ELIOPOULOS’S
LIOPOULOS’S CLAIMS TO FAME
F A M E
and wanted to work together.” Meltzer
gave Eliopoulos the page he wrote on
Amelia Earhart and told him to make it
a kids’ book, which they then pitched to
publishers. “Our vision was not just to
publish a book, but to create a library of
at least 100 of these books for parents
and kids,” he says.
For their most recent release, they
chose famed puppeteer Jim Henson,
Eliopoulos’s childhood idol and creator
of The Muppet Show and Sesame
Street, for his creativity and positive
outlook on life. “He was a wonderful
person who only spread love, and he
inspires people to dream, create and
share,” Eliopoulos says. “We thought
that was a great message for kids.”
Scheduled for release later this year,
I am Gandhi focuses on the Indian
leader who fought for people’s rights
through nonviolent civil disobedience.
“In today’s political landscape there’s
a feeling that our country is divided,
so it’s fate that we’re doing Gandhi,”
Eliopoulos says. “His vision was that it’s
not us versus them, we are all ‘we,’ and
with peace and understanding we can
change the world.”
201magazine.com
Here’s where else you’ve seen his work:
THE ULTIMATE SPIDERMAN
Eliopoulos has written, lettered and drawn for the esteemed
comic-series.
FRANKLIN RICHARDS; SON OF A GENIUS
Eliopoulos drew and co-wrote the Marvel adventure series.
COW BOY
Eliopoulos illustrated the graphic novel about a young bounty
hunter. It’s been optioned by DreamWorks Animation.
LOCKJAW & THE PET AVENGERS
Eliopoulos wrote the Marvel series of comic books.
STAR WARS
Eliopoulos has written and illustrated multiple stories for
Marvel.
I am Gandhi will be released simul-
taneously with I am Sacajawea, about
the young girl who helped Lewis and
Clark’s expedition across the United
States. “She was just a teenager and she
had a baby, but she led them across the
nation, talking to other Native Americans,
teaching them where to go and how to
find the right foods to eat. She saved their
lives many times,” Eliopoulos says. “We
wanted a Native American hero that little
girls could look up to, to show them they
can lead the way.”
Eliopoulos is currently working on
Cosmic Commandos, a graphic novel
for kids based on his twin sons, while
expanding the beloved series he and
Meltzer created. Though his sons leave
for college next year, he’ll continue
calling River Vale home as he tours
the country visiting schools and
discussing his hero books with
children. On both his book tours and
social media, the positive feedback
from kids and parents has been
overwhelming.
“Everybody in this country is starving
for real heroes for their children to look
up to, and when parents see how these
books affect their kids, the response we
get is amazing,” he says, adding that
kids are even dressing up as their new
heroes for Halloween. “Little girls used
to dress up as Disney characters and
now they want to be Amelia Earhart
and parents are thanking us for giving
their kids a hero that’s not just a
princess.” ●
(201) FAMILY | APRIL/MAY 2017
27