Into every generation there is born an artist. A being of such amazing talent and skill, that the world is forever changed by the power of his work. He alone stands against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. Thom Zahler is not that artist. He is, however, an extremely hardworking artist, doing what he can with what talent and skill he has. He attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, where he honed his skills and developed strong feelings about the state of New Jersey. Immediately returning to his home state of Ohio upon graduation, he worked as a caricaturist at an amusement park, then later as an advertising artist at a great suburban newspaper, and finally as an art director at an area advertising agency. Believing that every great success story starts with the phrase “it was a terrible time to start a business,” he quit his day job working for “The Man” in November of 2001 to devote himself full-time to the burgeoning Thom Zahler Art Studios empire. His artwork has been seen in the nationwide Prilosec advertising campaign, in countless magazines and newspapers all across the country, and in the pages of numerous comic books. He has won awards for both his graphic design and illustration work. A relentless glory hound, he is also a recurring presence on Cleveland broadcast media, both television and radio. He recently made the jump to the national spotlight as a contestant on the syndicated version of “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” where he won $32,000. He could have gone farther, but he didn’t know who the hell Charles Goren was. He is a graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He has drawn silly things and been paid by Marvel Comics, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Prilosec. He is also the writer and artist of the Cleveland Indians’ “Slider” comic strip. He has written and drawn three graphic novels: “Raider: From the Shadows”, "Raider: A Cold Day in Heaven” and “Raider: Dead Men’s Tales”. His current project, “Love and Capes” has been critically acclaimed and twice part of the national Free Comic Book Day promotion. A collection of the first six issues will be released in November of 2008. He lives at his palatial estate, Zahlerdu, in Northeast Ohio. Okay, he doesn’t really call it “Zahlerdu” but if he did, it’d be because he liked Orson Wells’ “Citizen Kane” and not that Olivia Newton John disco-and-roller skating movie. It’s not really a palatial estate, either, but it is a nice place. Zahler tries to make it a point to have at least one life-altering, horribly-scarring relationship every three years or so. There should be another window opening up next Tuesday.