We already won

Geek culture isn’t ‘taking over.’ That already happened.

It is with great joy I bring you the following op-ed: We won! The war is over. Go grab a nurse in Times Square and lay a big wet one on her (or him). The verdict is in. The jocks lost to the nerds, the cynics have retreated against the enlightened onslaught of the dreamers. The folks who asked “what if” got their answer while the ones who ask ‘why?’ were left behind like so many Kurt Cameron movie adaptations (see what I did there?).

Today is Halloween, 2014, the biggest official Cosplay day of the year. We’ve de-fanged the witless downers and non-believers by changing the terminology from ‘dress-up’ to cosplay, comic book to graphic novel and super-hero movie to blockbuster. But it hasn’t been an easy road for those of us who embrace fantasy and sci-fi culture. Like so many others, I was ridiculed in my early years for my love of (nearly) all things geek.

It's no secret that superhero and sci-fi films (and culture) have become the biggest entertainment properties on Earth. In 2012, I had a boyhood dream come true when Marvel Studio’s The Avengers became the single-highest grossing box office film of all time (worldwide) raking in $1.6 billion. Audiences the world over threw mad love (and crazy cash!) at Marvel’s iconic superhero mash-up film. Since I have been reading the Avengers since age 7 (thats almost 40 years of being a fan for anyone keeping track), seeing Marvel's The Avengers was one of the greatest moments of my life. 

Assembling Winners

The Avengers were hands down my favorite comic book growing up. Five years ago, you likely didn’t even know that name, not if you grew up without appreciating Marvel comics. I guess it’s no surprise that the latest Avengers (Age of Ultron) movie trailer broke all kinds of internet and YouTube viewing records. The phenomenon is just beginning. 

The explosion of Marvel’s success at the box office shows these movies resonate with many people and are here to stay. I guess I wasn’t reading “funny books”–as my mom would call them–when I was younger. Of course if Mom had ever taken the time to read Crisis on Infinite Earths, Judge Dredd, The Walking Dead, The Dark Phoenix Saga or the The Dark Knight Returns, she might rethink that terminology. 

A Future Worth Exploring

And as more people then ever in the history of cinema flock to these films of larger-than-life heroes and heroic figures, the cynics and critics keep trying to take cheap knocks at the characters I have spent a lifetime reading about, cherishing and even creating. TV shows like the Walking Dead, Arrow and Gotham continue to resonate with everyone, not just geek culture. Praying for it to end? Won’t happen. 

Give up now, join us. These shows are fun, well-handled, well-scripted, well-acted and compelling movies that only keep getting better. While I won’t be wearing any costumes this Halloween, I will be at my desk, giggling like a school girl as I pour over all the Marvel studios and Warner Brothers/DC movie news. 

My Condolences 

For those that don’t like it, I'm really sorry the optimistic young child who used to reside in you died striving against that boring, dismissive, closed-minded grump you’ve become. Just know it’s not too late to revert back to the cooler, funner, brighter-eyed you. Simply embrace the fact that this [geek] culture is here to stay and will only keep getting bigger. Join us!

Between Comicons, Cosplay, Superhero TV and movies, comic books, novels and graphic novels boring stuff–that is people and content with no imagination–just doesn’t cut it anymore. Just waive the white flag, because in case you didn’t hear, we won. 

Arthur Milano is a blogger, writer, designer and avid geek culture enthusiast who revels in his continuing role as a single Dad, ad man, and video game podcaster.

Superheroes and the quest for the larger-than-life man

(or what my beloved super heroes taught me that my Dad never could.)

Illustration by Arthur Milano

The phenomenon that is superhero culture has grown exponentially and I think I know why. Thus, may I present my arm chair philosophy concerning the appeal of the American super hero fantasy genre. They are urban myths, they are larger than life and they are what we all aspire to be. Men (and a few choice women) who stand tall in the face of adversity and do so even when triumph is not certain. What’s not to love?

In a world where so many men (and again, a few choice women) abandon their families it is nice to see someone step forward and commit to taking the hits for the weak, meek and defenseless. To stand strong for the weak, to be there when… okay you get the idea.

In classic literature we call a protagonist’s plight the hero’s journey. This is earmarked with tragedy, sacrifice, pain, suffering and finally, redemption. Ancient heroes were quite super as well. Perseus, Agamemnon, Achilles, Hercules, Homer. Magic and mysticism has been wrapped around King Arthur. Instead of Gamma rays and and radioactive spider bites, these ancient heroes had special abilities derived from the Gods (Zeus, Hades, Athena, etc).

The rise of the American super hero is largely due to the need for young boys looking to an ideal—for a blueprint of manhood. I speak from experience when I say that when there is no father, or father figure around, the child suffers. Trust me, in light of a bad father, like one who is abusive–in any way—often the child is better off. I mean if the Dad is there, actively engaged, encouraging, a spiritual compass, a family leader and is there to give a hug or an ass-kicking when needed. Believe me, there's nothing better for a child’s formative years.

So who were my heroes?

Growing up, I wasn’t much into sports (that would come later) and so fantasy, science fiction and comic books were where I–an only child to a single Mom–raised in the shadow of a butt-ugly divorce–went to look for inspiration. I found that inspiration in the muscle-bound, testosterone-laden super-dudes of Marvel Comics. Now and then I dug some DC books later, but all of DC’s characters–Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash among others–were largely unrelatable to me. They all seemed like perfect white men leading already perfect, privileged lives. They didn’t seem to struggle with life like Marvel’s characters. Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spiderman) was a nerd who was terrorized at school, who wasn’t popular with the ladies, wasn’t a jock and because his parents were dead was being raised by his aunt and uncle.

Now THAT was a character I could relate to.

It gets better. The X-Men, largely teenagers, had to deal with all the same problems as most American teens but also had to contend with weird powers they didn’t understand, world-conquering maniacs, giant killer-robots built to hunt them, alien attacks and crazy murderers around every corner (hmm, sound  like my old neighborhood growing up). Iron Man was a brilliant industrialist but also a raging alcoholic. The Hulk was a euphemism for rage, like a modern-day Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. Powerman (Luke Cage) was an ex-pimp and street enforcer turned 'good', the Fantastic Four were a dysfunctional family of misfits and–well, again, you get the idea.

But I still haven’t answered the question yet, who were my (super) heroes? First was The Vision. A super-android who was built to destroy the Avengers, a team of haphazard do-gooders. He chose differently and eventually fell in love with, married and divorced the Scarlet Witch, a mutant sorceress and long-time Avenger. He was an android, a synthetic man, who was built to do the bidding of his robot master, Ultron–a sentient AI who was obsessed with killing off the human race but who also had a huge Oedipus complex. I was bi-racial (actually I still am) and I could relate to someone who was a part of two different worlds but fit into neither. Now don’t get me wrong, when the s#!t went down, you wanted this guy on your side. And that’s what drew me to him. In spite of his inner turmoil, he knew his allegiances. In short, he would make the correct choice.

Then there was Bishop, a big, powerful mutant super-soldier from the near future. Muscle-bound with a big attitude and even bigger guns. He was a leader and took no s#!t from anyone. And he was Black. Something else as a bi-racial kid (half black, half white) needed to see was balance. I could see someone who is strong and tough who isn’t a blonde-haired blue-eyed ideal I could never live up to. Something else I fancied about Marvel, they were diverse. The X-Men had members from Africa, Latin America, Canada, Germany, Russia. They even had a Native American strongman named Warpath! Marvel created the first black superhero in the Black Panther and frequently had their women equally powerful (or more so) than their male counterparts (single-Moms rejoice!).

These fictional characters had all the shortcomings of a regular person yet, were able to rise above their station and do extraordinary things. My father, who never once showed his face to me, was a man who I never got to know. That was his choice. Mine was to find examples of manhood that were good, solid compasses. I turned out to be a father–and eventually, sadly enough, a single Dad–who is always there with hugs, words of encouragement or the threat of a smack down when needed. 

My kids know I mean business when I say something. While I’m the farthest thing from perfect I share my love of comic books, art, movies, reading and sports with my daughter, 17, and three teenage sons. We even attend local ComiCons together. I believe in supporting my kids as much as any committed parent. I’m there for them and want to coach my kids to be the very best they can be. To accomplish acts of kinds and unselfish citizenship. To make a positive mark on the world and if at all possible, leap tall obstacles in a single bound. Just like the heroes I grew up idolizing. 

After all, would the the Vision or Bishop do any less?

Heroes: Saving the Day!

The present surge of super-hero movies is an uplifting indicator that imagination is alive and well in all of us!

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!

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.

Avengers Assemble!

"Look at the size of those opening week attendance and revenue numbers... !"

Why Marvel's The Avengers is the
greatest movie of our time!

Fast paced, insanely fun and riddled with surprisingly entertaining dialogue, Marvel Studio's "The Avengers" is about overcoming adversity and forcing wildly different personalities to work together for the greater good. But the true nature of this film's success is the real story.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you no doubt have heard about The Avengers. The story is about the overcoming of impossible odds and a snapshot of what happens when the right people work together for the greater good.

"On that day... the Avengers were born"

The super-dream team's first epic.

Spawned in 1963 by comic book legends Stan "The Man" Lee and Jack "King" Kirby, the Avengers were first thought to be Marvel's answer to rival DC Comic's 'Justice League'. Not so. Marvel simply had loads of ideas and most, like The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Dare Devil were overnight successes. Others, like the Hulk, Iron Man and Thor–not so much. So what to do? Put them all in a book together, of course!

The Avengers were the right concept realized at the right time. A bunch of misfit heroes jammed together where none of them were very interesting alone (at least at first) but together, they were gold!

No lie, the Avengers were hands-down my favorite comic book growing up. The array of different heroes; aliens, Gods, Demigods, Androids, Mutants, Super Soldiers, Sorcerers, even Cowboys–all came together to a lend their talents to Earth's mightiest heroes" (the Avenger's official tag line for decades). When the heat got to deep for anyone else, call the Avengers, they'll get the job done. 

(For a deeper look into the archetypes of modern man the Avengers represents, check out my analytical peak into the Avengers, here.) 

Enter the dark days.

Hey you, on the left, aren't you...?

After a bevy of overzealous printing, marketing and PR efforts while employing a slew of high-priced creative talent (some artists and writers receiving as much as a seven-figure annual salary!), along with some less-than-profitable TV and merchandising experiences, the once and mighty Marvel comics found itself considering bankruptcy by 1998. In order to save the company, Marvel sold the on-screen rights to many of their most popular intellectual properties to SONY and FOX who wanted them for the big screen.

What ensued were a series of wildly successful, if not frustratingly unfaithful movies starring each of the sold Marvel properties; The X-Men, The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Blade, The Punisher, Wolverine and Ghost Rider. All made money but none–minus perhaps the the first Spider-Man and X-MEN: First Class–stuck to the original source material, thereby never realizing their true potential. This, however, was a necessary evil. 

From the Ashes

An Iron-clad case for success...

An unforeseen side effect of the FOX and SONY hero movies was that Marvel, now flush with 5% kickback from the box office draws, began in 2004, to start their own movie production company. 

First up, Iron Man–followed by a slew of hit movies all with varied degrees of success, like Thor, The Incredible Hulk (c'mon, it was good, at least compared to the Ang Lee version) and Captain America. Establishing a track record of success paved the way to let Marvel Studios become a major force for entertainment in Hollywood and set the stage for The Avengers.

But it was not an easy, effortless road to victory. To acquire the capitol necessary to realize Avengers and the films leading up to it, Marvel had to put up the considerable value of their intellectual properties as collateral. That was a monumental risk, but it payed off. In spades!

As of this post, The Avengers has grossed more than $702 million in global ticket sales in just 11 days, the fasted to do so in movie history. 

(For a full movie review of The Avengers, visit my full movie review on my movie review site, here).

Why The Avengers Really Matters

Hey Hollywood–whose your daddy now?

The Avengers are like the UN Peace Keeping Force of comic books, with members from nearly every racial and socioeconomic strata, if not every corner of the galaxy. Heck, they even had an angry African guy called the Black Panther. This is the core of what makes the Avengers a success–their diversity. Great underlying, message but that's not even the real cherry on top.

Marvel so believed in their ability to produce better hero movies than anyone else in Hollywood, they were willing to bet the farm–double down, all or nothing–to make it happen. 

Reckless and worthy of being one of the greatest happily ever-after stories ever! Kudos to Faverau, Marvel, Whedon and the cast and crew that brought Avengers to us. 

Well done. Well done, indeed.