Posted in: Comics | Tagged: amp, graphic novel, greatest american hero, kickstarter, William Katt

William Katt Launches Greatest American Hero Comic Book Kickstarter

William Katt launches a Kickstarter for the Greatest American Hero graphic novel from AMP Comics later this year

AMP printed a lot of copies of The Greatest American Hero #1 Preview for Free Comic Book Day, based on the 45-year-old TV show. They burned through all of them. Copies of the free comic have sold for $14 on eBay, with signed ashcan copies going for over $50. AMP has now announced an expanded retail release of Issue #1 this July, followed by a 45th anniversary crowdfunding campaign. Those who want access to early-bird exclusive content are advised to sign up now.

"Fans have made it absolutely clear that they want more of The Greatest American Hero," said Don Handfield, CEO of Amp Comics. "We are thrilled to honor this milestone anniversary by giving them exactly that." The 45th Anniversary Kickstarter campaign will offer an exclusive hardcover edition of the graphic novel by Don Handfield (The Founder, Amazing Stories), from a story he created with Tawnia McKiernan, daughter of series creator Stephen J. Cannell. He is joined by co-writer Joshua Malkin of Widow, The Source, and drawn by AMP artist Alper Geçgel of Prodigal Son. The original star of the show, William Katt, is also part of the creative process as Executive Producer while lending his likeness to the series. The campaign will also feature limited edition merchandise, T-shirts, belt buckles, and items signed by Katt. Tawnia McKiernan and her sister, Chelsea Cannell Briggs, state they are actively involved and committed to honouring their father's legacy by reviving the character he created.

The Greatest American Hero Issue #1 is published on July 29th, 2026, the month of the American Semiquincentennial, with the revival of its greatest hero. The Kickstarter launch page is here.

GREATEST AMERICAN HERO #1 (OF 5)
(W) Don Handfield (A) Alper Gecgel (CA) Rob Prior
He's back. Amp Comics is proud to bring the bumbling superhero from the hit '80s TV show to a comic shop near you. The Greatest American Hero has returned to reconnect with his son, who only knows him as the "crazy man in red pajamas." Seven days. One suit. A final sacrifice. The Greatest American Hero gets the ending he deserved. This new first issue includes an additional page and three great covers! $4.99 7/29/2026

It's all based on the American superhero TV comedy that aired on ABC from 1981 to 1983, created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, known for shows like The A-Team and 21 Jump Street, and running for three seasons with a total of 43 episodes, though the network cancelled it before airing the final few. They would later appear on VHS releases. The show followed mild-mannered high school teacher Ralph Hinkley, played by William Katt, who is given a red-and-black super suit by aliens during a desert encounter. The suit grants him superhuman powers, including flight, super strength, invulnerability, and telekinesis, but Ralph loses the instruction manual immediately, so he must learn its capabilities through trial and error. He's reluctantly pulled into crime-fighting by cynical, by-the-book FBI agent Bill Maxwell, played by Robert Culp, and his girlfriend/lawyer Pam Davidson, played by Connie Sellecca, who also knows his secret. It's often remembered for its theme song, Believe It or Not by Joey Scarbury, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The original series had one notable attempted spinoff/sequel pilot, The Greatest American Heroine (also known as a backdoor pilot or proposed spin-off episode). This was filmed around the end of the original run (circa 1983) but never aired as part of the series at the time. In it, Ralph chooses a female successor to take over the suit and hero duties, much to Bill Maxwell's chagrin. In the mid-2010s, Fox developed a reboot with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) involved. Then, in 2017–2018, ABC ordered a pilot for a female-led reimagining starring Hannah Simone of New Girl as Meera, an Indian-American woman who receives the suit. It was developed by writers from Fresh Off the Boat, a pilot was produced, but ABC ultimately passed on it in 2018, and it never went to series….

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