Thursday, January 28, 2010

HERO PROFILE #8: Superhero



Photo from MySpace

Operates out of: Clearwater, Florida

Team Affiliation: Team Justice

Significant other: Lady Hero

Activities: Patrols, charity missions

Favorite comic book heroes: Captain Marvel and The Comedian

Quote: "I have the most boring origin of all the RLSH, I started out as a pro wrestler. While in school I decided I wanted to do it as some kind of Superhero. Me and another guy, Dave Tristani (Famous as Devin Nash or "The Fake Nash" in WCW) were sitting around talking about it, trying to think up a name. He just said 'Why not call yourself Superhero?' And I was born. After a knee injury, Superhero stayed alive by appearing in TV pilots that I shot and by going to NATPE to try and sell them. He even interviewed Jerry Springer once. He refused to die. I don't know when it struck me as a good idea to start doing it for real, it just happened. No radioactive spider, no old wizard, nothing."

Author's notes: Previously I posted speculation that 2010 may be "Year of the Hero." An early indication of this has been Superhero's team, Team Justice, becoming the first RLSH group to fill out the paperwork and achieve non-profit status.

Team Justice website
:HERE
Recent article about Team Justice:HERE

Thursday, January 21, 2010

HERO PROFILE #7: Thanatos


Photo from MySpace

Also known as: The Dark Avenger

Operates out of: Vancouver, BC

Current activities: Hands out care packages to the homeless, charity events, reports criminal activities and presents evidence to the police.

Quote: "I am fighting a war for good against evil. I cannot win this war. I do not want to win the war, only all my battles. I read a quote recently that went something like this: beware that while slaying the monster you don't become the very monster you set out to slay. Good advice. But I am reminded of another line from a movie, I think it was Riddick: Sometimes you have to send out your own evil to fight evil. I am the reason to fear the night."

Thanatos has documented several of his missions
HERE.

Author's notes: Thanatos has won universal respect for his efforts from the RLSH community. His green skeleton motif has come to symbolize hope instead of death on the streets of Vancouver. I am planning to travel to Vancouver next month and look forward to seeing him work and hopefully help firsthand.

Fun fact: Thanatos and I have the same skull and crossbone print tie.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Question 5 Study


Unless I’m missing something, I think this is the first published study of RLSH. When I began work on this book, I began e-mailing RLSH something called “RLSH form 101,” a set of 8 questions. This was a useful tool for introduction, and to help me see common threads in the community. I have just started to analyze some of this data now. I’m not sure how useful this data will be, or how it might be used in my book. In my experience, though, if I get even a small insight from it, it’s worth doing. I should probably mention this is not the opinion of the community in the whole, just a sampling of people in it.

This study revolves around Question 5 of the survey: “What is the biggest misconception about RLSHs?”
52 RLSH answered this question. Some gave more than one answer, for a total of 70 answers.
Example: The Wasp says, “In my opinion, it's that we're all vigilantes, or crackpots.” That counts as two answers- “vigilante” and “crazy.”
The answers fell into 8 categories, described below. I’ve provided a couple sample responses for each category.

1.That we are vigilantes (or attack people, etc.)-15
(Specifically used the word “vigilante”-11)
“Most of all, we are not ‘vigilantes’ and we are not seeking trouble.” –Laserskater
“The biggest misconception about the RLSH community to me would be that they just assume we are out to "beat up" criminals when in fact a lot of us have serious operations in whatever we do, whether it be patrols or charity.” -Symbiote

2.That we are crazy (nuts, out of touch, etc.)
-14
“That we're crazy middle-aged men going through their midlife crisis without enough to do. I pride myself in turning that stereotype on its head.” –Shadowflare
“That we're crazy. We're not crazy. Well, not all of us.” -Anonyman

3. That we are comic book geeks living in our parent’s basement (or home)
- 10
(Specifically used the words “mom's basement”- 6)
“That we are all just a bunch of fat kids in our mother’s basements.” -Thanatos
“And also that we all live in our mom's basement playing video games.” –Zen Blade

4. That we are cosplayers/LARPers/other sort of roleplayers-9
“That we are ‘cosplayers’ who just play dress up & go to conventions.” –Superhero
“We’re comic book geeks playing in a fantasy world.” -Recluse

5. That we think we have super powers-7
“That we think we have super powers. We know we don't.” –Scavenger
“I think that most people get us confused with people who have powers. People think that because we wear a costume, it makes us think we have powers. In reality, the reason we dress this way is for impact. To inspire others to do charity, not fight crime with make-believe” -Mantis

6. That we are in it for fame/attention
-5
“Most people think we're looking for fame. It's true that some of us are looking for attention. We see ourselves as symbols. Some symbolize hope & some are even a symbol to strike fear into criminals.” -Nite Guard
“Some people think we do this for publicity, but for real we just want to help.” -Archangel

7. That the World Superhero Registry is our central hub
-2
“That the World Superhero Registry is our hub.” –Geist
“Another one is that the World Superhero Registry is the main hero site. WRONG.” -Lionheart

8. Other/didn’t know
-8
“I don’t really pay attention to those things, I just pay attention to where I am needed. I care about the people and the community that I live in.” –Shadow Hare
“I guess it seems insane to me how people both in and out of the community presume we're some cohesive group, some institution or solid group of some kind. Everyone has their own story, their own perception, their own level of involvement with each other and the work. Yeah, we happen to commune in the same places, in bunches, some of us even work as little 'teams.' But in the end, we're just people, individuals.” –Citizen Smoke

Conclusions: Many RLSH think misconceptions exist that they are vigilantes, crazy, living in their mom’s basement, roleplaying, think that they have super powers, in it for fame, and are centered around the World Superhero Registry, among other possible misconceptions.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 3- EARLY PROTOTYPES








Photos: L-R, The Human Fly, Captain Sticky with a "True Believer" (Stan Lee), The Fly with Ky “the Rocketman” Michaelson and crew.

Author's note: In Chapter 3, I will be writing about some early examples of people adopting a superhero persona. Among some of the people I write about are Super Barrio, Terrifica, Captain Ozone, and a few others. In this excerpt I write about Captain Sticky and the Human Fly.

CHAPTER 3- EARLY PROTOTYPES

Who was the first real life superhero?
Legends of mystery men have long captured our imagination. The first story of Robin Hood, a ballad titled Robin Hood and the Monk, was written in 1450, and there have been many theories on who the real Robin Hood was, although one theory says “Robin Hood” was a stock alias used by thieves. 559 years later, the character’s story still entertains us, interpreted by Errol Flynn, by a cartoon fox in the Disney version, and perhaps most strangely of all, by Kevin Costner.
In 1919 pulp writer Johnston McCulley created Zorro. Like many pulp writers, he borrowed heavily from other lore. It’s possible he built the character from stories of Portuguese bandits, or the tale of William Lamport, an Irish solider and pirate who lived in Mexico and was later burned at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition.
Our RLSH story begins with two very real and unique individuals who both appeared in the early 1970s. The “silver age” of comics had brought a renewed interest in the superhero comic throughout the 1960s, and these two homemade heroes looked like they had climbed straight out of the pulp pages.

CAPTAIN STICKY (Deceased)

"His dream was to alter the course of history. He was a huge man with a huge heart filled with love for everyone." - Lynne Shiloh, fiancée to Richard Pesta (aka Captain Sticky)

The first person to adopt a costumed persona to fight injustice was probably Richard Pesta, aka Captain Sticky, in the early 70s in San Diego. Why the name “Captain Sticky?” A 1974 news report reveals the secret origin.
“The name ‘Captain Sticky’ comes from his fondness for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – the same fondness that is the source of his 350 pounds.
“And just as Batman had the Batmobile, he is planning a ‘Stickymobile,’ he said, ‘with peanut butter and jelly guns accurate to within an eighth of an inch at a range of five feet.(1)’”
In the same report, Captain Sticky explained why he felt the need to get out there in costume.
“Nobody paid attention when he went nosing about in a pinstriped suit, under the name Richard Pesta, fighting evil, he said. So now he wears a bright blue jumpsuit, gold cape, boots, belt and helmet. Wrapped around 350 pounds of Pesta, it’s a dazzling sight.”
“When I put on my gold cape and talk to people, they talk to me,” he said. “They say ‘who are you?’ and I tell them: ‘I’m Captain Sticky, captain of the crusade against evil.’
“His full title is ‘supreme commander in chief of the World Organization against Evil,’ known as WOE, which claims 20 members, all volunteers in the never-ceasing war against crime, corruption and nastiness.
“‘Many people consider what I do fun and games, and it is,’ he said. ‘But those I’m going after consider it serious.’”
Pesta died Dec. 12, 2003 of complications from heart bypass surgery in Bangkok, Thailand. He was 57. The San Diego Union-Tribune recalled his colorful career in an obituary.
“Massive in girth and flamboyant in personality and Superman-style costume, he proudly played the role of one of America’s wackiest watchdogs.
“Based in San Diego, Mr. Pesta campaigned against everything from rental car rip-offs and sugar-coated cereal to abusive nursing homes, attracting widespread media attention in the 1970s and 1980s… In 1977, he was credited with helping to launch statewide investigations into nursing homes, resulting in tighter regulations for long-term health care.”

Captain Sticky became a small scale superhero celebrity. A song, “Stick with Captain Sticky,” described Captain Sticky’s mission to “bring the country back to the people where it belongs” to a polka march beat. He made cameo appearances in 1984’s Sex O’clock News, a comedy similar in style to the Kentucky Fried Movie, and Caged Fury, a 1989 sexploitation film starring Erik Estrada.

Unfortunately, the Captain ran into some sexploitation of his own in the 90s.
He was investigated by San Diego police for letting his home be used to film an X-rated movie. He testified against the film's producer in exchange for immunity.
By the early 1990s, he was promoting the "Real Man’s Midlife Crisis Tour" of Thailand, offering what he called “drinking, debauchery and fun stuff.” The Thai government forced him to shut it down.
"He pretty much let that Captain Sticky identity go,” Lynne Shiloh, his fiancee, says in his obit. "What he was doing on the side came to the forefront.”
In the late 90s, Pesta changed careers and became a La Jolla-based entrepreneur specializing in environmentally friendly soil products. The products were marketed under the labels Organa and Am-Kel Farms, and sold at various nurseries and home and garden centers.

THE HUMAN FLY (Disappeared)
"Frankly, I'm not worried about death," says the Fly. "I don't have a death wish. I have a life wish." -The Human Fly (in a 1976 interview with Life magazine)

A banner across the cover of The Human Fly Issue #1 reads, “The wildest super-hero ever – because he’s real!” The comic, published by Marvel in 1977, was based on a real life stuntman who supposed real name was Rick Rojatt. Reporters checking Rojatt’s claims about his past life as a stuntman revealed nothing but dead ends, adding to the mystery of who Rojatt was.
As an article in a 1976 issue of Life magazine reports,
“Rojatt, a Canadian, says he once was a Hollywood stunt man – although the California union has no record of him. He also says he was in an auto accident in North Carolina six years ago which killed his wife and 4-year-old daughter and badly injured him. He had 38 operations in four years, he says, which allowed him to walk again but left him with a body that is ‘60 percent steel parts.’ He says he conditions himself by rising at 3 a.m., running six miles and then plunging into a bathtub full of ice cubes.”

What is known is that Rojatt, no matter what his background, was a fearless daredevil. One of his first famous stunts was wing walking on a DC-8 aircraft over the Mojave Desert as the plane flew at 250 mph. Rocket builder Ky “the Rocketman” Michaelson, recalled a custom-made rocket-powered bike that the Fly contracted him to build in an entry on his website.
“In 1977, I was contracted to build a rocket-powered motorcycle capable of jumping over 27 buses. The jump was to take place in the Montreal Olympic Stadium, as a half-time show for a concert featuring Gloria Gaynor and a number of other disco stars of the 70's. The daredevil rider was Rick Rojatt, otherwise known as the Human Fly. At the time, Evel Kneivel held the record jump of 13 buses, and Rick wanted to beat it badly.”
Michaelson then recalls that the ramps weren’t built to specifications, which made him nervous about the Fly surviving the jump. As it turns out, the Fly crashed.
“My heart just pounded as I stood there, witnessing the crash landing of all crash landings right before my eyes, and a hush fell over the crowd, as we all feared the worst. It looked like nobody could have possibly survived such a crash landing. We were soon relieved though when we realized he was actually okay. He’d survived the crash, and he’d done it – he had broken Evel’s record, but not without paying the price. He waved to the crowd as he was carried off on a stretcher, suffering a broken ankle and a couple other injuries.”

The comic book was loosely based on some of the Fly’s stunts, but was given comic book treatment by writer Bill Mantlo (2) and the artists of the Marvel bullpen. For example, the Fly has to battle giant robot birds, and carry children across a metal link ladder to save them from a burning 135 story building. He also meets Spiderman and Ghost Rider, presumably none of which actually happened.
Bill Mantlo explained Marvel’s relationship with reality in the “Fly Papers” letters section of The Human Fly #5.
“First, yes, the Fly was in a car accident, and the incident shown in our books was a recreation of that. Our sources: The Fly! You tend to believe a guy who’s doing as much good – without remuneration – as he is. As for the docs who put him back together, plus some – the Fly tells us he swore them to secrecy. As far as we know he hasn’t yet stopped a bank robbery or involved himself in any way in criminal investigation – but, then, he’s not a comic book hero. We take certain license with our monthly adventures, building on the concept of the entity known as the HUMAN FLY, as opposed to documenting his every-day appearances. The newspapers and TV do that – our job is not to report, but to get the Fly’s message across in as entertaining a manner as possible.”
After 19 issues, Marvel comics pulled the plug on the series. Rojatt seems to have done one last stunt – a mysterious disappearing act. There seems to be no record of his existence after the late 70s.

FOOTNOTES
1. The Stickymobile did eventually get built and is described as “a bubble-topped Lincoln with flags and flashing lights,” although there is no mention of PB and J guns.
2. Speaking with Bill Mantlo is sadly impossible. He was struck in a hit-and-run accident while rollerblading in 1992. He is in a coma and has never fully recovered.

SOURCES
"A Brief History of the Real Life Superhero" by Hardwire

CAPTAIN STICKY
“Captain Sticky Combats Crime” Boca Raton News- August 7, 1974
“Richard Pesta; 'Captain Sticky' championed consumer causes” (Obituary) by Jack Williams, Feb.18, 2004 San Diego Union-Tribune

THE HUMAN FLY

The Human Fly #1, 1977
Fly Papers (letter section), The Human Fly #5, 1977, Marvel comics
“What can a passenger do if the flight is booked solid? The Human Fly has one solution” By Jeffery R. Werner July 19, 1976 vol.6 no.3 People magazine

Thursday, January 14, 2010

HERO PROFILE #6: Geist


Photo by Paul Kjelland

Also known as: The Emerald Cowboy
Operates out of: Rochester, MN aka "Med City"
Team affiliation: Great Lakes Heroes Guild
Current activities: Safety patrols, charity events, paints over graffiti.
Quote: “When I researched being a Real-Life Superhero, the reality-aspect of it drew me back to the pulp magazines and characters of the 1930s and 40s. – The Shadow, Doc Savage and the Green Hornet. The cowboy aspect was nearly unintentional, but certainly ingrained in my personality and philosophy. The lone rider, pure and clear in his motives,relying on no one else.”

Video message from Geist encouraging people to contribute to disaster relief funding for Haiti
: MESSAGE FROM GEIST

Author's notes: I've met Geist twice, and I think he's a good representative for the RLSH movement. He's easy to talk to, good at explaining what he is doing to curious people on the street, knows his limits, admits to mistakes he's made on patrol, and has helped out some great causes. He also has some pretty bad ass arm gauntlets and shades!

Friday, January 8, 2010

Heroes In The Night featured on i09.com

I was pleasantly surprised to be notified by a friend that yesterday's blog entry and my Boston Phoenix article were discussed at io9.com today HERE.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

2010: YEAR OF THE HERO?

Rather than profiling a specific hero today, I thought I would do the first post of the new year on this year itself.
The futuristic year of 2010 is here and the question is- could this be the year of the "real life superhero?" Many of the people in the RLSH community view it as a year filled with potential and possibilities, others see it as a "make it or break it" year.
There are a lot of RLSH meet ups and events planned for 2010, including a meet up in Vancouver, Superheroes Anonymous 4 in Portland, Captain Ozone's Green Power Rally, and many more.
Things will be interesting in April with the release of the film "Kick-Ass," which features a fictional (and violent) portrayal of RLSH. The RLSH are divided on their opinions on the film's release. Some see the benefits of the film drawing interest and potential new recruits to the movement. Others are concerned about just what caliber of people it might attract, as well as unwanted attention.
The full scale of the potential positive or negative benefits of the film will have to wait until the film's release.

As for me and my book, I am hoping it is quite a year. I've gotten pretty deep into it. My goal for a rough draft (pre editing phase) is May 1.
In between now and then there is a few more trips I would like to make:
* Vancouver- Really sure I am going, barring any unforeseen disasters. Starting to prep for it now.
* NYC- Attempted to get out there in October, but it didn't work. Really want to visit before I feel I can call the book done. Looking to hang out with the SA guys and whoever else is around.

Also would like to visit, if possible:
* LA- For Peter Tangen's art opening, whenever that may be.
* Salt Lake City- Need to follow up on this idea. Last communication I got was that every RLSH in the city was under contract that wouldn't allow me to talk to them. But that was over 6 months ago.
* Carbondale, IL- Not too far of a road trip and home to Treesong

2010! 2010! 2010!
This could be the YEAR OF THE HERO....are you in?