Go-Man: Champion of Earth

Lonely latchkey kid Tobi dreams of growing up to fight the giant monsters that plague his city, just like his dad does, but when he stumbles upon the power to turn into the colossal superhero, Go-Man, he realizes he’s been wishing his childhood away.

Go-Man: Champion of Earth is an action-packed, highly bingeable middle grade adventure series about how one kid overcomes the differences that set him apart from his classmates in order to make friends and save his city. It’s also, at its heart, a story about an autistic kid overcoming neglect in his home. It draws on Hamish’s own childhood experiences and obsessions, making this project very close to his heart.

This is not just your ordinary superhero story. The superhero element in Go-Man is a metaphor for masking, the camouflaging behavior that many autistic people employ to suppress their true identity in an effort to conform with those around them. As a superhero, Tobi is more popular than ever! But this masking effort drains him of all of his energy, making him retreat into his bedroom for days.

Tobi’s goal is to become someone who doesn’t need his superhero side anymore. He must ultimately learn to love himself as he is, find friends who appreciate him for himself, and finally enjoy being just a kid before it’s too late.

Hamish Steele (he/they) is a freelance animation director and illustrator who grew up surrounded by legends, myths, and folktales. Since graduating from Kingston University in 2013, Hamish has worked for the BBC, Cartoon Network, Disney, and Nickelodeon, among others. He is the creator of and showrunner for the Netflix series Dead End: Paranormal Park, based on his graphic novel series, DeadEndia, and the Eisner Award-winning creator of the graphic novel Pantheon. Hamish currently lives in London and can be found online at hamishsteele.co.uk.