LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2008) – The Hero Initiative is bringing a full house to Texas, including the fabulously talented Phil Hester, an exclusive Darkness comic, and game show antics!

THE DARKNESS #7 PHIL HESTER VARIANT COVER

Top Cow Productions and The Hero Initiative proudly announce a limited-edition variant cover for The Darkness #7 drawn by Phil Hester at Wizard World Texas. Only 1000 copies of this rare exclusive have been printed for worldwide distribution, so get yours QUICK—They’ll sell out fast! And Hester will be on hand to personally autograph your copy! For full details, check out: http://heroinitiative.org/NewsDetail.asp?NewsId=161

PINS ARE THE NEW HERO BENEFIT PRODUCT

In honor of Wizard World Texas, Hero trots out Sheriff Ida Red of Mutant, Texas as the newest Hero pin, available for a mere $1! And check out all the great Hero pins, including Dawn, Dark Ivory, and a great girl by Frank Cho!

WIZARD AND HERO HOLD SATURDAY NIGHT GAME SHOW
Ethan Van Sciver, Terry Moore, Sean McKeever, Shane Davis, Phil Hester and others will grab their pen and paper and fill in the blanks during a rousing comic-book-tinted version of the classic game show, “Match Game.” Trying to match the creators will be numerous lucky fans who will have the chance to get onstage if the ticket they purchased is drawn. All proceeds from ticket and admission sales go to benefit The Hero Initiative and the lucky winners will receive original artwork and other memorabilia donated by the contestants and other top name creators.

Game Show Night, Wizard World Texas style, will be held Saturday, November 8th from 6:30 – 8:30 P.M. in the FearFest Room at the Arlington Convention Center. Admission to the event is $5 and tickets to the event can be purchased at the Hero Initiative Booth on the show floor. Contestants will be determined by raffle. Raffle tickets ($2 each, 3 for $5) can be purchased at The Hero Initiative booth. One lucky winner will win a JS20S 20TH Anniversary Model electric guitar from Ibanez, which features a stunning rendering of the Silver Surfer on the body, IBZ Axis pickups and the Edge III trem. The Silver Surfer art comes from the album jacket of the groundbreaking Joe Satriani album “Surfing with the Alien.” Contestants must be present at the event to win. For full details, check out: http://heroinitiative.org/NewsDetail.asp?NewsId=162

BOOTH # 503 SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 7 (Con Hours 12pm-6pm)

12:30-2:00: Phil Hester

3:00-4:00: Brian Azzarello

Saturday, Nov 8 (Con Hours 10am-6pm)
10:00-12:00: Phil Hester

3:30-5:00: Phil Hester

Sunday, Nov. 9 (Con Hours 11am-5pm)
11:00-12:00: Phil Hester

For more information on Wizard World Texas, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/tx-programguide1.html.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment. For more information, call 310-909-7809 or visit www.HeroInitiative.org.