#21 ·
I'm quite taken with the idea for an A-men. Just let me know if you need an illustrator. 🙂 I would love for us to put together a comic strip 😍
New superhero concept ideas?
Started by redskipper95 · · 👁 6 views · 53 replies
Participants
#22 ·
That’s a really thoughtful take, but I can't help feeling those heroes with their shadowy organizations and high-concept sci-fi visions feel a bit over-the-top lately.
Maybe the trick is to aim for something more grounded? People generally gravitate toward things that are straightforward and easy to wrap their heads around. Plus, let's be honest, kids today aren't exactly hitting the books much, so all that dense scientific jargon probably just goes right over their heads.
And besides, everyone is obsessed with being eco-friendly and living that organic, wellness-focused lifestyle these days—it was true back then, too.
What if we created a character named John Doe who, whenever things get heated, can actually manifest corn from his own body and use lethal kernels to settle the score?
Those kernels could serve all sorts of tactical purposes... imagine a kernel that enters someone's system and causes them to turn into popcorn from the inside out.
Or maybe another type of grain that turns an adversary into mush.
You could come up with about a hundred different specialized kernels like that.
Then, if he manages to clear out all the kernels, he could transform into a whole cob, which would make him much easier to plant or hide in the ground.
He could even wield two corn cobs like nunchucks, or in a real pinch, the corn nunchucks could explode like fragmentation grenades filled with lethal corn kernels.
There’s also potential with the stalk itself; he could use a bright green stalk to blend perfectly into forests or other lush greenery, or just hang out in a public park to spy on important situations.
There are endless possibilities here without needing any of that overly complicated technology.
I truly believe this would appeal to everyone... especially the farmers, who always seem to get overlooked, even though they represent such a massive untapped demographic. Then you have the lazy, uneducated younger generation who barely even know what actual corn is anymore (what a novelty!).
They already know everything there is to know about those cyborgs and monsters since they seem to pop up on every street corner.
By doing this, all those trendy health enthusiasts that nobody pays attention to will finally get their own hero.
It would stay perfectly on-trend with the whole organic, green, "all-natural" movement.😉
And honestly, if the character becomes a hit, you could open a massive franchise of popcorn stands selling boiled or roasted corn branded with the character's image.
The best part is that people could actually eat their favorite hero.😛
What do you think?😲
Maybe the trick is to aim for something more grounded? People generally gravitate toward things that are straightforward and easy to wrap their heads around. Plus, let's be honest, kids today aren't exactly hitting the books much, so all that dense scientific jargon probably just goes right over their heads.
And besides, everyone is obsessed with being eco-friendly and living that organic, wellness-focused lifestyle these days—it was true back then, too.
What if we created a character named John Doe who, whenever things get heated, can actually manifest corn from his own body and use lethal kernels to settle the score?
Those kernels could serve all sorts of tactical purposes... imagine a kernel that enters someone's system and causes them to turn into popcorn from the inside out.
Or maybe another type of grain that turns an adversary into mush.
You could come up with about a hundred different specialized kernels like that.
Then, if he manages to clear out all the kernels, he could transform into a whole cob, which would make him much easier to plant or hide in the ground.
He could even wield two corn cobs like nunchucks, or in a real pinch, the corn nunchucks could explode like fragmentation grenades filled with lethal corn kernels.
There’s also potential with the stalk itself; he could use a bright green stalk to blend perfectly into forests or other lush greenery, or just hang out in a public park to spy on important situations.
There are endless possibilities here without needing any of that overly complicated technology.
I truly believe this would appeal to everyone... especially the farmers, who always seem to get overlooked, even though they represent such a massive untapped demographic. Then you have the lazy, uneducated younger generation who barely even know what actual corn is anymore (what a novelty!).
They already know everything there is to know about those cyborgs and monsters since they seem to pop up on every street corner.
By doing this, all those trendy health enthusiasts that nobody pays attention to will finally get their own hero.
It would stay perfectly on-trend with the whole organic, green, "all-natural" movement.😉
And honestly, if the character becomes a hit, you could open a massive franchise of popcorn stands selling boiled or roasted corn branded with the character's image.
The best part is that people could actually eat their favorite hero.😛
What do you think?😲
#23 ·
alexfreeman;12806467 said:THE CORE STORY OF THE MOVIE: Amen
Basically, the idea is that love is the ultimate healer and savior, and the film's whole purpose
is to spread that sense of compassion to everyone, ultimately aiming to
make them better versions of themselves.
QUOTE]
It feels like we're back to those same old tropes about love—this idea that we should all just live together like one big, happy family, constantly trying to reshape people into some kind of flawless ideal where nothing is out of place.😛
But why can't we just develop a genuine understanding of both human flaws and virtues?
We ought to accept people exactly as they are, imperfections and all. There’s a way to care for someone in your own unique way without forcing it; if you don't feel that deep connection, you can still show them respect instead of trying to manufacture love at any cost.
And as for that concept of karma—that what you put out into the world eventually finds its way back to you—I think that's really the only way people will truly grasp the impact of how they treat others.
#24 ·
alexfreeman;12907024 said:
To wrap things up, the brilliance behind an Amen ending lies in its uniqueness; by having the protagonist perish at the curtain call, you effectively prevent any cheap sequels from diluting the integrity of the original story.
QUOTE]
I’m not sure I agree that killing off the lead is the best move... doesn't that just consign the character to obscurity? It's those endless sequels that really keep a franchise alive and kicking in the public eye.
But don't you see? The icons we still talk about today are the heroes who actually survived their journeys. The ones who show up once, fulfill their purpose, and die? They fade into total silence almost immediately.
#25 ·
redskipper95 said:At the end of the day, this whole concept serves as a bit of a wake-up call for everyone else, proving that crafting a truly compelling narrative isn't actually an impossible feat; you just have to sit down and execute it. Of course, that’s much easier said than done, since the real hurdle is almost always finding that specific group of people who possess both the talent and the genuine drive to see it through to the finish line.
The thing about a great story is that you don't really "make" it... it just finds its way out of you.🙂
#26 ·
Laura Martin73 said:I am absolutely loving this whole A-menu e idea. Seriously, just let me know if you need an illustrator to bring it to life! 🙂 Man, I would love nothing more than to see us turn this whole thing into a comic strip. 😍
Are you actually being serious right now, or are you just messing with me?
Look, if you’ve got a wild imagination, you don't even need me. I’ve already laid out the heavy hitters—the main plot points and the core scenes—so it shouldn't be that hard for you to run with it on your own. Unless, of course, you actually want the story told exactly the way I see it in my head.
Look, if you're actually down to collab on a comic, I'm game. But let's be real—this only works if we're totally on the same page about the vision.
#27 ·
redskipper95 said:Are you being serious or just messing with me?
Look, if you have a wild enough imagination, you don't even need me. I’ve already laid out the main plot points and the core scenes, so it shouldn't be hard to write it yourself—unless you want the story told exactly how I envision it.
If you're down to collaborate on a comic, we can do that, but only if we're on the same page.
I'm serious. I'd actually like to make a comic together. If we're on the same page.
#28 ·
Laura Martin73 said:I'm actually being serious. Let's collab on a comic book. For A-menu e.
Honestly, I could probably find a thousand different excuses to bail on that idea right now—especially since I just started this new job and I’m working myself into the ground. I’m so wiped out I don't have the brainpower or the creativity left to dream up anything new...
it's kind of wild.
But yeah, I'm just not feeling any creative spark lately, so I'm officially calling it quits on the comic idea. My focus has shifted to other stuff in my life.
Still, looking at you, it seems like you're dead set on this, so why shouldn't you just try to tackle it on your own?
So, check this out,
making a comic
is just two words, fourteen letters total.
so simple,
yet so massive.
The only thing I'll add is that if one person tries to pull this off alone, they're going to need an insane amount of time and energy. But if a group jumps in, everyone splits the workload, which makes the whole grind way more manageable.
So here’s my pitch: let's open up this A-menu e comic project to anyone who actually wants in, and everyone contributes just one single panel.
Let me break it down: one person draws one frame, someone else takes the next, and so on.
At that rate, we could knock out a full A-menu e comic in basically 24 hours.
Let's do the math:
24 hours
1000 people
1000 panels
=
an A-menu e comic
Now, you're probably wondering how on earth we’d coordinate a thousand people to build a comic.
That’s a whole different beast.
But hey, where there's a will, there's a way.
Fingers crossed for you.👍
#29 ·
redskipper95 said:I could probably find a thousand reasons not to do this (comic strip)
But there's only one reason, and you're the only one who knows it.🤷
Oh, so now you'll tell me how to get a thousand people to make a comic.
That's a whole different story.
Where there's a will, there's a way.
Fingers crossed for you.👍
I won't say, because that isn't even the main issue. I want to do this on my own.😍
I'll reach out when there's something to show for it.
#30 ·
that's pretty strange.
Honestly, I just can't find any creative spark left to fuel an idea anymore, so I'm stepping away from the comic book project entirely. My focus has shifted toward other priorities in my life.
so an A-menu e comic could basically be knocked out in 24 hours.
to recap here:
24 hours
1000 people
1000 images
it really is bizarre..
It’s hard to maintain any momentum when the driving force behind the whole thing was purely about the financial payoff, rather than actually wanting to make a comic for the sake of art.
A comic isn't some massive factory assembly line where you can just deploy 1000 workers to churn out products... You have to pour yourself into the work, breathing life into the characters through your drawings and genuinely caring about the process of spending hours and days bringing a hero to life.
You start a conversation with such enthusiasm, but then all these excuses pop up, which makes it feel like this wasn't even that important to you in the first place.
And now that someone else has actually stepped up and shown interest, you're playing games just to see if they're serious, only to drop the "1000 people" line on them once they prove they are.
That's quite a move you're pulling.😛
#31 ·
Morgan Parker11 said:Yeah, pretty weird..
how you'd even have any motivation if the whole incentive was just making money.. rather than actually caring about the comic itself.
It’s not some factory assembly line where you can just hire a thousand people to crank it out.. you actually have to pour yourself into it, drawing the panels, breathing life into the lead, and genuinely loving those endless hours spent building the world.
You start this thread with all this energy, and now you're hitting me with "this" and "that".. which basically means you didn't really care that much in the first place.
And now that someone’s actually interested, you're playing hard to get just to see if they're serious, and once they prove they are, you're like, "Oh, too bad, I need a thousand employees," just to mess with them.
Man, what an ego.😛
First off, the idea wasn't born out of a desire to cash in. If that were the case, I would've just sold it to someone already (besides, I've got plenty of other ideas I'd happily give away to anyone who wanted them).
Second, my goal was to use something good to bring people together, though it looks like that might be a pipe dream. Right now, my reality doesn't leave me much room to dump energy into anything except the job that keeps me afloat—especially after being unemployed for three long years. Honestly, most great ideas are born out of desperation when you're scrambling for a way out of a corner, not just for yourself, but for others too.
Third, it *was* important to me. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have polished all those notes and put the concept on my blog. But look, one person can't do everything. If they could, every movie would feature the same guy acting, writing, producing, scoring, doing special effects, costume design, makeup, and directing all at once. That would be a whole different kind of crazy.
Fourth, I never claimed to be some big shot. Anyone can come up with a killer idea and post it on a blog.
But I'll give you this: yeah, since I started something, I really should finish it.
Unfortunately, I'm just running on empty right now. (I'm more of a mental guy than a physical one—though hey, you kind of inspired me to finally hit the gym.)
Maybe I shared this idea too early. When I was out of work, I had nothing but time, but I guess that's just the irony of it all. So, I'll just trust that I've taken the first step, while Laura Martin73 handles the second. As for who takes the third step once the comic is illustrated? Who knows.
Anyway, thanks for the comment. It's keeping this debate alive.
🙂
#32 ·
redskipper95, what I actually expected from you was some direction. For instance, looking at my initial sketches and deciding which version of the A-men would best fit your vision—filtering out certain drawings or offering suggestions along those lines. Something like that...🤷
P.S. 😁I haven't even started yet, though I plan to soon.
P.S. 😁I haven't even started yet, though I plan to soon.
#33 ·
Laura Martin73 said:redskipper95, what I was actually hoping for was some direction from you. Like, maybe you could look at my initial rough sketches and pick which version of A-men works best so it stays true to your vision? Or tell me which drawings to scrap or suggest tweaks... just something like that.🤷
P.S. 😁I haven't even started yet, but I plan to get moving soon.
I lost a really close friend a few days ago, and it’s honestly left me questioning if I’m actually giving everything I've got in life. That last post from Morgan Parker11 really shook me—in a good way, though. It made me realize I need to go all in every single day, because you never know if today is going to be your last, no matter how much you burn yourself out. So, I've decided I'm going to help you bring this comic to life.
Bottom line, Laura Martin73, I'm here for you. Just shoot me a DM so we can move this conversation off the public thread.
#34 ·
That’s a great point, 🙂
The heart of the matter is really about giving everything you’ve got to the things you truly care about. You don't want your biggest dreams to just sit there gathering dust; you want to make sure they actually happen. It's about avoiding that heavy sense of regret down the road—that nagging feeling where you look back and realize you had a golden opportunity to chase something, but you just let it slip through your fingers because you didn't take the leap. I think we should all try to follow our own paths while we can, so when we eventually reach old age, we aren't left wondering "what if." There's a certain peace in being able to say, "I lived my life exactly how I wanted to, and I checked every box on my list"🙂
Personally, I’m not a huge believer in the idea that brilliant concepts are born out of pure desperation or hitting rock bottom. To me, it feels more like practical solutions arise naturally when someone is actively searching for an exit strategy or a way out of a tough spot. When it comes to true inspiration and big ideas, I’ve always felt they happen best when the mind is at ease—when you aren't boggedED down by stress or pressure. It’s almost like a flow state, where thoughts can move in and out freely and positively without any forced effort
To be honest, I wasn't really vibing with your perspective here. I feel like it's important to really stand behind what you say and what you want, rather than being one way today and completely different tomorrow. If you're in, you're in; if you decide to go for it later, then do that, but there should be some level of consistency. It’s hard to put any real trust in someone who flips their convictions and actions on their head every single day
The heart of the matter is really about giving everything you’ve got to the things you truly care about. You don't want your biggest dreams to just sit there gathering dust; you want to make sure they actually happen. It's about avoiding that heavy sense of regret down the road—that nagging feeling where you look back and realize you had a golden opportunity to chase something, but you just let it slip through your fingers because you didn't take the leap. I think we should all try to follow our own paths while we can, so when we eventually reach old age, we aren't left wondering "what if." There's a certain peace in being able to say, "I lived my life exactly how I wanted to, and I checked every box on my list"🙂
Personally, I’m not a huge believer in the idea that brilliant concepts are born out of pure desperation or hitting rock bottom. To me, it feels more like practical solutions arise naturally when someone is actively searching for an exit strategy or a way out of a tough spot. When it comes to true inspiration and big ideas, I’ve always felt they happen best when the mind is at ease—when you aren't boggedED down by stress or pressure. It’s almost like a flow state, where thoughts can move in and out freely and positively without any forced effort
To be honest, I wasn't really vibing with your perspective here. I feel like it's important to really stand behind what you say and what you want, rather than being one way today and completely different tomorrow. If you're in, you're in; if you decide to go for it later, then do that, but there should be some level of consistency. It’s hard to put any real trust in someone who flips their convictions and actions on their head every single day
#35 ·
Here’s my vision for the first page of the comic
Panel 1: A close-up of a white eye with a blue iris
Text: They say you can see a soul in an eye
Panel 2: That nasty mentor figure, pulling his hair out with both hands
in a total fit of rage
Text: ENOUGH!!!
Panel 3: A bloody human face lying on the floor, eyes rolled back, staring blankly at the ground
Text: ...that you can see what a person sees
Panel 4: A human ear that’s missing chunks
Text: ...that you can hear what a person hears
Panel 5: A human nose with hairs poking out, touching some brown sludge
Text: ...that you can smell what a person smells
Panel 6: (The same guy) lying on the floor, twitching while looking up at a shoe flying toward his head; his nose is buried in filth and cockroaches are eating his ears
Text: ...that you can feel what a person feels
Panel 7: We see the evil mentor's shoe smashing into the face, blood spraying from the A-men
Text: But that's a lie.
Panel 8: The evil mentor standing over him, looking dominant, waving his hands as if he's just giving up on the body and mind entirely
Text: Why even bother? Is this even a man anymore?
Panel 9: A shot of a door being locked—a hand turning a key
Text: But all of it, it stays inside me, and you will never see my soul
Panel 10: Back to the human eye, but this time the sclera isn't white anymore—it's bloodshot, and the pupil dilates suddenly because the room has plunged into darkness
Honestly, the idea of actually taking this project seriously scares me because
when you pour everything into something, it either builds you up or completely destroys you. And when you're dealing with superhero art—the heroes, the supervillains—you usually end up getting wrecked.
This is just an example of how "good" can look bad, and how a "good" comic can be a bad comic simply by failing to show the right things.
And yeah, these rough sketches are pretty brutal, but once you start creating "well," it becomes hard to pull back and ask yourself: "What am I even doing?"
I have to admit, I surprised myself with how easily I could visualize these scenes, even though I've never come up with anything like this in my life. So, I just gave up on it all.
Bottom line: I don't want to end up like Heath Ledger. I don't want to give every ounce of myself to film a movie or draw a comic that's a solid 5/10 just to destroy myself in the process. When you create something—especially when you're playing both sides of the coin, Good and Evil—there's a massive chance one of them is going to touch you. Though, I guess there's a slightly lower chance when you're playing the hero; it's way more dangerous when you sink into the villain's role. So watch out: be careful who you're pretending to be.
And yeah, I'm sticking to what I said.
Panel 1: A close-up of a white eye with a blue iris
Text: They say you can see a soul in an eye
Panel 2: That nasty mentor figure, pulling his hair out with both hands
in a total fit of rage
Text: ENOUGH!!!
Panel 3: A bloody human face lying on the floor, eyes rolled back, staring blankly at the ground
Text: ...that you can see what a person sees
Panel 4: A human ear that’s missing chunks
Text: ...that you can hear what a person hears
Panel 5: A human nose with hairs poking out, touching some brown sludge
Text: ...that you can smell what a person smells
Panel 6: (The same guy) lying on the floor, twitching while looking up at a shoe flying toward his head; his nose is buried in filth and cockroaches are eating his ears
Text: ...that you can feel what a person feels
Panel 7: We see the evil mentor's shoe smashing into the face, blood spraying from the A-men
Text: But that's a lie.
Panel 8: The evil mentor standing over him, looking dominant, waving his hands as if he's just giving up on the body and mind entirely
Text: Why even bother? Is this even a man anymore?
Panel 9: A shot of a door being locked—a hand turning a key
Text: But all of it, it stays inside me, and you will never see my soul
Panel 10: Back to the human eye, but this time the sclera isn't white anymore—it's bloodshot, and the pupil dilates suddenly because the room has plunged into darkness
Honestly, the idea of actually taking this project seriously scares me because
when you pour everything into something, it either builds you up or completely destroys you. And when you're dealing with superhero art—the heroes, the supervillains—you usually end up getting wrecked.
This is just an example of how "good" can look bad, and how a "good" comic can be a bad comic simply by failing to show the right things.
And yeah, these rough sketches are pretty brutal, but once you start creating "well," it becomes hard to pull back and ask yourself: "What am I even doing?"
I have to admit, I surprised myself with how easily I could visualize these scenes, even though I've never come up with anything like this in my life. So, I just gave up on it all.
Bottom line: I don't want to end up like Heath Ledger. I don't want to give every ounce of myself to film a movie or draw a comic that's a solid 5/10 just to destroy myself in the process. When you create something—especially when you're playing both sides of the coin, Good and Evil—there's a massive chance one of them is going to touch you. Though, I guess there's a slightly lower chance when you're playing the hero; it's way more dangerous when you sink into the villain's role. So watch out: be careful who you're pretending to be.
And yeah, I'm sticking to what I said.
#36 ·
Talk about irony,
what happened to my buddy almost went down for me too,
I felt like absolute garbage on Monday and they ended up rushing me to the ER.
It took me until today to finally feel human again.
Who knows, maybe it’s a sign from the universe or something?
Bottom line though: you gotta give it your all and push yourself, but don't get so lost in the role that you actually lose who you are.
what happened to my buddy almost went down for me too,
I felt like absolute garbage on Monday and they ended up rushing me to the ER.
It took me until today to finally feel human again.
Who knows, maybe it’s a sign from the universe or something?
Bottom line though: you gotta give it your all and push yourself, but don't get so lost in the role that you actually lose who you are.
#37 ·
redskipper95 said:Talk about irony,
what happened to my buddy almost went down for me too,
I felt like death on Monday and they ended up hauling me straight to the ER.
It took me until today to finally feel human again.
Who knows, maybe it's a sign or something else entirely?
Bottom line: you gotta give it everything you've got, but don't get so lost in the role that you actually lose yourself.
Well, here I am after a long hiatus and a massive crisis I finally managed to pull through.
Why am I popping back up? Because this past Friday, I ran into rad Šerbedžija and pitched him the whole idea; honestly, it was all over in about 30 seconds, but hey, who knows? Maybe he'll stumble onto my blog and read the story.
And then, who knows, maybe the whole A-men thing actually gets turned into a movie.
Keep your fingers crossed for me.
🙂
#39 ·
Laura Jones said:If you ever need someone to proofread your English, I’m officially volunteering for the job.😁
I was at the Metro Expo awards ceremony yesterday and managed to chat with a few big shots there. I pitched my superhero concept to them, so hey, maybe there's actually a shot at getting this thing turned into a movie.
Zachary Cruz, I haven't even finished the English draft yet, but thanks for the offer! My English is a little rough around the edges right now, but I'll have the whole thing translated by the end of the week. Then we'll see if my translation skills are actually any good.
Thanks again.🙂
#40 ·
THE TAXPAYER
- pays his taxes and bills right on schedule
- knows exactly what his gross salary is and doesn't complain about the local surcharges, even though he lives in a quiet suburb like Naperville but commutes to Chicago and deals with both sets of municipal fees
- drove a beat-up old Chevy Cavalier for seven years while paying it off and didn't utter a single complaint
- has a nightmare of a wife and two unruly kids, but loves them because that’s just what you do
- actually greets his neighbors, and when it hits 95 degrees and someone asks, "Man, is it hot out here?" he responds with, "You know how it is, thanks for asking."
- and so on...
THE TAX...
...PAYER
If this guy isn't a superhero, then nobody is.
- pays his taxes and bills right on schedule
- knows exactly what his gross salary is and doesn't complain about the local surcharges, even though he lives in a quiet suburb like Naperville but commutes to Chicago and deals with both sets of municipal fees
- drove a beat-up old Chevy Cavalier for seven years while paying it off and didn't utter a single complaint
- has a nightmare of a wife and two unruly kids, but loves them because that’s just what you do
- actually greets his neighbors, and when it hits 95 degrees and someone asks, "Man, is it hot out here?" he responds with, "You know how it is, thanks for asking."
- and so on...
THE TAX...
...PAYER
If this guy isn't a superhero, then nobody is.
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