Need some help here folks

[Kaeos]

I settled on posting this here becuase I couldn't decide on putting it on the Superhero Forum, The SciFI Channel Form or the Genreal TV forum.

Has anyone heard about this "Who wants to be a Superhero?" (http://www.scifi.com/superhero/)

I'm seriously torn about whether to take a shot at this. As far as I'm concerned this would be the ultimate experience for me. I've been an absolute Superhero junkie since I was 8 years old.

The basic premise is that you submit your original hero, with full costume on. From there, (if your chosen) it's reality tv hell. Go live in Hollywood in a mansion with Stan Lee to see if you get your stuff made into a Sci Fi Channel movie and have Stan immortalize your character in a comic book series.

The downside? Well, other than 3+ weeks away from home, you give up all rights to the material and you don't get paid for your appearance.

I'm seriously torn here, and I am coming to you guys for some objective advice.

I've looked around and found one board where a guy claims he's been in consideration for this show in the past and that this is the 3rd or 4th time they've tried to get this show off the ground. Not much of that was very positive. My wife is all behind me if I go forward but I seriously don't know what to do.

[Intelligent_Design]

I settled on posting this here becuase I couldn't decide on putting it on the Superhero Forum, The SciFI Channel Form or the Genreal TV forum.

Has anyone heard about this "Who wants to be a Superhero?" (http://www.scifi.com/superhero/)

I'm seriously torn about whether to take a shot at this. As far as I'm concerned this would be the ultimate experience for me. I've been an absolute Superhero junkie since I was 8 years old.

The basic premise is that you submit your original hero, with full costume on. From there, (if your chosen) it's reality tv hell. Go live in Hollywood in a mansion with Stan Lee to see if you get your stuff made into a Sci Fi Channel movie and have Stan immortalize your character in a comic book series.

The downside? Well, other than 3+ weeks away from home, you give up all rights to the material and you don't get paid for your appearance.

I'm seriously torn here, and I am coming to you guys for some objective advice.

I've looked around and found one board where a guy claims he's been in consideration for this show in the past and that this is the 3rd or 4th time they've tried to get this show off the ground. Not much of that was very positive. My wife is all behind me if I go forward but I seriously don't know what to do.

I got you beat, dude:











http://osiruss.blogs.friendster.com/photos/cinescape/super.jpg

[southpaw]

My wife is all behind me....





It sounds like the Boss has already given you the greenlight.



What are you waiting for? Is your cape at the cleaners? :wink:

[Penfold]

Don't do it. It's a pretty cool first prize, but it ain't worth it to go through all that. Reality shows are pretty inane anyway, and it sounds like there's not much else going on in the premise than trying to find a new superhero. How can that be made into a competition? Would you be trying to write stories for Stan Lee's approval? Or would you just prance around in a costume making a fool of yourself in front of the camera to try and capture America's imagination? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, by the way, I'm just wondering how the show would keep things interesting. I say don't bother, but then I don't think much of reality TV. Especially if you'd have to give up all rights to your creation anyway.

[ladymurasaki]

Of course you should do it. If you don't try you'll never know. At least if you try, you'll have attempted to do something that intrigues you.

It's too soon to think about the "what ifs" if you make it. And if you do make it, most likely everyone here will support you and you'll have had a rare experience.

Me -- I could never do it! But if you think you can, I say you should go for it.

[DaForce]

I settled on posting this here becuase I couldn't decide on putting it on the Superhero Forum, The SciFI Channel Form or the Genreal TV forum.

Has anyone heard about this "Who wants to be a Superhero?" (http://www.scifi.com/superhero/)

I'm seriously torn about whether to take a shot at this. As far as I'm concerned this would be the ultimate experience for me. I've been an absolute Superhero junkie since I was 8 years old.

The basic premise is that you submit your original hero, with full costume on. From there, (if your chosen) it's reality tv hell. Go live in Hollywood in a mansion with Stan Lee to see if you get your stuff made into a Sci Fi Channel movie and have Stan immortalize your character in a comic book series.

The downside? Well, other than 3+ weeks away from home, you give up all rights to the material and you don't get paid for your appearance.

I'm seriously torn here, and I am coming to you guys for some objective advice.

I've looked around and found one board where a guy claims he's been in consideration for this show in the past and that this is the 3rd or 4th time they've tried to get this show off the ground. Not much of that was very positive. My wife is all behind me if I go forward but I seriously don't know what to do.


Sorry, but giving away all rights just so you can get the grand prize of "immortality" is just plain stupid.

Honestly, you're better off coming up with your own character and story pitch, copyrighting it, and then heading out to Comic Con in San Diego to pitch it to Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc. That's the place average schmoes like us go to pitch new comic or hero ideas.

Signing up for a "reality" show just to line Stan Lee's pockets even further through your hard work and creative effort is probably one of the more manipulative (an lazy) licensing schemes I've ever seen.

[kah]

I agree 100 % with DaForce. ~looks around~ Yeah. I said I agree with DaForce. If you just had an idea for a character: costume, super powers, and hideout, I would say go for it. If you have actually written your own stuff, then I say no. Don't let them steal your creativity and make themselves richer for it. This show is for those people who like to dress up in tights, but don't have any intention of writing comics. Or people like Cat (http://www.offthefence.com/content/programme.php?ID=149&Categories=4), who are just disturbed.

[neglet]

I'll add my concerns to those of DaForce and Kah: if you are serious about writing for the comics, then don't do it. As an aspiring novelist, I completely understand the desire to get anyone associated with the business to notice your work. Any publicity is good publicity, right? Any publication is good, right?

Not necessarily. Think about it: if you don't value your work and say it's worth someone else paying you money for publication, who else will? Last year Family Circle had a contest to publish a children's book. First prize was publication of the novel--not a contract for publication, just an honorarium and they got to publish it if they felt like it. Most of the serious writers I knew (and I belong to a national union with an active state chapter/listserv) said NO THANKS.

Of course, if you aren't thinking about a long-term career in the business, but think this sounds like fun even if you don't get paid, then go for it! What's the worst that could happen?

(Don't answer that, people. You all have twisted imaginations.)

[Son of Gilbert]

I would look to further then Kelly Clark son for my answer. In the Beginning it looked like she was being use by the American Idol Hierarchy but look at her now she like the number one pop star in America if not the world. Sure the rights to that one hero idea would be tied up with Stan Lee but that just one idea, I'm sure thats not the only idea you ever had. You would also start out with a fan base of people that watched the show and Sci-Fi channel, instead of having to grind it out and wait for the masses to find it on their own. Sound like it could be a great place to start and then later find a jumping off point to land in the comic book biz.

[Queen Mae]

Sorry, but giving away all rights just so you can get the grand prize of "immortality" is just plain stupid.

Honestly, you're better off coming up with your own character and story pitch, copyrighting it, and then heading out to Comic Con in San Diego to pitch it to Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc. That's the place average schmoes like us go to pitch new comic or hero ideas.

Signing up for a "reality" show just to line Stan Lee's pockets even further through your hard work and creative effort is probably one of the more manipulative (an lazy) licensing schemes I've ever seen.


I have to agree with Daforce. Plus... well, Stan Lee strikes me as skeevy these days.... I don't know what it is about him now... but he seems like he does things for the money and not for the content.

With the reality show you run the risk of compromising your vision and your entire life. However, if you are serious about starting a comic book series then you should pursue that wholeheartedly. If that's your dream, then don't give it to somebody else, hold onto it and do whatever you can to keep it yours and to bring it to fruition.

[Kaeos]

Thanks guys, I really do appreciate your thoughts.

I've decided not go forward with it. In the end I had to decide just how desperate I was to see my name in lights - and the answer is pretty damn desperate. I've wanted to be famous for as long as I can honestly remember.

But the Cons outweigh the Pros. If I was chosen (a slim chance if any, I know) then yes, there is a serious issue of how my work is represented. Maybe if the name on the dotted line was say - Todd McFarlane, well then maybe. But I agree with what many of you said about Stan Lee.

I'm also not so keen on the fact that there are not 1, not 2, but 4 different entities involved here. NASH (whatever the hell they are) All Hands On Deck Productions (who brought you such gems as Meet My Folks, For Love or Money, Who Wants to Marry My Dad?) Sci Fi Channel and Stan Lee himself

I spoke with one of the casting directors yesterday to try and get a feel for how they are handling the issue of intellectual property - will I lose all rights to my material and never make a penny on it? His answer was that I should really just concentrate on getting my submission video together get my costume ready and get it in as soon as possible "I'm not a lawyer, but consider that Stan Lee will make your hero into a comic book. I'm sure you'd get some cut, remember, Spiderman will be around for 500 years"

Kah - You had a really good point that I hadn't really considered. I could go ahead and come up with something new. I know I could. Something I have no real investment in and that I wouldn't miss when they took it away. And again, it's probably a slim chance I would even be chosen, though I believe in my heart I would.

The decision rang loud and clear. 3+ weeks away from home, half way across the country? Not gonna happen. I couldn't afford to pull my kids out of school and have my wife (who btw is pregnant #5- yea me!)take leave from work to come with me. Literally I can't afford that - Hotels, meals, transportation etc.

And nothing is so important that I want to be away from any of them for that long. I'm in sales. my job and my paycheck depend on me closing that loan. If I'm gone for 3 weeks, then my customers send my paycheck to my competition.

I'll stick to what I've done so far. Write my **** and find someone who wants to publish it. Hell, I found this board almost 2 years ago when I was looking for a place to post my stories in the first place!

Thanks again everyone!