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On November 14, the community room at Hudson Valley InterArts was buzzing with excitement, packed wall-to-wall with supporters of inclusive art. The occasion? The highly anticipated Meet the Creators event celebrating the launch of Zero to Hero, CBS’s first-ever comic book—an imaginative, collaborative masterpiece born from the minds of participants in our day services program.
The creators were treated like rock stars, and rightfully so. This was their moment to shine, to take pride in a long-term project that transformed their ideas from sketches and stories into a professionally illustrated comic book. Attendees lined up to grab their copies and have each creator personally sign their name, turning the event into a heartfelt celebration of creativity, community, and accomplishment.
“This comic book project derived from the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to express themselves and to be celebrated for their creativity,” said Frank DiMaggio, Group Day Habilitation Manager WOW. “A lot of their creative potential goes untapped and stays in their notebooks. I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we could work with an illustrator to bring these ideas to life? These guys blew me away and exceeded my expectations.”
Left to Right: Artist Brian Chan, Creator Raymond, Group Day Habilitation Manager Frank DiMaggio
That illustrator was Brian Chan, a longtime friend of Frank’s, who stepped in to bring the characters to life with artistic flair. “I’m proud of what we created together,” Brian shared. “We spent the past year chatting about their characters, the super powers they wanted to showcase and the designs they wanted to bring out. The creators gave me so many awesome ideas to play with—it wasn’t hard to highlight their great ideas.”
One such character is Dillan the Villain, created by Gio—self-proclaimed in house CBS comedian. “He is a rapper and comedian, he spits fireballs and he is witty at jokes,” explained Gio to his audience.
The comic book, Zero to Hero, follows three original superheroes competing in a chaotic 70s/80s-style game show to earn the title of Official Superhero. Each character—Claycier the Warrior, Dillon the Villain, Spike Paine, Brainstorm, Moonshine, and Belladonna—was designed by CBS participants, reflecting their personalities, passions, and imaginations.
This project is more than a comic book—it’s a testament to what happens when we invest in the dreams and talents of those we support. It’s about fostering artistic expression, building self-confidence, and creating something truly extraordinary.
Alex, who has been coming to CBS for just over a year sums it up perfectly. “Opportunities like this…It is an honor to be here at my first comic book panel, surrounded by people who bought our comic book!” For Alex, an avid character artist, this was a dream come true and has shown him what is possible with the characters he so lovingly creates.
Over 150 copies of Zero to Hero were sold and an additional $1150 in donations was raised during this first launch. Supporting inclusive, community-driven art has a far-reaching ripple effect.
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Every donation helps us continue to create spaces where creativity and self-expression thrive. Be part of the movement—because every hero deserves to be seen.
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