When After Hours Press contacted us last week, I didn't quite put everything together. I knew Buddy Scalera from his work on Decoy, but didn't realize that for a few months now, I've been digging Chris Eliopoulos' work.

As part of my duties here, I peruse the books that Marvel and DC really want you to read each week, and thus I had been glancing over the Power Pack redo. I was only skimming over the last couple of issues' lead stories, because I wanted to get to what should have had its own book: Franklin Richards, Son of a Genius.

In no way does that feature fit continuity, as it recasts the occasional Power Pack teammate and his robot H.E.R.B.I.E. as an echo of Calvin & Hobbes. Every installment rocked, as inventive and imaginative as you would hope a son of a genius would be. And that, my friends, is the work of Chris Eliopoulos.

So getting this press release from After Hours has me excited. I already know this guy has the power to entertain both my kids and myself. I'll definitely be looking for this book.

And strangely enough, the kid looks like my friend Michael Sherman, so it must be fate.

From After Hours Press:

After Hours Press announces “Sherman’s Room,” a comic book about a little boy who escapes the reality of life in the fantasy world of his vivid imagination.

The all-ages black & white cartoon book written and illustrated by award-winning comic creator Chris Eliopoulos (Fantastic Four: Franklin Richards – Son of A Genius, Desperate Times, Star Wars Tales) hits the stands in September, 2005. The story shows how little Sherman escapes into his personal fantasy world with space aliens, superheroes, and other surreal creations to get away from his overbearing family.

In the real world, Sherman is pressured by his parents and picked on by his sister. Yet in his bedroom, Sherman is like a superhero with limitless power. “This is the comic book that children and parents can read and enjoy together,” says Eliopoulos, a father of two. “The comics strips are short, so it is perfect bedtime reading.”

Eliopoulos is a multi-talented comic book and cartoon creator. His work appears regularly in Sports Illustrated and in the popular reference books “The Complete Idiot’s Guide.” He is best known for his award-winning work as a letterer for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, and Dark Horse. His popular comic strip “Desperate Times” appeared as a backup feature in “The Savage Dragon” for over three years, until it was launched as a standalone comic book.

“This is good, wholesome family fun,” says After Hours Press President Buddy Scalera. “This is the kind of book you give a kid to get them hooked on comic books.”

Derek McCaw