You've read some of my rants concerning heroes. I mostly feel like it's an overused–and sometimes misunderstood–word. However, the majority of Hollywood's storytelling has always been centered around something I have come to call the hero's journey. And nowhere is this more evident than in the recent array of super-hero movies. Especially in light of the recent run of Marvel Movies like The Avengers, the Amazing Spider-Man and the Dark Knight Rises, among a slew of other hit hero movies.
And with any luck, this party's just getting started.
Sure, I am a fan boy, tried and true. But I am about to boldly go where no blogger has gone before... and discuss the possibility of a bright tomorrow. Due in large part to super hero movies. You read that right, bare with me, this one will stick, I promise.
In 1975, I started reading what are common, even household name, comic books; The X-Men, The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Black Panther, The Defenders, The Incredible Hulk, The Teen Titans, The Justice League and Green Lantern to name only a handful of an entire universe of characters. I was hopelessly hooked and only wanted more. But while I was soaking in the tights, capes and impossibly curvaceous super women, something was happening.
I was reading. Vigorously.
Master comic creators, storytellers and writers like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Marv Wolfman, George Perez, Neal Adams, John Byrne and endless list of other innovative men (and now women!) brought me eye-popping stories every month for .25¢ an issue. They exposed me to classic literature, current events and social issues too advanced for my seven year old mind to fully grasp. All I knew is I liked it and couldn't get enough.
Flash forward to the age of special effects and movies can now show the world what I have known for decades–this stuff is amazing! And the best part is that my children not only see my enthusiasm for these stories–something I think the are genetically predisposed to at this point–and know all these heroes and characters as they come to life on the big screen. And like me they are hopelessly addicted to this stuff–their eyes filled with starry-eyed wonder for life!
And with any luck, this party's just getting started.
In 1975, I started reading what are common, even household name, comic books; The X-Men, The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, The Black Panther, The Defenders, The Incredible Hulk, The Teen Titans, The Justice League and Green Lantern to name only a handful of an entire universe of characters. I was hopelessly hooked and only wanted more. But while I was soaking in the tights, capes and impossibly curvaceous super women, something was happening.
I was reading. Vigorously.
Flash forward to the age of special effects and movies can now show the world what I have known for decades–this stuff is amazing! And the best part is that my children not only see my enthusiasm for these stories–something I think the are genetically predisposed to at this point–and know all these heroes and characters as they come to life on the big screen. And like me they are hopelessly addicted to this stuff–their eyes filled with starry-eyed wonder for life!
So what's it all mean?
Well, it means that creativity through imagination and story-telling is alive and well. As I am presently writing my own graphic novel, my best friend is about to have his first sci-fi adventure series published and even my daughter Jessica is writing her own short story about mythological beings.
And that my children see the fruits of using their imagination and see the power of creative thought. And that is a victory I can only begin to put into words.
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