In her classes at Olathe South High School, Hayley Nitz asks her teachers all the typical questions. But she's also asking one you may not expect from a 16-year-old girl: What happened if Hitler lived?
"I got the idea in this classroom actually on the day that we learned about the uncertainty surrounding Hitler's body, about his death," said Nitz.
While Hitler killed himself in 1945, Nitz wants to explore what happened if he didn't. It's a question she's asking in her very own comic book called Chasing Hitler.
"It's the story of two Allied servicemen, one American and one British. And they are sent to confirm Hitler's death, but whenever they can't, the chase begins," said Nitz.
Nitz started writing the book two years ago and now hopes to take it to print.
"I'm very proud. She's put a lot of work into this project," said Nitz's father, Eli Nitz. "A month will go by and some great idea will pop into her head and she's like, 'We should do this.' And then I was like, 'You need to write it down because it's going to be something you want to remember.'"
Hayley Nitz has received plenty of help not only from her dad but also her uncle, Jai Nitz, who writes comic books professionally. In some ways, he's her very own super hero.
"I think he has been a little bit, definitely," said Eli Nitz. "She may not realize it, but she's been around comic books and the movies that go with it growing up."
So what happens in the chase for Hitler? Hayley Nitz hopes you will someday find the answer at a comic book store.
Hayley Nitz launched a Kickstarter campaign to help pay for the book's production. To learn more, click here.
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Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
