Meet the Team

Staff & Advisory Boards

The Dynamic Duo

Jim McLauchlin, President - Hero Initiative

Jim McLauchlin, President

Jim McLauchlin has been a writer and editor since 1989, working primarily in sports, entertainment, and business. He’s written for Playboy, Wired, The Los Angeles Times, Major League Baseball’s World Series Program, and many more publications. He logged an 11-year stint at Wizard Entertainment, where he was a senior writer and contributing editor for Wizard: The Comics Magazine and spent two years as editor-in-chief of Top Cow Productions. Jim was one of the founders of Hero Initiative in 2000.

For more info, visit: UnpopularOpinions-McLauchlin.blogspot.com

Contact Jim here.

Christina Arrobio, Development Director

Christina Arrobio has been involved in fundraising for the past 25 years with numerous organizations in the health and education sector and has been working as the director of development and administration of Hero Initiative since 2009. She works directly on planning events for fundraising, organizes and oversees talent for special events, and attends conventions to help spread Hero’s message.

Christina lives in Pasadena, California. In addition to her work at Hero, she works in the real estate and fitness industries.

Contact Christina here.

Fundraising Board

Steve Borock

Senior Consignment Director, ComicLink.com

As a key figure in introducing third-party certification to the comic book hobby, Steve’s expertise and spotless reputation in the comics community got him hired by CGC as their first Primary Grader and Restoration Detection Expert where he set the grading standards used by so many hobbyists today. Steve’s reputation was a key component in certification gaining acceptance among the collecting community. After CGC, Steve went on to Heritage Auctions, bringing many millions of dollars of comics and art to market. Steve helped establish the grading standards used by most of the hobby today. In 2014, Steve opened CBCS (CBCScomics.com) as he saw a need for a new “collector friendly” grading service. Steve is now the Senior Consignment Director for ComicLink.com procuring comics and comic art for auction and for sale.

Megan Hutchinson

Artist / Creator

Megan Hutchison is the artist of the YASLA-nominated An Aurora Grimeon Story: Will O’ the Wisp for Archaia Entertainment, and the co-creator and illustrator of Image’s Rockstars, as well as a cover artist for Boom!, Archie and Valiant. She is currently the co-creator and illustrator on Image’s new series Flood with her husband, Donny Cates.

Laura Martin

Colorist

If you’ve read any mainstream comics in the last 23 years, you have probably seen Laura Martin’s award-winning color work. Laura’s best known titles include Star Wars, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Astonishing X-Men, and Thor. Her current projects include Ragnarök from IDW Publishing and X-Men and Fantastic Four from Marvel.

Brian Pulido

Creator/ Writer / Producer

Brian Pulido created the Chaos! Comics universe including Lady Death, Evil Ernie, Purgatori, Chastity, and dozens of other characters. He has published or written Lady Death, Evil Ernie, A Nightmare on Elm St., Chucky, Friday The 13^th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Megadeth, Insane Clown Posse, and many more. He has received the CBLDF Defender of Liberty Award, and wrote and directed the feature film The Graves starring Tony Todd.

For more info visit the Lady Death Universe

Joe Quesada

Editor / Writer / Artist

Joe Quesada wears many creative hats, as both an acclaimed writer-artist and the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment. In this role, Joe is steward of such iconic characters as The Avengers, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. With his transition into the position of Chief Creative Officer, Joe’s tenure as Editor-in-Chief drew to a close after 10 successful years, the longest term since Stan Lee himself. Under Quesada’s guidance, Marvel underwent a creative boom and became home to the comic industry’s greatest talents. As CCO, he now brings this same vision to the whole of Marvel Entertainment, creatively overseeing the worlds of television, animation, publishing, and theme parks.

Michael Savage

Comic Store Owner

Handed his first comic book at 6 years old because “Spider-Man’s costume was now black,” Michael Savage developed a love of art and comics which led him into study at the Ringling School of Art and Design. He and a partner operate Uncanny Heroes 1 & 2 in Central Florida, with both stores carrying a full and diverse line of books.

Mark Waid

Editor / Creator / Publisher

Mark Waid is a New York Times bestselling author whose many works include Kingdom Come, Superman: Birthright, and years-long runs on such popular titles as Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Flash and Justice League. As a publisher, he runs Thrillbent.com, a cutting-edge website showcasing a wide variety of comics produced specifically for tablets and digital devices. Waid also co-owns a comics shop in Indiana and is a tireless advocate for creator rights. If you catch him trying to catch a quick nap, forgive him.

Disbursement Committee

Howard Chaykin

Comic / Television Creator

Howard Chaykin pioneered the graphic novel form in the United States with Empire, The Stars My Destination, and Swords of Heaven, Flowers of Hell. He created the award-winning and ridiculously influential American Flagg! and Time(Squared), as well as deconstructing a number of mainstream characters, most notably The Shadow and Blackhawk. He has served on staff as a writer/producer on several television series, rising to the level of show runner, as well as freelancing in feature films, pilots, and episodic television. These days he spends his time writing and drawing comics, living at the beach, filled with gratitude that he’s no longer afflicted with a youthful attitude problem.

Klaus Janson

Artist

Klaus Janson started as an artist in the early 1970s, and quickly became known as one of the top inkers in the business. He enjoyed a lengthy 8-year run on Marvel Comics’ Daredevil in the 1970s and ’80s, and later inked the landmark Batman: The Dark Knight Returns for DC in 1986. Janson remains a sought-after talent to this day as both a penciler and inker. He’s written two how-to books on comics, and also teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Ann Nocenti

Writer/Editor

Ann Nocenti started as a comic writer in the early 1980s, and has written titles such as Longshot, Daredevil, Kid Eternity, and Catwoman. Nocenti also enjoyed a long stint as an editor at Marvel Comics, shepherding Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, and many other titles. She is currently writing The Seeds and Ruby Falls for Berger Books/Dark Horse Comics. Nocenti also has extensive background in charities, helping to operate Ciné Institute, a free film school in Haiti.

John Romita, Sr.

Artist

Legendary artist John Romita started in the comics field in 1949. After stints at Marvel and DC Comics, he returned to Marvel in 1966, where he became the second regular artist on Amazing Spider-Man. Romita’s conception of the character became the most widely known version when he provided the artwork for the syndicated Spider-Man newspaper strip from 1977-1980. Romita is now retired, grudgingly coaxed back to the drawing board for occasional special projects such as the U.S. Post Office’s 2007 Spider-Man stamp.

Walter Simonson

Artist / Writer

Walter Simonson has written and/or drawn a bevy of comics since the early 1970s including the New York Times bestselling Alien graphic novel, Manhunter, Batman, Thor, X-Factor, Fantastic Four, and many more. Walter is currently writing and drawing Ragnarok, a new creator-owned title from IDW Publishing.

Roy Thomas

Writer / Editor

Roy Thomas is one of the founders of comics fandom and among the first of its ranks to “turn pro.” He has now worked as a writer and editor in the field for 50 years. In 1965, he left his native Missouri for New York City, where he served for eight days as assistant to Mort Weisinger at DC Comics, before making the move across town to Marvel, which became Roy’s creative berth for the next sixteen years. In 1972, he became Stan Lee’s first successor as Marvel’s editor-in-chief. Roy is perhaps best known for single-handedly bringing the sword-and-sorcery genre to comics with Conan the Barbarian; for his long stints as writer of Marvel’s Avengers and X-Men titles; and as DC Comics’ “Earth-2 editor” during the 1980s. Roy is currently involved in a number of new comics projects, and also edits Alter Ego, the famed superhero fanzine he helped to found more than five decades ago.

Jim Valentino

Creator / Publisher

Jim Valentino is the creator of such diverse series as normalman, A Touch of Silver, Vignettes and ShadowHawk, as well the creative force behind the Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel. A co-founder of Image Comics, he served as the company’s publisher from 1999-2004, changing the face of the company to one of the most stylistically diverse in the industry. Currently he heads his own division of Image, Shadowline, Inc., which publishes Rat Queens, Faster Than Light, and works from Jimmie Robinson, Ted McKeever and more. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Medical & Financial Advisors

Fred Chamberlain

Counselor

Fred Chamberlain is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Masters Degree in Counseling from Johnson State College. Fred has spent the past 30 years working with individuals, groups and families with a focus on personal growth topics and issues. Fred’s areas of specialty include adjustment issues, anger management, relationship issues, assertiveness training, depression, anxiety, stress and grief work with individuals and couples, as well as experience with substance abuse and addictions work. Fred assists Hero with client consultation, treatment and referrals.

Contact Fred here.

Joe Davidson

Tax Preparation Consultant

Joe Davidson is an Enrolled Agent with over 10 years of Tax Preparation experience. After graduating from Concordia University Irvine in 1998 with two Bachelor’s degrees, one in Business Management and the other in Business Accounting, Joe began his career in the Tax and Financial industries. In 2009, Joe founded Tax Advice Guys, offering clients the highest quality of customer service, and assistance in all of their tax needs, including representation, correspondence and of course, preparation and planning.

Joe can be reached at 714-675-4342 or,…

Contact Joe here.

Dr. Harun Durudogan

Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Durudogan completed his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Biology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. He then attended Boston University where he received his Master’s Degree in Science. Dr. Durudogan received his medical degree at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois in 1992. After completing his internship and orthopedic residency, he began practicing in 1997. In May 2003, Dr. Durudogan went into solo practice where he would quickly flourish. Wanting to provide his patients with more orthopedic focused treatments, he purchased and renovated a 10,000 sq. ft. building and created Southwest Center for Healthy Joints in Oak Lawn, Illinois. Dr. Durudogan’s dream became a reality when the doors to this new state-of-the-art facility opened in January 2007. He can now provide various rehabilitative therapies and digital imaging that allow his patients the convenience of comprehensive musculoskeletal care in one location. Dr. Durudogan will assist Hero Initiative with Orthopedic patient consultations, diagnoses, treatments, and referrals for musculoskeletal issues within his areas of expertise.

Contact Dr. Durudogan here.

Dr. Mauricio Heilbron

General Surgeon

Dr. Mauricio Heilbron is a fully boarded general, trauma, and vascular surgeon in Long Beach, California where he performs complicated vascular surgeries involving aneurysms, dialysis and extremity bypasses. Dr. Heilbron opened his own practice in 1998, where patients are all treated like family. He has written numerous articles for Los Angeles area newspapers, and has won a Los Angeles Press Club Journalism Award. Dr. Heilbron assists Hero with patient consultations, diagnoses, treatment, and referrals for both government programs and physicians outside his geographic area or area of expertise.

Contact Dr. Helibron here.

Harlan Wenig

Financial Advisor

Harlan Wenig is an independent financial advisor who works directly with clients towards their financial goals. He works with Summit Brokerage Services, and specializes in retirement planning, asset preservation, and estate planning through the use of various investment vehicles including: annuities (variable, fixed, and indexed), non-traded REITs, mutual funds, individual equities, life insurance, disability insurance and other types of investments for both retirement plans (IRAs, 401(k)s, etc.) and non-qualified accounts. Harlan holds Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Series 7 and Series 66 licenses, in addition to multiple state insurance licenses. Since 2003, he has been as an active volunteer for the Hero Initiative and a member of the regional advisory board.

To contact Harlan Wenig, call toll-free at: 800-226-2660 or visit Summit Brokerage Service’s Website

Contact Harlan here.