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WELCOME TO HEROES IN THE NIGHT!
My name is Tea Krulos and I'm a freelance writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was introduced to the Real Life Super Hero(RLSH) story in late February, 2009. As a lifelong fan of comic books and unusual and unique people and subcultures, I was immediately hooked.
I was determined to find a local RLSH if there was one and found The Watchman, a man who dons a red rubber mask, suit, and trenchcoat and patrols the streets of Milwaukee. I had a long, fascinating interview with him in person one night and determined that the short magazine piece I had successfully pitched did not scratch the surface of the story and decided to write a book. After a few months I also established this blog- both the book and the blog are titled Heroes in the Night.
My book is based on extensive research, interviewing, and field work. I have traveled to meet RLSH in Minneapolis, Rochester (Minnesota), Brooklyn, Vancouver, Portland, Seattle, San Diego, New Bedford (Massachusetts) , and Washington DC, as well as meeting regularly with the Milwaukee crew.
I have been quoted as an expert on the subject in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People magazine, Seattle Weekly, Scientific American, io9.com, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and dozens of other newspapers, magazines, websites around the world. I've also made appearances on a dozen radio shows and have been filmed for three different RLSH documentaries.
I have written articles on the subject for Milwaukee magazine, the Boston Phoenix, New York Press, Forces of Geek, Riverwest Currents, and Delayed Gratification.
Heroes in the Night will be published in Fall 2013 by Chicago Review Press.
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Followers
Blog Archive
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2010
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- HERO PROFILE #20: Anonyman
- Big Hairy Deal- Radio Tour
- Peter Tangen's RLSH site Live
- BIG HAIRY DEAL
- HERO PROFILE #19: Amazonia
- New RLSH Column!
- Center Street Patrol- 04.17.10
- Center Street- Brainstorming
- PAST THE MASK: THE REAL LIFE SUPERHERO PROJECT
- HERO PROFILE #17/18: Life and Cameraman
- THREE-PANEL DREAMS
- Heroes in the Night featured in Milwaukee Journal ...
- AMBER GANT's RLSH COMIC BOOK
- EVIL AS AN ART FORM
- THE BOB BURDEN INTERVIEW
- ART APPRECIATION WEEK
- CAPTAIN AUSTRALIA SEEKS STRATEGY
- HERO PROFILE #16: Captain BLACK
- RETURN OF THE RED ARROW
- POST DELETED BY REQUEST
- HERO PROFILE #15: Motor-Mouth
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About Me
- Tea Krulos
- Tea Krulos is an award winning freelance writer from Milwaukee, WI. His first book is titled Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Super Hero Movement.
Tea I'm not really like an RLSH. I sort of got involved in the thing after what started as a comedy site became interpreted as a real RLSH thing and I was hanging around but I've never really considered myself to be a real member of the movement, more like a periphery figure that has some association with it rather than a representation of what an RLSH is or should be.
ReplyDeleteAlso that Tucker Max thing was more like an internet flame war and then me sending him pissed off e-mails after his crew attacked me than a stalking, he's just saying it that way to make it seem like I was the crazy guy.
Cloud, thanks for commentating. If you have more to explain on this matter, please go ahead and do so. I am very interested in your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI would dismiss the Tucker Max thing as an internet fight, but it's reported that you, quote: "showed up uninvited" to one of his parties. In costume.
--Tea
This "movement" is based on people putting on fictional persona's based on the idea of fictional cartoon characters. Is it any surprise that there would be a growing number of crazies?
ReplyDeleteThis is the exact reason the RLSH community needs to keep Kick-Ass as far away from themselves as possible, seeing at this is another case of quantity over quality.
-Malvado SV
What's wrong with Kick-Ass? It's a movie. Half of it is for laughs. One of the main characters die a horrible death. I mean, if that's not a warning sign not to do this, I don't know what is. I think some people need to stop playing mini Fredric Werthams without the degree.
ReplyDeleteBoo-urns... some site out there has advertisments about a movie... the end of the world is going to happen. Oh NOS... how dare people have ads on their site!
As far as Cloud goes... well he was in the "community" back in the Hero Coaltion days. I thought he was a really funny guy. He had a great sense of humor. It is sad to see all this go down.
Unfortunately the guy apparently has a serious mental illness. I wish him the best in getting some treatment for it because in doing my research I discovered that despite the United States being one of the most "advanced" countries in the world we also have the "honorary" distinction of being the one plagued by the greatest percentage of mental illness by population percentage. And I agree with Zetaman, the Kick Ass movie is just that, a movie. Sit back, eat popcorn, drink a Coke, and watch it for entertainment but anyone who thinks the purpose of the movie is to represent a blue print for the RLSH community is being ridiculous. The errors of one or a small handful of individuals, regardless of what they do, do not represent the actions of the entire RLSH community. That's like saying if you run into a bad cop, soldier, or corrupt politician that by virtue of one bad example they are all bad and that's utter nonsense and terribly short sighted.
ReplyDeleteWhat saddens me the most is the call by one individual, a rally of sorts to pounce on this story and run with it. If Cloud/ Justin is wrestling with a mental illness as so many people in this country are doing regardless of being a RLSH, RLSV, or none of the above then to prey upon this like vultures on carrion is sick and IMHO goes beyond the lines of RLSV gimmick or RLSH standing. That's really all I have to say at this point.
Sure, Kick Ass is only a movie and entertainment. Heck, even I'll go see it (maybe), but there will be situations where the film will influence some people to become rlsh. Of course, if that outcome happens it can be a good or bad thing. But that's all speculation right now.
ReplyDeleteThe errors of a few people shouldn't represent the larger group, but media does love a juicy story. It'll turn from one situation to the public generalizing about the larger group through the news (Because that's what people do. The world runs easier when you simply generalize things. That's where stereotyping pops up. I'm not endorsing it, I'm just saying what I know).
Though from what I read, they haven't completely connected him with the whole rlsh "movement", rather, they've focused on him, the individual.
Yeah, but that can go for any movie. Why is it that no one blinked a eye when Tothian and Ecliptico were actually on the Watchmen DVD? Or when there were massive people inspired by the Dark Knight? What about all the joker crap? One kid actually commited a thieft dressed as the Joker.
ReplyDeleteHeck, what about the people who were inspired by Batman Begins, Blade or any other comic book movie. In my short 4 years in the community you know how many people came in that were inspired by a movie but never actually set foot out the door? And Kick-Ass is no Dark Knight.
Techically I guess everything is the film industry and the comic book industries fault. At least you didn't have a kid set fire to himself over the latest Fantastic Four movie.
I'm not going to ignite anything here again, but the issue was not with the movie. I'm sure it's a cool, stupid-fun movie. I'm sure it's well made. But by putting the RLSH brand on it, you've added another dimension to the confusion.
ReplyDeleteReally, though, time will tell. I'd hate for something else in the media to happen *cough Peter cough* and then have skeletons pulled out of the closet for all to see.
Cloud did not show up at Tucker's party randomly uninvited as Tucker claimed and was not stalking him either. Tucker is lying as he always does. Cloud was there over signing a T.V. Show Bet Contract that they had made earlier. See this video and see for yourself:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1NWe48BqrM
Uhh...interesting. Can you offer some more context to this, though? Obviously they're arguing over a contract, but what is the contract for? A TV show they were working on together?
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone, for keeping your comments respectful. I was ready to shut this post down if it started flaming.
I am going to be writing about Kick-Ass as well as RLSH related artistic endeavors next week (12-16).
Ok, I think I kind of get it...
ReplyDelete"(Starchaser)bet Max he'd be first in scoring a TV show. Then came the confrontation in midtown."
-NY Daily News
Well I meant as a active member rather than passive. I should of clarified. He showed up on the HN a year and a half ago. He got banned for posting weird crap. I don't think he made it past 10 post on either forum. But he was a senior member on the Hero Coalition.
ReplyDeleteLet's leave the diagnosis of mental illness for medical professionals and the man himself. Mental illnesses are far more complex than most people realize. Almost everyone I know has at one point had a mental illness or chemical imbalance.
ReplyDeleteWell I was diagnosed recently actually with a mental illness. What I have is PTSD, which stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
ReplyDeleteYes, PTSD: Pretty Trump Stalker Disorder. :D
ReplyDeleteCloud/Justin has posted a statement on his Ivanka Blog which explains how he went insane and why he was stalking her:
ReplyDeletehttp://ivankatrumpfanblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-have-been-arrested-for-stalking.html
Cloud- Thanks again for stopping by personally. If you'd like to tell us more of your side of the story, please go ahead.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Calamity- let's leave the diagnosis to "the man himself" ? I see a lot of people giving themselves lollipops on that one.
ReplyDeleteYeah I just have one more thing to say on this... since this has come out, I've been noticing some bizarre negative comments about myself in various forums that seem to be coming from... Real Life Supervillains.
ReplyDeleteBoth bizarre yet cool in a way yet also amazingly strange.
How hilarious would it be if like in the middle of this celebrity stalking case, the stalker is attacked by online supervillains who are attacking him for being a supposed superhero?
Cloud, it's a weird effing world we live in, no doubt about that.
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to re-iterate that it's very brave and forthcoming for Cloud to comment on this situation here.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with him that there is a high chance of misunderstandings, "profiling" and misinformation coming Cloud's way from the tabloid media. One "news site" I read a report on completely got Cloud's name wrong and called him "Cloud Stormchaser" for the entire article.
Not a good indication of fact-checking....
That being said, I'd like to add that I hope that Cloud does his personal best to control his eccentric behavior, which has apparently crossed some social boundaries. It's my hope that he seeks (or continues to utilize) professional therapy to find avenues to continue to be an interesting and constructive person within the acceptable guidelines of society.
I think we all wish him well.
All My Best,
Geist
The line between fantasy and the fantastic has to be closely watched. You can do fantastic things with creativity and consistent effort. When you confuse it with fantasy is when trouble begins. We're a highly individualized, highly creative lifestyle and there's always the peril that anyone could venture too deeply into the realm of fantasy while pursuing the fantastic. Live your dreams but stay grounded in reality.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise what you want becomes a nightmare.
Shortly after college I used that Kerouac quote as a personal ad in a Chapel Hill independent news weekly that had comics like Mickey Death. They had free personal ads, and I just wanted to see what would happen. It would only cost money if you called someone who left you a message, so what they hey. I think I only got a few responses. The one I remember was a woman in her 40s who sounded like Marge Simpson's sisters. She wanted to get together and "throw some gas on the fire."
ReplyDeleteYeah, one thing: Tea, do you understand this whole stalking thing was nothing more than a performance art character? There is a reason the twitters and emails were all from "JustiN Massler": because none of it was real.
ReplyDeletePlease, can you edit this post? Cloud is who I am, Justin is a fake character like a Borat or Lonelygirl thing, or some kind of Kaufman style Tony Clifton.
I have never had any interest Ivanka at all myself.
Cloud, what do you mean by saying that Justin is fake and Cloud is real? Your mom named you Justin. You went to Exeter. You only legally changed your named to Cloud. I would say that Justn is real and Cloud is fake.
ReplyDeleteCloud, my protocol in this type of reporting is to use the person's legal real name.
ReplyDeleteIn the example that you mentioned, a reporter would write that Sascha Baron Cohen had shown up at an awards show, not that Borat had.
Also, I can appreciate the performance art angle, but if a mime robs a 7-11, he's going to jail, right? You see what I'm saying?
Well, please don't forget that the Trumps are greedy and power obsessed people whose values are not in line with the values of Real Life Superheroes.
ReplyDeleteJustin Massler's dreams of an illustrious "Ivy League college career," will never be fulfilled. The only "ivy" that he'll ever see, will be growing on the bricked-in walls of a New England sanitarium. Why are you even giving this nutter a voice here?
ReplyDeleteCloud-
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the Trumps are not in line with RLSH values, correct. However I think the best tactic to let the Trumps wallow in their greed in Trump tower and concentrate on being a good person on street level. Be the better person.
Anonymous-
Everyone is free to comment here, even anonymous posts, as long as it doesn't turn into harassment.
Thanks, Tea; but you still didn't answer my question.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous-
ReplyDeleteWhy shouldn't I allow Cloud to respond here? The topic is about him, I think it's only fair we hear what he has to say.
That makes sense. I hope, however, that you don't consider him a "hero." Anyone who repeatedly stalks another person, is behaving in a predatory manner. I've witnessed a lot of performance art, and his "acts" were not those of an artist, but of a stalker.
ReplyDeleteI know what you are saying. As I stated in the original post:
ReplyDelete"I also have had friends who have been stalked. It is a very stressful and terrifying thing, and I have no doubt they will carry that with them the rest of their life."
Although I may not relate to Ivanka Trump on any level, I do not wish stalking on anyone. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, if I had one.