Stephen Montoya
From the left, Kestrel Erickson and Christopher Arnold hold promo art for their comic creation “The Guardians.”
It started with a dad, a comic bookstore, and two disappointed kids.
Christopher Arnold wasn’t looking to start a movement that day — he just wanted to find something decent for his children to read. “My oldest has ADHD,” he said. “I took him to the comic shop hoping we’d leave with something that could get him excited about reading.”
Instead, they walked out empty-handed—almost every comic on the shelves was too mature, packed with violence, adult language, or off-putting humor, Arnold said.
That gap, that missing “kid section” in the comic world, sparked something. Within months, Arnold, an English major with a background in storytelling and business, founded We Need a Hero, a North Texas LLC with a heart-on-its-sleeve mission: inspire kids to read, write, and draw by giving them stories that actually speak to them. Add to that an anti-bullying campaign and, well, you get the idea.
At the center of the company’s newest project is “The Guardians,” a digital comic series set in a small, hidden village deep within a forest. Although the villagers are told they must never venture beyond the trees, one boy dares to find an answer to the question: What lies beyond?
The story follows Ryder — an adventurous, slightly mischievous kid from the village of Oak Hollow — whose curiosity takes him far past the limits of what’s considered safe. This is a tale filled with adventure, discovery, and mystery, where each step forward uncovers secrets long buried and truths no one in the village was ready to face.
“You’re dropped right into the action,” Arnold said. “We want each page to leave you wanting more.”
We Need a Hero LLC
The series is designed to be released digitally, one page at a time, with a format inspired by weekly episodic storytelling. Think cliffhangers. Think pacing. Think parents and kids sitting down together, week after week, to see what happens next.
That cinematic rhythm is thanks in large part to illustrator Kestrel Erickson, a classically trained animator with a passion for fantasy and naturalistic backgrounds. “Comics blend film language and illustration,” Erickson explained. “Your eye moves differently depending on the panel size, placement, and detail. If a panel’s big and wide, your eye lingers — those are usually the landscapes. Action scenes? More panels. Dialogue? Fewer.”
Kestrel’s background in animation brings a meticulous sense of pacing and flow to the page. “I thumbnail everything — overhead angles, under angles, emotional expressions — just to make sure the visual storytelling lines up with what Chris is trying to say.”
Their creative process is deeply collaborative. Arnold writes, loosely at first. Erickson translates. “She’ll pull something out of my head and make it real in a way I never could’ve imagined,” he said. “I give her the vaguest sketch and she turns it into this polished, emotional page. I’m constantly amazed.”
The two met through Kestrel’s fiancé, who happened to be teaching gymnastics — Arnold was there learning front flips for his costumed character appearances. Before launching “The Guardians,” Arnold had been appearing at parties and events as a clean-cut, family-friendly superhero of a spidery persuasion. “It was part literacy advocate, part birthday party hero,” he said. That effort evolved into We Need a Hero LLC, a small but ambitious creative company that aims to spark imagination through storytelling. Focused initially on live appearances and school visits, the company developed an anti-bullying campaign that brought messages of empathy and courage directly into classrooms. Over time, We Need a Hero expanded its offerings to include digital comics — new stories designed for kids who crave action, heart, and emotional depth without being overwhelmed by adult content.
“It’s about creating heroes that kids can actually relate to,” Arnold said. “Not watered-down versions of adult content, but something original, something built from the ground up with them in mind.”
Ironically, Erickson, an accomplished graphic artist, wasn’t doing anything art related when she first met Arnold.
“I was working at the gym,” she says.
But when Arnold saw her Instagram, filled with expressive, kid-friendly artwork, he knew she was the one. “It was a no-brainer,” he says. “That cutesy style? That’s the vibe.”
The art is inspired by a mix of “Legend of Zelda,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Dungeons & Dragons,” with a healthy splash of modern animation. “I also turn to my bookshelf when I get stuck,” Erickson said. “Luke Pearson’s 'Hilda' comics, Shel Silverstein books, a bunch of children's illustrations — I keep those close.”
We Need a Hero LLC
The goal isn’t just good art and adventure, though. Arnold sees the comic as part of a broader mission: helping kids fall in love with creativity. “If we can get them reading, writing, drawing — that’s it,” he said. “That’s the win.”
The pair has already started distributing materials at local schools and libraries. “Bookmarks are better than flyers,” Arnold said. “They don’t get thrown away. Plus, we’ve seen kids actually using them.”
The feedback so far? “Honestly, more adults are responding than kids right now,” Arnold laughed. “Mostly guys who are into art or comics. But I’m hoping this starts more conversations between kids and their parents.”
Eventually, Arnold hopes to publish “The Guardians” as a printed series and spin off additional titles. “I’ve got other ideas,” he said. “I’m not ready to share them yet — but this is just the beginning.”
For now, it’s one page at a time. One bookmark. One panel. One cliffhanger. A comic created not just for entertainment, but for connection.
“If I can help a kid like my son sit still for a story,” Arnold said, “if I can give parents something they can actually read with their kids and feel good about — I’ll feel like we’ve made a real impact.”
