast and crew bios
Concept art
Commentary track and much more - Over 4 hours of material!

If you're local to Cleveland you can get the disc in person from one of our actors (Larry Zjaba) in one of our locations B & L Comics (the comic shop backroom in the movie.)

B&L Comics

5591 Ridge Rd

Cleveland, OH 44129
(440) 886-3077

Tokin with Lawrence Welk

2009-10-15T15:19:00.001-04:00

Guess they didn't realize toke was a pot reference.

Sugarman Three

2009-10-09T22:00:00.011-04:00

Finally a chance to catch my breath and get back to talking about our spectaculous music artists.

I first heard the vintage funk sounds of Sugarman Three during a party at the home of Kevin Shahan. I remember thinking man, they don't make music like this anymore. I asked Kevin who it was, and he mentioned that it was a NEW recording. I was floored. I've always thought funk/jazz and comics have a very cool collectable kinship. This stuff would be perfect in our movie... could we possibly get these hip New York cats to take part in our indie Cleveland film? I tracked down Neal Sugarman on myspace, told him about HT, and he was cool with it.

On a side note one of the Sugarman Three members is Adam Scone. His father and the father of Perren Hedderson are very close friends. In fact Bruce Hedderson was best man in the wedding of the father of Adam Scone. Crazy coincidence.

I'm so thrilled to have four tracks from Sugarman Three in Hero Tomorrow. Buy their music. Buy their music.

Daptone Records

"that little indie label that could, would and certainly should--continues to bring you the tastiest, most delectable nuggets of Soul, Funk, Gospel and Afrobeat to be found on a vinyl platter. Armed with recipes culled from a former life as Desco Records, we at Daptone earnestly strive to serve only the finest music analog tape can offer.

Musician-owned and run, our Brooklyn-based family of soul-drenched talent channels the spirits of bygone powerhouses like Stax and Motown into gilded moments of movement and joy, be they delivered by the likes of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Charles Bradley, Binky Griptite, the Budos Band, Naomi Davis or the Sugarman 3. Whether your preference is for discs 7-inches or 12, LPs or CDs, this is music to be savored and felt, again and again."

Word.

AltOhio Bridge Project Story & Review

2009-10-06T23:32:00.003-04:00

Huge thanks to Elise Prehoda for this great article on the Bridge Project. It was an amazing time, and we're extremely grateful for her review of Hero Tomorrow.

AltOhio.com

DVD Release Date

2009-10-04T22:42:00.011-04:00

The Hero Tomorrow DVD is available on our website now, and as of February 16th, 2010 it will be for sale on ITunes - ending the longest rollout of a feature film perhaps umm.. jeez maybe ever. There were a bunch of things -- crazy, beautiful, expensive, disappointing, enlightening --things (which I won't get into right now) that happened over the last couple years delaying the HT release.

People keep asking us about distribution. Well, we did get several distribution offers, and I'm truly honored that anyone in this tough market/economy was interested in taking on our film. However, during our festival run I spoke with so many filmmakers that were dissatisfied with their distributors. Story after horrific story... filmmaker signs deal - never sees a penny - or worse - signs deal - puts film in coffin. So while it would have been great to say "Hey everybody - we got a distributor!" the reality is that the numbers just didn't add up - at least not for us.

It's a new day for indie filmmakers. We can make our own deals and partnerships with sweet sites like Filmbaby, Amazon, Itunes - the list grows every day. We're also about to launch this kick ass Apama spin-off comic book. Right now it makes sense for us to retain all the rights.

We're very proud of how Hero Tomorrow came out and honored beyond our wildest imagination at the hundreds of people (actors, crew, extras, friends, family, musicians, comic book publishers, writers, artists, video compositors, location owners) who have come to be involved.

The recent feedback on the final cut of the film and all the DVD extras has been amazing.

It some weird way it feels like we're just ramping up, so I just want to say one more time - thanks so much for all the support and please stay tuned - we won't let you down.

Ted

DVD Advance Release Party!

2009-09-20T14:01:00.006-04:00

We're extremely happy to announce that Hero Tomorrow will finally be released on DVD in mid October! To celebrate we're taking part in the ultra-cool Cleveland Bridge Project Art Festival this coming weekend. It's a great way for us to get some advance copies into the hands of all the beloved people who have helped to make this film a reality. The DVD will also be available to the public, and we'll be handing out free movie posters during the event.

The Hero Tomorrow installation space will be ongoing for the two days, so you're welcome to stop by anytime. We're encouraging all cast and crew members to come down on Saturday, September 26th at 4PM for an official reunion.

CLEVELAND BRIDGE PROJECT
Friday, September 25th 4PM to Midnight
Saturday, September 26th Noon to Midnight

The Cleveland Bridge Project takes place under the Detroit-Superior bridge. It is free to the public and include arts and crafts vendors, food and beverage vendors (including beer and wine), buskers, and solo performers positioned across the great span of the bridge.
The website has an actual video explaining the best way to get down to it.

About that HERO TOMORROW DVD...
- The disc features an all new final cut of the movie with a brand new score.
- "The Making of Hero Tomorrow" - 24 minute documentary featuring interviews with 14 cast and crew members, deleted scenes, and bloopers.
- "Soundtrack Who's Who" - 20 minute montage that introduces you to HT's incredible music artists while showing alternate takes and bonus scenes.
- Cast and crew bios
- Concept art
- Commentary track and much more - Over 4 hours of material!

Artist Eddy Newell will also be joining us at the Bridge Project, and he'll be illustrating pages from the upcoming Apama comic book. His work will be projected onto the wall of the old trolly station as it happens.

Hope to see you there, and thanks for all the support.

Fantastic Planet Film Festival!

2009-09-20T13:49:00.006-04:00

One last festival just accepted HT. This time Apama's going to Sidney Australia for the Fantastic Planet Film Festival!!

It will happen between October 30th and November 6th! Who knows maybe we'll finally get that elusive Halloween night festival screening...

HERO TOMORROW DVD Advance Release Party Sept 25th - Stay Tuned

2009-08-13T12:08:00.002-04:00

Chaffee Kid - Play By The Rules

2009-08-13T11:25:00.014-04:00

John Chaffee, who made his acting debut in Hero Tomorrow, called me up several months ago with the news that he had written and recorded a country song and was thinking about making a video for it. Would I be interested?

I'd always wanted to direct a music video, but I'm generally not a fan of country music. This particular song however, raised my eyebrow to say the least. It was almost like Professor Harold Hill meets Charlie Daniels - certainly not the run of the mill prepackaged McCountry music that Nashville pulls off the shelf wrapped in greasy yellow wax paper. No, this had a strong point of view, and even if I didn't agree with all of it - I did agree with some of it. It's John's song and it's honest. Freedom of speech is what makes this country so great. Heck yeah I'll do it.

I knew right away that I wanted Hero Tomorrow costumer Alexandra Underhill to make us an Uncle Sam costume (comic book fans will note a nod to Alex Ross.) In an unexpected twist - Xan LOVED the message of the song, and wanted to be in it with her previously designed Patriotic Goddess stilt costume. We put an ad out on the NEOPAL for a 'hobo guitarist' and were referred to Mr. John Mosey (no-he's not really a hobo) and we went for it.

We shot it in two days - The first day spent at Denison Auto Parts (thanks to Don May and his 'crank' staff) then on the streets of Cleveland for day two. We edited for about a week at Commercial Recording Studios and whammo here it is.

Chaffee Kid - Play By the Rules
Starring
John Chaffee
Alexandra Underhill
Jon Mosey

Directed, Shot, and Edited by Ted Sikora
Crew Ed Wolf, George, Gates, Jeff Gates, Zach Wells, Michael Casteel

Thanks to the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and the NEOPAL.

The Bizarros - Hero Tomorrow Soundtrack

2009-07-21T14:17:00.005-04:00

We're honored to have many incredible musical artists in our film, so this is the first of many entries that feature them all.

I came upon the Bizarros when I popped into Time Traveler Records in Akron. I asked Lonnie behind the counter for a recommendation on some local bands, and he turned me on to The Bizarros. The tune 66-77 is what kicks off our film. It includes one of my favorite lyrics ever -- "I can't explain it - just a mutant variation of the kind of air we all used to breathe. We're all living up here in our delusion of a war with stories no one believes."

From The Bizarros Website:
Was it the Akron water? The smell of rubber in the air? Or was it the overwhelming boredom with 70's rock music that caused these sons of rubber factory workers to take action? Whatever the case, in the late 1970's the Bizarros swam against the current of mainstream rock & roll.

The Bizarros had various releases in the 1970's, including their self-titled album on Mercury Records. In 2003, they completed their first new album in 20 years and released "Can't Fight Your Way Up Town From Here."

2009-06-18T16:38:00.002-04:00

For all things latest Hero Tomorrow DVD and 'Apama-The Undiscovered Animal' web comic news please follow my Twitter updates.

www.twitter.com/tedsikora

Apama - The Undiscovered Animal Preview Images

2009-06-07T00:45:00.001-04:00

click for larger view

Comic Related Review!

2009-03-15T19:39:00.002-04:00

New York Comic Con was too cool for words. I'll report more later. Here's a review from Comic Related.

Comic Related Hero Tomorrow Review

Making of Hero Tomorrow Part 1

2009-02-02T12:23:00.001-05:00

New York Comic Con!

2009-01-31T15:32:00.004-05:00

Hero Tomorrow is heading to New York Comic Con. The largest on the East Coast! Saturday February 7th at 1:30 in room 1A04.

Kurt and I are going, and it looks like Perren will make it as well. There's oodles of HT stuff in the works, I'll hopefully update more regularly in '09.

2008-11-09T21:57:00.003-05:00

Fist Bump Cartoon by Jeff Darcy - Cleveland Plain Dealer

ITALY!!!

2008-09-25T11:04:00.004-04:00

Hero Tomorrow will be showing at Suburbia! Film Festival in Rome on September 26th! We're one of 6 films from the United States. The Festival, presented by KaosHaus, promotes the fruition and the realization of independent and self-produced movies. KaosHaus’ intent is to give visibility to this parallel universe, which -thanks to new digital technologies- is increasingly growing.

Register to Vote Online

2008-09-12T21:15:00.001-04:00

My Shoot with LeBron James and Jill Greenberg

2008-07-28T02:16:00.011-04:00

And now for something completely different...

On June 18th Time Magazine came to Akron Ohio to do an interview with LeBron James about his captaining the US Olympic Men's Basketball team. Through an amazing series of last minute phone calls (both to Telos Productions and Commercial Recording,) yours truly got to watch the whole thing from behind the video camera.

LeBron is such an impressive dude. He knocks down questions - tough questions - completely unfazed, and seems extremely grounded for his over-abundance of athletic gifts. At one point he even offered to grab Jeff and I a couple Vitamin Waters.

They also requested filming/documenting the still photo shoot session with Lebron for the cover of the mag (on sale now.) The unexpected bonus to that was witnessing mega-prolific photographer Jill Greenberg in action. The shoot was fun on exponential levels. Check out manipulator.com for numerous examples of Jill's amazingly slick work.

When I sent the raw footage to Time I pleaded with them to let me cut a featurette version of the cover shoot. The four minute result titled "Making the Shot" is now online at the Time website.
Please shekidoout.

"Making the Shot"

LeBron James - Leader of the Redeem Team.

Hero Tomorrow is in Brazil

2008-07-28T02:09:00.004-04:00

HT has been accepted into Fantaspoa- Brazil's premiere genre film festival. We are one of 42 films in the International Competition; and this version of Hero Tomorrow (subtitled in Portuguese) is one of only four films from the United States!

The festival takes place in six different cinemas over fourteen days and HT will show on July 29th, August 2nd and 4th. We're extremely bummed to not be making the trek on this one, but honored to be included- especially when looking at the other films in competition.

The Pullbox Review

2008-06-24T02:28:00.003-04:00

The Pullbox is a great comics site. "Our goal is to share information about the great comic gems out there that you aren’t reading and perhaps save you some of your hard earned cash by warning you about the comics not worth their ink."

They were on hand at Motor City Con and Hero Tomorrow got a nice review.

Oddity Cinema Review

2008-06-24T02:07:00.004-04:00

Oddity Cinema is a news and review site dedicated to weird and obscure cinema.

Hero Tomorrow Review

Apama - The Comic Book!

2008-05-23T17:34:00.015-04:00

The seed for this idea came when we were first talking to publishers about showing their work in the Hero Tomorrow store scenes. We were asked if we were interested in creating a comic version of the Hero Tomorrow movie. At first we were somewhat indifferent to the idea. In our experience comic adaptations of films don't really seem to work all that well. But once we started thinking about it, we realized that we have a unique situation with Hero Tomorrow as it's partially about David trying to get his Apama comic book published, and it might be really fun to present the actual comic David's trying to create.

The notion stayed on the back burner for a couple years as we produced and finished the film. The big stumbling block was figuring out the logistics of time and finding the right artist. Enter Eddy Newell.

Eddy is best known for his work on Black Lightening and Werewolf of the Apocalypse among many others. His work is very diverse, and he often employs a painterly style that feels very film noir-esque. Gary Hermann set up meeting and showing of Hero Tomorrow for Eddy, and after a few brainstorming sessions Eddy joined the team. We're truly honored to have him.
Apama the superhero is based on an animal that has never been discovered, so one of the first challenges was to create the animal. Eddy, keeping in mind the costume, crossed a possum with a werewolf to create the concept art above.

Gary Hermann will be handling the editing chores, and Milo and I will be scribing the piece. As anyone who knows us knows... we are first and foremost comic book fans. There would be no Hero Tomorrow without the love we have for those countless boxes in the attic. That said, we're doing this because we truly believe that we have a very fresh and original character with a story that hasn't been told before.

We've been doing tons of backstory and foundation work for what we hope will be an ongoing series. I've even been doing location scouting around Cleveland for neighborhoods and buildings. This is so much fun. We're aiming for September with the first online issue.

That's what I should have said...!

2008-05-23T16:42:00.006-04:00

So I'm sitting in the Crown Plaza Hotel for breakfast at Motor City Con, and who enters but the Margot Kidder. She looks at the buffet and asks the host, "Is it possible to get a banana or just some fruit?" I looked up at her, straightened my tie and said, "Ahem, wouldn't you rather have orange juice - freshly squeezed?" at which point the entire crowd fell out of their chairs in laughter.

Okay, maybe I didn't actually say those exact words. Nor was I wearing a tie. Maybe, in fact, all I did was tell the guy next to me, "Um... I think that's Lois Lane." picking my chin up from the floor.

Highlights from Motor City Con included Gary Hermann showing up with a broken nose; Jocelyn Wrzosek beating some kid bloody all over the convention floor; me purchasing the long coveted Bowens Mysterio statue (Diane was so impressed she asked if I still had the sales receipt); Gary introducing us to Mr. Lou Ferigno; Knocking down many drinks with the guys from The Bastard Squad; Jocelyn tearing down the house down with her Karaoke version of "White Rabbit, and myself subsequently clearing the room with a gag-reflex version of The Lady is a Tramp; Margot Kidder actually stopping at the Hero Tomorrow table complimenting us on our trailer; And all those fantastic costumes!

2008-05-23T16:21:00.003-04:00

Motor City Con

2008-05-04T23:58:00.003-04:00

Hero Tomorrow's next screening will be Friday May 16th at 4:30 PM at Motor City Con. The Con is one of the largest in the midwest region of the U.S., and it looks like its shaping up to be major fun with oodles of creators and media guests on hand. Thanks to Gary Herrmann for getting us on board.

Milo, Jocelyn, and myself will be heading out for this one, and we'll be making a pretty cool announcement about a new HT project which has all of us at camp Apama very excited. ;-l

Host of the Motor City Comic Con is the Rock Financial Showplace.

46100 Grand River Ave.,
Novi, MI 48374.
Novi is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland county.

By the power of Greyskull....

Showing at the 2380 Project

2008-04-26T07:11:00.002-04:00

As a result of our win at the AIFF we've been invited to screen here at the 2380 Project .

Saturday, April 26th, 6PM

Gardner Student Union Theater

303 Carroll St,

Akron, OH

Winner Jury Prize - Best Feature

2008-04-06T21:13:00.005-04:00

This year the Akron Independent Film Festival had over 155 feature submissions which were narrowed down to 5 features that actually screened at the festival (along with about thirty shorts.) I'm very pleased to say that Hero Tomorrow won the Jury's prize for Best Feature.

Our screening on Thursday was jam packed with rows of chairs being added at the last minute to accommodate everyone in the supremely superb audience. Jocelyn Wrzosek truly graced us with her presence, and helped me with the Q & A session -- umm... apologies for the rant about the status of Spider-Man, and the ridiculous, ludicrous, asinine path that Marvel has chosen to break up the marriage of its flagship character.

Thanks so very much to AIFF staffers Mike Honeck, Rob Lucas, Steve Felix, Sara Lucas, Rob Heinen, Kendra Minadeo, all the jurors, and everyone who turned out to see the latest cut of HT.

About that New Cut...

2008-03-19T19:54:00.009-04:00

Over the past six months I've learned a ton about color correction and different techniques for changing the mood and technical problems within scenes. Even though I'm truly -God knows - ready to be done with HT post production, I knew it would be an incredible diservice if I didn't go back to the workstation one more time and add some 'shrimp' to the Apama pasta.

Example 1 shows the actor Nathan Gurr in a shot where he's clearly underexposed compared to his mask. This was partially intentional, but it's a bit farther apart than I would have liked. In the past I might have tried to brighten the whole image to compensate for the problem which would have made the mask way too bright. Some of the new tools allow for selective brightening of areas which help the second shot in a nice subtle way.

Example 2 is from a fantasy sequence. Here I was able to push the look of the whole scene into a more comic book looking motif.

Examples 3 and 4 feature the lovely and talented John Persuric and Jocelyn Wrzosek. In this scene I was able to take footage that was a bit too realistic looking and turn it into something far more fitting for a nightmare.

At some point this year I vow to be DONE with this film, and a DVD will be out. Sorry for all these delays, but it's been an incredible education at every possible turn. Almost every scene has undergone a bit of a facelift, so for now we're quite anxious to show it to an audience on the big screen in Akron.

Best wishes!

Akron Independent Film Festival

2008-03-18T06:51:00.007-04:00

We're finally returning to the original scene of the crime. Thursday April 3rd at 6PM Hero Tomorrow will be the opening film at the Akron Independent Film Festival.

Milo and I met way back in 1988 at the University of Akron in a TV production class. One day, as I recall, Milo showed up in a Captain America shirt. We commenced with the obligatory rabid conversation about comics and films which months later evolved into joking about how we were gonna make a movie some day. Mr. Miller will also be conducting a screenwriting workshop on Saturday April 5th at 10:30 AM.

And AS ALWAYS this will be the debut of yet another cut of the film. I'll talk more about that with some examples in my next entry.

Hope to see you there.

Applause Interview

2008-03-18T06:36:00.004-04:00

If you missed it, you can check out the interview I did with Dee Perry of WVIZ's Applause.

There's a scene from HT on the show, and it starts at about the halfway point.

Webcast Santa Fe

2007-12-24T11:51:00.001-05:00

The Santa Fe Film Fest has uploaded the webcast from the festival. Perren and I were interviewed by Pasha Hogan in part three.

Santa Fe Recap

2007-12-13T17:54:00.002-05:00

Santa Fe is a gorgeous place. The fest was great. The parties were even better. Hangin' with Mr. Perren Hedderson is always a pleasure, but adding Perren's father Bruce, who also made the trek, was a double hoot. Met a lot of very talented folks including the great Alan Cumming. He received a Maverick Award this year, and his new film Suffering Man's Charity was one of the few flicks I actually got to see on this short trip - a crazy wonderful film. He was gracious enough to spend almost 40 minutes in Q & A with the audience after the piece. It was there I got an autograph for my wife who considers Alan one of - if not the - best male actors in the biz right now - tough to argue that one. Then... our film's second screening was happening during the last part of the award ceremony, and when I walked out he was standing right there. I got to give him a copy of HT, and told him how especially moved I was by his film's nutty reference to Akron - and of course his Nightcrawler which was spot on.

2007-12-13T17:53:00.001-05:00

One of the craziest cooincidences in history came about when I ran into a former bandmate named Jeremy Bleich. Jeremy and I used to play together in a Cleveland pop-hard rock band in the late 80's early 90s called Shyboy. I'm tempted to post the band photo as I have absolutely no shame, but that would require digging it out - so we're all safe for the moment. It was fantastic reconnecting with him again. Perren and Jeremy are in this photo showing the international sign for the 2-1-6, natch.

2007-12-13T17:51:00.000-05:00

Quote of the trip:
Perren Hedderson: Mr. Alan Cummings is there any way you'd be able to attend our screening?
AC: "Actually it's CUMMING."

Santa Fe Film Festival

2007-11-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

The next stop for Hero Tomorrow will be Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Check out the Santa Fe Film Festival website for more details.

Our screenings will be in the Film Center.
Thursday November 29th at 12:45PM
Saturday December 1st, 5:45 PM.

Comic Book Bin Review

2007-10-19T23:05:00.000-04:00

Click Here

Cool Cleveland Review

2007-10-19T22:58:00.000-04:00

Hero Tomorrow @ CIFF, Tower City 3/24 Like all previous years, the 31st-annual Cleveland International Film Festival was full of thought-provoking and perceptive works that examine the world we live in with the precise emotional detail of an electron microscope. In all the years I’ve participated, I’ve been clued into movies about family ties, world poverty, crime, political rhetoric and metaphorical journeys to the outer reaches of psyche and motivation. My experience with Hero Tomorrow definitely put me into that latter-mentioned category, even though I was compelled by the comic book angle.

Created by Cle filmmaker Ted Sikora, Hero Tomorrow centers on a ganja-lovin’, dreadlocked comic-book artist named David (Perren Hedderson) who brings his creation – a masked crusader called Apama – to life. The Cleveland-based artist is somewhat lackadaisical and unmotivated, mowing lawns and doing odd jobs for a living - all because he’s just not terribly successful at marketing himself or his work. But things change once he dons the suit... Hero Tomorrow starts out as a precise view into David’s world and expands into a comical pseudo-superhero flick, one that ends up being more gratifying and genuinely comical than anything else attempted before it – take that, Greatest American Hero and Superman III.

David seems to believe in Apama’s future as a character, explaining in a pitch that “It’s not offensive, it’s a homage.” He also sees Apama’s future as an “icon” and protector in the fight against evil, though it was odd and expectedly quirky to see just how Apama comes to life and how heroic he ends up becoming once he does. I even liked Apama’s sort of Derek Hess-inspired, pencil-sketchy look (replete with messy mohawk) for David’s real life Apama costume made by girlfriend Robyn (Jocelyn Wrzosek). And lastly, on-again, off-again Cle native Ray McNiece as the comic shop owner was a perfect casting choice. Props to Sikora and the entire cast credit: Hero Tomorrow made for a compelling view. If you missed out on this off-beat comic book quirkfest, check out the trailer at

http://www.herotomorrow.com and keep an eye out for a future screening around town.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian

European Debut in the Netherlands

2007-09-24T10:17:00.000-04:00

The Netherlands' annual B-Movie, Underground & Trash Film Festival has invited Hero Tomorrow to screen as part of their seventh edition. HT is one of about twenty features to be in this year's showcase of some of the most utterly insane, sick, & sleazy films from around the globe. If you don't believe me just click on some of the trailer pages - IF YOU DARE..!

Hero Tomorrow is playing on Saturday the 29th of September, 10PM, in the large auditorium followed immediately by performances from Diktat - Doctor Bibber - Doodle in a Cocoon. The complete schedule is also downloaded on the film’s website.

Even though we won’t be able to attend the festivities it is a great feeling to be extending the Apama Nation beyond North America for the first time. We took great care to create HT with what we consider to be a sort of foreign film sensibility.

From the BUTFF website:
"Again Breda will be infested with bizarre, strange, experimental or other kinds of remarkable cinema thanks to the B-Movie Underground & Trash Film Festival. The festival will take place in Electron, a former industrial building. This year the program will be enhanced by performances, music and art in appropriate BUTFF style. An exhibition on Outsiders art can be visited, with work from the French collective 'Le Dernier Cri' and several Dutch artists, including Jeroen de Leijer, Jan van Nuenen and Barend van Hoek."

Peace, love and nasty films for all.

Ted Sikora
(This festival… are we in the ‘underground’ category? hmmm…)

Fanboy Theatre Review

2007-09-06T14:59:00.001-04:00

We just got a great review from Will at Fanboy Theatre. The full review is at Fanboy Theatre Website, and I've posted the second half which is pretty much spoiler free.

"...At the center of every great superhero style story, in this Fanboy's humblest of opinions, is a main character with heart and determination, "Hero Tomorrow" is a perfect example of this type of story and scores a direct hit using the formula. Not to say that this is your average superhero type film, "Hero Tomorrow" has a unique charm all it's own including some funny and emotional moments which could almost categorize the film as a Comedy/Drama of sorts. The icing on the cake is the fantastic performances from the main cast. Perren Hedderson, who stars as David/Apama in the film, is not your typical leading man, with his long dreadlocks and unique fashion sense Hedderson eliminates the geeky alter ego stereotype making way for a new breed of men behind the mask. Hedderson is fantastic in this film, and a perfect fit for the role of a peculiar superhero daydreamer. Jocelyn Wrzosek, who plays David's main squeeze Robyn in the film also shines as the icy comic shop girl struggling with mental illness, yet strong enough to persue Her own career goals while, at the same time, pushing David in what she feels is the right direction in life. Other notable performance honors in the film go to Bryan Jalovec, who plays Greg in the movie, Jalovec is perfect as the "big jerk" personality in the film, you'd think He was born to play the role. His performance brought the character of Biff from "Back To the Future" to mind. And rounding out the job well doner's is Ray McNiece as Larry, the stoner comic shop owner. So whether or not your'e in the mood for a good indie, comic book, romance, or comedy film, Hero Tomorrow has got you covered. One of the best original films I've had the pleasure to review in quite some time, and a definite must see."

Comic Book Bin Interview

2007-08-31T14:45:00.000-04:00

The Comic Book Bin recently posted an interview with Brian, Milo, and I from Fantasia.

Hero Tomorrow Saturday at the Cinematheque

2007-08-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

On August 17 and 18, 2007, the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque will hold its first-ever “Think Local” Film Festival, a weekend of five feature-length movies from Northeast Ohio. This series is a unique foray for the Cinematheque, which specializes in independent, foreign and revival films.

Admission to each film is $8, Cinematheque members and CIA students and staff $6. Tickets for two films on the same night are $14 ($12 for members), and tickets for three films are $20 ($18 for members). Admission to all five films costs only $25 by buying a “Think Local” weekend pass (on sale starting July 16 at the Cinematheque).
There is free parking in the Institute lot.

Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
11141 East Boulevard (in University Circle)
Cleveland, Ohio 44106

Schedule:

August 17th
7:00 p.m.
Cordoba Nights – http://www.cordobanights.com/ - Luke and Andy Campbell – Action/Comedy
Finn, a young man content with his directionless life as a pizza delivery guy, works the late shift in a lively city. On a delivery that starts out like any other, Finn comes across a mysterious girl named Allie who will make his night anything but ordinary. As Finn delivers to surf rockers, car thieves and the mob, Shit-eye, Old Dad and the other thugs are in pursuits to bring Allie back to her volatile boyfriend Darren.

9:00 p.m.
Madness – http://www.wheremadnesslies.com/ – Bill Johns – Thriller
Alex has been a very bad boy, and when his sister drops in unexpectedly with four of her
college friends, the Madness begins. Trapped in their mansion during a blizzard, the girls start dying off one by one as Alex tries to conceal a terrifying secret. Starring local pop singer, Jami Ross, Madness was awarded four stars at FilmThreat.com and was called, “a spectacular suspense thriller with all the makings of a first-rate horror film.”

August 18th
6:00 p.m.
American Stories – http://www.americanstoriesmovie.com/ – Rob Lucas – Comedy
With only a few hours to go on the final leg of their Ohio tour, the indie rock group The Little Devils find themselves stranded in a no-name Ohio town. Tim, Jeff, Rick and Ben pass the hours waiting for a mechanic by revealing a little more about themselves through true, yet unbelievable stories. American Stories has been produced by The 2380 Project, a University of Akron student/alumni organization dedicated to creating a feature-length movie every year.

8:00 p.m.
Hero Tomorrow – Dark Comedy

10:00 p.m.
The Horror Convention Massacre – http://www.oldschoolsinema.com/ – Joe Ostrica – Horror/Thriller
In The Horror Convention Massacre—an homage to B-movie exploitation slasher films of the ‘70s and ‘80s—a crazed killer is on the loose at a hotel hosting a horror convention, knocking off the guests and the hotel staff. Filled with colorful characters, lots of humor, and cameos by Lloyd Kaufman (The Toxic Avenger), Ari Lehman (Jason from Friday the 13th) and Lew Temple (The Devil's Rejects and Rob Zombie's upcoming Halloween remake), The Horror Convention Massacre was awarded Best Horror Film at the Miami Underground Film Festival. With an upcoming sequel prepared for a fall release,The Horror Convention Massacre has sold out every screening it's had in Cleveland thus far.

Delusions to Premiere at LA Shorts Fest!

2007-08-13T08:56:00.000-04:00

We just found out that Delusions is going have its world premiere at the LA SHORTS FEST. This is the project from several blog entries ago by Darlena Roberts that I had the pleasure of DP'ing with the beloved HT crew. Congrats Darlena!

See ya at the Indie Gathering this Saturday

2007-08-01T15:18:00.000-04:00

I'll be on two panels at the Indie Gathering this Saturday. In past years it's been a great way for indie filmmakers in Northeast Ohio gather and network. The IG also has a film festival attached to it, and you can see the full schedule on their website.

1 PM - Marketing and Publicity for your film
3 PM - Directing

Holiday Inn Cleveland
Independence, Ohio
I-77 & Rockside Road

Report from Fantasia

2007-07-25T00:49:00.000-04:00

What an experience this was. It was our first time to Montreal, and for starters Milo and I were picked up at the airport with indie film legend Lloyd (Toxic Avenger) Kaufman. Meeting Lloyd was an honor, and he's a super nice guy. Mr. Kaufman was showing a film entitled Poultrygeist as well as hosting the Troma Show Varietease.

2007-07-25T00:48:00.000-04:00

Our first night I would've been happy to just hit the hotel and grab some z's, but luckily Milo and I decided to check out this cool little first feature gem from Austrian director Peter Koller titled On Evil Grounds. The film was equal parts horror film and wigged out comedy, mixing over-the-top Looney Tune violence with some survival/torture film staples.

The second and third day we saw four or five films a day including the Japanese box office champ Death Note (Parts 1 & 2,) The Fox Family, Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater, 13 Beloved, and a documentary entitled King of Kong which probably made me laugh harder than I have at a theater in over ten years.

After seeing so many back-to-back overwhelmingly stellar flicks with amazing production values Milo and I were starting to feel a bit queasy about our upcoming screening. I guess you get used to your film after you’ve seen it so many times. The odd things begin to feel normal, and everything at Fantasia was proving to be so fresh and imaginative.

As my anxiety was reaching its peak I ran into Lloyd Kaufman again. It was Saturday night before his screening of Poultrygeist (which rocked!) and he asked how things were going. When I told him I was getting a bit nerved up he said, "Look, I've come to this festival for years. These programmers know what they're doing, and if they selected your film I'm sure it's brilliant.” I took a deep breath and hoped he was right.

So the next day we had our screening and it was great. The crowd seemed to respond favorably, the projection was by far the best we've ever had, and the Q&A and feedback afterwards was just right. A print review in BangBang Montreal came out and they said our film was “Twisted, unconventional, diverting, inventive and creative.” TwitchFilm also posted an entry on their site. We were interviewed several times, so we expect a few more articles and reviews to post in the forthcoming weeks. It was also brought to our attention that HT was screened and programmed by the man who founded Fantasia - Pierre Corbiel.

Our trip was capped off with a ride to the airport with Mulberry Street director Jim Mickle. I didn't see Mulberry Street, but Milo did, and he said it's gonna be huge. You gotta trust Milo on this as he knows his horror shit (the geeks’s got the full run of Fangoria magazine.) Jim was down-to-earth and gave us some more great advice.

Montreal was amazingly beautiful. We hung out with terrific folks - I absolutely can't wait to go back. Thanks to our Fantasia publicist Ryan Bruce Levey for all his efforts -including suggesting we actually submit to Fantasia in the first place. And biggest thanks of all to the Fantasia staff especially Pierre, Mitch, Phillipe, and Simone.

Merci Gents, we hope to see you again soon!

2007-07-25T00:41:00.000-04:00

.....................................what a bunch a jerks..............................

KURT & HEATHER...!!!

2007-07-20T01:38:00.000-04:00

My brother Kurt and his fiance Heather got hitched in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 11th. I couldn't be happier for the two of them, and I'm so grateful to have a brand new sister as sweet and cool as Heather. Way to go Kurt-O! You two make the dashingest couple this side of the Luxor.

God bless and best wishes.

International Debut - MONTREAL'S FANTASIA

2007-06-29T14:18:00.001-04:00

Hero Tomorrow will show on July 15th at this year's Fantasia Film Festival. Fantasia is the largest genre festival in North America. Milo and I will be present to present; and in four words - we are beyond stoked.

Full list of Features
Hero Tomorrow Listing - en français

"Since its inception in 1996, FanTasia has been an event hell-bent on showcasing the most exciting, innovative and individualistic examples of contemporary international genre cinema, with an emphasis on unveiling films very rarely seen in North America. It has become a hugely popular Montreal summer tradition for roughly 70 000 festival-goers to spend three weeks being amazed by sensational celluloid from Japan, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand, Denmark, France, Russia, India, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil, Australia, Holland, Scotland, Belgium, Sweden, Great Britain, the US and of course, Quebec and Canada. As fellow film fanatics, we pride ourselves on getting the works that we love in front of an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience. We also do everything possible to bring these films to the attention of potential distributors and the international media."

FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL PROMO VIDEO

IFC Media Lab Shorts Uploaded

2007-06-14T16:44:00.000-04:00

The IFC channel is running a piece on HT this month on their Media Lab Shorts Uploaded program. "This program highlights not only the top, viewer-ranked films, but also films IFC thinks you shouldn't miss. Unfiltered, uncensored, and absolutely uncut."

Monday, June 4 - 8:30 PM
Saturday, June 16 - 5:30 AM
Tuesday, June 19 - 12:05 AM
Tuesday, June 26 - 11:40 AM

Our trailer is shown in its entirety, and our next screening - which is our international debut - is also mentioned. Details on that one are coming soon.

I just flew in from Vegas...

2007-04-22T23:49:00.000-04:00

and boy am I sick. every time I get on a frickin’ airplane...

The annual NAB Show wrapped up on Thursday, and Commercial Recording sent me down to sheckidout. Thousands of exhibitors were at the Las Vegas Convention Center showing off their wares. It’s a great opportunity for gearheads like myself to get our grubby mits on all kinds of brand new cameras, software, gadgetry and such. It's brings in about as many people as Comic Con.

The new Final Cut Studio Pro 2 is extremely impressive. It’s the biggest upgrade in the company’s history. Panasonic had some great stuff as always, and it looks like CRS will be adding a high def AJ-HPC-2000 camera package to our arsenal. I also got to meet editing legend Walter Murch who gave a very inspiring talk.

The biggest buzz came from the RED Digital Cinema booth. Those who attended the Digital Production seminar at the Cleveland Int. Film Fest will recall that I was suggesting that RED will change the industry as we know it. After sticking my neck out on that one I feel completely vindicated after having experienced their booth.

Until NAB 2007 the Red One Camera was a concept and promise. The concept was based on the premise that - if we have digital still cameras that can create 11 megapixel images that are superior to 35mm, why can’t we take that same technology and apply it to sequencial video frames? It's important to note that they didn’t set out to make something as good as 35mm - they set out to make something better.

This year they were promising to show actual footage. And not just any footage – this was ‘12 minute short film shot by Mr. Peter Jackson starring Kevin Dillon’ footage.

The line to see the film really felt like the wait at an amusement park for the hot new ride. People from all over the globe waited hours to see what this small company from the U.S. of A (that’s right, America) developed. (Cap would be so proud.)

When I finally saw it I can tell you honestly that I was FLOORED. It has well over 4 times the pixels/definition of most current hi-def cameras. I couldn’t believe I was watching digital video, AND it gets even better because this footage was shot with a prototype camera that had NO internal settings and only one shutter speed. Much of the film was shot in the daylight and bright sun which is always the worst condition for digital video, but somehow these bastards actually pulled it off. Don’t take my word for it. Check out still frames and footage on their site.

This is a really hip company, and they really care about keeping this stuff affordable. The price point on the camera is around 18k - I don't know how they can do that. They're also in the process of developing the world's first mini-professional video camera ("not prosumer, mind you") as well as a 4k digital projector. I spoke briefly with company spokesman Ted Schilowitz at a Final Cut Users Group, and basically thanked him for what they are doing for us indie guys.

To date this is probably the most powerful tool digital filmmakers have ever seen. The camera comes out later this year and the worlds of 35mm and digital are about to level out considerably.

God bless you Red people.

2007-04-22T23:46:00.000-04:00

Cleveland Recap

2007-04-03T22:18:00.000-04:00

What a blast! This was really my first festival experience from the inside. I never realized how many people are brought into town for this. Being one of the only local directors I was able to spend time almost every day at the fest chatting and networking with many very cool and creative people from all over the world. Gigantic thanks to Bill Guentzler and the diligent, friendly staff and volunteers of the Cleveland Film Society.

The party at the View was sweet. Both our screenings sold out, and second theaters were added for overflow. We nearly broke the record for a Midnight showing. On Sunday we had an even bigger audience and a great Q & A discussion afterwards (pics here.) As is always the case - had a blast with our crew and cast - Perren, Jocelyn, Bryan, Rick Montgomery, Pat Milo, Adam Muskiewicz, George David Phillips, John Chaffee Jr., Larry Zjaba, many others including Shelley Delaney who was in two films at the fest -- nice reviews and articles from Cool Cleveland, Scene, Akron Beacon Journal, The Plain Dealer, and The Sun.

I was on two educational panels at Cleveland State University. The first was "Regional Filmmaking" with Tyler Davidson - producer of the opening night film Swedish Auto; and Relative Obscurity director Jeff Rosenberg. The second was a "Digital Technologies in Filmmaking" with Punk's Not Dead director Susan Dynner; Kurt Cobain - About a Son director AJ Schnack; and Deadpan Valentine director Robin Lindsey. We got great questions from the audience, so major thanks to moderator Evan Lieberman for the invite.

Milo and I sat in the audience for the panel on distribution which featured The Ten director and Shaker Heights native David Wain; indie distribution maverick and director of Flannel Pajamas Jeffrey Lipsky who gave us some very specific advice about how to move HT forward; as well as distributor Ryan Bruce Levey who became my drinking buddy and gave us a plethora of good advice. We also gave a Hero Tomorrow screener to Shaker Heights native Jamie Babbit (pictured above) who was there with her new film Itty Bitty Titty Committee. I missed her film as it was playing opposite ours, but I did catch a peak, and really dug what I saw – Milo loved it.

Besides the folks mentioned above I highly suggest checking out super-nice guy Brooke Silva’s A Map For Saturday, Tayor Neary's Liquid Vinyl, Joanna Kohler's Boxers, Kruti Majmudar's Memsahib and Jesse Block's Brotherly Jazz, and I was blown away by Manufactured Landscapes and Transylvania.

It was just an amazing week, and to top it all off my dear Mom managed to put a copy of Hero Tomorrow into the very hands of Halle Berry, but that tale must be told by Mom.

Later.

CIFF Parties and Panels

2007-03-13T21:11:00.000-04:00

Friday, March 16th

The big Hero Tomorrow bash will be held at the View Ultralounge at 9PM right before the Midnight Screening. The list of people not coming seems to grow ever shorter. Our technical aficionado Joe Reboudo will be roaming around with a camera for possible DVD extras. All you need for entry is an advance ticket to the show. I’ve never been to the View, but it sure looks hip from the pix. Thanks so much to Kelly Wiggins from Cleveland Magazine, The Cleveland Film Society, and The View for putting it all together.

www.viewnightclub.com

618 Prospect Avenue - Second Floor - East 4th Street District - Cleveland 44113

Sunday, March 18th
After the HT screening at 11:45 AM we’ll be headed over to the Hard Rock Café at 2PM for “Meet the Filmmakers.”

Saturday, March 24th
From 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM I’ll be a panelist on
Local Heroes: The Importance of Regional Filmmaking.

Saturday, March 24th
Meet the Filmmakers II
Hard Rock Café from 2-4PM

Sunday, March 25th
2:00 to 3:30 PM I'm a panelist on
Old and New Media: The intersection of film and digital technology.

Captain America - Rest in Peace

2007-03-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday the comic book nation was shocked when Captain America was assassinated. I’m really pissed that they would do this, and I get a sick feeling that Steve Rogers' death might be permanent, unlike the so-called ‘Death of Super-Man.’

I've been reading comics for over 30 years, and my favorite Captain America moment came just two months ago during the Marvel Comics Civil War. It was a moment in Amazing Spider-Man 537 - no big battle, no feats of strength - just a conversation between Cap and Spidey penned brilliantly by J.M Straczynski.

During the Civil War individuals with super powers were forced to choose between registering with the government or being outlaws. Captain America was surprisingly against the government.

Spider-Man: “How does someone like you - who practically is the country… react when the county goes a different way?”

Cap: I remember the first time I really understood what it was to be an American… what it was to be a patriot. I was just a kid… a million years ago, it seems sometimes. Maybe twelve. I was reading Mark Twain, and he wrote something that struck me right down to my core… something so powerful, so true, that it changed my life. I memorized it so I could repeat it to myself, over and over across the years.. He wrote ---

“In a republic, who is ‘the country?’ Is it the government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the government is merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Who, then, is ‘the country?’ Is it the newspaper? Is it the pulpit? Why, these are mere parts of the county, not the whole of it; they have not command, they have only their little share in the command.

In a monarchy, the king and his family are the country; in a republic it is the common voice of the people. Each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, must speak. It is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or the empty catchphrases of politicians.

Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn’t. You cannot shirk this and be a man.

To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may.

If you alone of all the nation shall decide one way, and that way be the right way according to our convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country. Hold up your head, you have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Cap then closed with “When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth and tell the whole world –- no you move.”

Cleveland International Film Festival

2007-02-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

Hero Tomorrow will have its hometown debut at the 31st annual Cleveland International Film Festival.

This year the fest will be showing over 120 features and more than 110 shorts, representing nearly 60 countries. We are so honored to be included, and can’t wait to get this cast & crew together for an ultra cool midnight screening.

If you go to the Festival website at www.clevelandfilm.org our entry can be found under the categories, American Independents, Local Heroes, & Midnight Snacks.

Tickets go on sale today for Cleveland Film Society members, and on March 2nd for non-members.

Contact Info:
Cleveland Film Society
866.865.3456

HT Screening Times
Friday, March 16
Midnight – Code HERT16

Sunday, March 18
11:45 AM – Code HERT18
Running Time 93 Minutes

Tower City Cinemas
230 West Huron Road,
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

See you in Cleveland, and please keep an eye right here on the blog and myspace page for the latest news and party info!

YouTube Page - Save the Squid...

2007-02-23T16:24:00.000-05:00

We finally added some new videos online, and you can see them all on our new Youtube page www.youtube.com/herotomorrow

1. The Hero Tomorrow Trailer

2. ManiaTV interview from Comic Con International. This piece still runs periodically on the ManiaTV live channel, and now features a new opening scene with dozens of new HT shots peppered throughout. (All these vids are also available on our Hero Tomorrow ManiaTV Channel.)

3. G4 Network’s Attack of the Show Comic Con HT segment.

4. In one of our early focus groups Cleveland filmmaker Robert Banks thought it might be a good idea to start the film with this next scene. We decided to leave it where it was, but then at MidOhioCon there was high demand for us to put it online. So now - for those who choose to click - it can be that first moment.
Hero Tomorrow - The Squid Scene

Ray McNiece on the Jamden

2007-02-20T02:10:00.000-05:00

At Commercial Recording Studios we’ve began a live original music podcast show entitled THE JAMDEN. We recently had Ray McNiece, who plays HT’s Larry – the comic shop owner, perform with his band Tongue-N-Groove.

Ray is an incredible wordsmith, and when you hear him spin yarns on Cleveland, New Orleans, Iraq, and Jack Kerouac you can’t help but be entertained, inspired, sometimes angered, but always impressed. It's an awesome performance, and the only snag was that the regular JAMDEN host had a family emergency, and yours truly ended up filling in - but check it out anyway!

Also click on the Episode 003 which features Hero Tomorrow’s house band Anti-Septic and their manager Zeke played by Adam Muskiewicz.

Delusions Shoot

2007-02-20T01:35:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago the Hero Tomorrow crew got together to shoot something besides Hero Tomorrow. Actress/writer Darlena Roberts, who has worked on various Hollywood productions (including stunt double for Donna Murphy in Spider-Man 2), wrote a short screenplay entitled “Delusions.” She was planning to shoot in Cleveland, but ran into a scheduling conflict with the intended crew. A series of calls wove it’s way from her Aunt to my Mom, and we ended up connecting on the project.

It's a really cool film, and the knockout cast also included HT's Brian Richeson (congrats on the engagement), and another very talented actress in Peggy Gibbons. The film is currently in the editing stage, but Darlena was kind enough to zap us out some stills and a very nice email.

“The film looks amazing!! It looks like we spent a million dollars. I couldn't be happier about the whole experience.”
~ Darlena Roberts

Delusions synopsis:
Renowned child psychiatrist Judith Morgan lives the perfect life in the perfect house with her perfect daughter and is perfectly unaware that she is losing her mind. When an unexpected visitor on their doorstep breaks the facade of perfection, Judith thinks she has no choice but to demand complete control over her daughter…No matter what the cost.

Comic Buyer's Guide Review of HT

2007-01-14T11:47:00.000-05:00

By Tony Isabella

One of the highlights of Mid-Ohio-Con was an evening screening of Hero Tomorrow by co-writer/director Ted Sikora. This indy film belies its low budget as it tells its engaging tale of a comic-book creator getting too close to his creation and the spiraling impact this has on his life and the lives of those around him. I’ve seen the movie a couple times now and I’m always impressed by how good it looks. The story is solid, the comics-related stuff rings true, the acting is never less than good and often superb. The direction and cinematography hold the film together very well. The surprises - character and plot revelations - are truly surprising, but they never come out of nowhere.

Perren Henderson’s portrayal of the struggling comics creator David is excellent, revealing the character’s passion and problems. David’s creation is actually a pretty good super-hero; I could see an ongoing Apama comic. With a hero inspired by Native American culture, such a series could have a nice "urban animal" feel to it. I’d be interested in reading it.

Jocelyn Wrzosek is the cast’s stand-out performer. As Robyn, David’s girlfriend, she pushes darn near every emotional button you can imagine. She’s got what it takes to be a genuine comics fandom heartthrob. Other exceptional performances include Shelley Delaney as Robyn’s mom, and Ray McNiece as the owner of the Hero Tomorrow comic-book shop. In fact, my favorite scene in the movie, running during the end credits, is a hilarious vignette between McNiece and a sharp-talking Texan with rare comic books to sell.

Note should also be made of the many comics creators who made their characters and comics available to Sikora and co-writer/co-producer Milo Miller. Comics fans will delight in the mentions of Kurt Busiek’s Astro City, The Frankenstein Mobster, Hip Flask, El Mucho Grande, and others. Full disclosure demands I mention that I get a "thanks" in the
end-credits, though all I did was let some comics people know Ted and Milo needed help and have the good sense to turn down Ted’s offer to cast me in the movie.

Hero Tomorrow is not currently available on DVD, but you can get a taste of the movie at:
www.herotomorrow.com

Me, I’m hoping some movie distributor catches this review and signs up Sikora and Miller. Their film is definitely worthy of a wider audience. On our usual scale of zero to five, Hero Tomorrow earns an impressive four Tonys.