Hope: Mother

Julie Lavelle is a suburban mom who loves her daughter and her husband.  She's also the superhero known as HOPE.  When her secret identity is released to the public, Julie discovers that not all villains can be punched.

Unbeknownst to her husband and daughter, Julie Lavelle secretly moonlights as a beloved costumed "ultra" known to the public as Hope. However, when her identity is unexpectedly revealed to the public and her family is torn apart, she realizes not all villains can be punched. 

Dirk Manning is the four-time Ringo Award nominated writer/creator of comic series such as the supernatural noir TALES OF MR. RHEE and the genre-bending horror anthology NIGHTMARE WORLD.

More of Dirk’s comic work includes the official graphic novel adaptation of the classic lost horror film LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT (with the estate of Lon Chaney), RSVP: E.S.P. (with New York Times #1 bestselling author Josh Malerman), BUTTS IN SEATS: THE TONY SCHIAVONE STORY (a #1 Best-Selling Graphic Novel on Amazon), HOMESTEAD, (Ringo Award Finalist for Best Original Graphic Novel in 2025), BURIED BUT NOT DEAD (Ringo Award finalist for Best Original Graphic Novel in 2021), TWIZTID HAUNTED HIGH-ONS (Ringo Award finalist for Best Humor Comic in 2020 and 2022), HOPE, THE ADVENTURES OF CTHULHU JR. AND FRIENDS, and ARN ANDERSON: MY LIFE AS THE ENFORCER among others. Dirk was an early adapter in using crowdfunding to launch his comics and graphic novels, with his works having raised over half a million dollars and counting in pre-sales on Kickstarter alone.

Dirk is also the author of the inspirational/how-to column turned book series WRITE OR WRONG: A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS and has contributed several short stories to the RPG game series CLOCKWORK: DOMINION for Reliquary Game Studios. His screenplay writing credits include the YouTube horror series BLACKBOX TV episode “The Hunger” (directed by Drew Daywalt and featuring Bonnie Aarons and Jon Gries).

When not at his desk writing, touring the comic convention circuit, sampling his way across the best ice cream shops in the world, or proudly serving as Publisher at Source Point Press helping usher in a new era of creator-owned graphic novels in the genres of horror, speculative fiction, and pulp from a variety of cutting-edge creators, Dirk can be found online at www.DirkManning.com and on most social media platforms as @dirkmanning.

He does not wear a top hat and scarf in real life.