Keep Track of Heroes in the Night!!!

Hello, my friends, Tea Krulos here. As you might have noticed, this blog has not had a new post in months. I am just too busy with other stuff. My book, Heroes in the Night, was released a little more than a year ago. I am continuing to promote when the opportunity arises (I was recently a guest on Ingrid's Inspirational Hour and next week I will be hosting a panel of RLSH at Fantasticon here in Milwaukee) but I'm also working on other projects.

Here's how you can keep in touch.

The Heroes in the Night Facebook Page is still active. I post updates on what I'm doing and share links to RLSH stories (and other random things I think are related) on a regular basis. It sometimes gets some entertaining commentary, too. I also have a Tea Krulos author Facebook page where I give updates on what I'm working on.

I'm on Twitter.

My personal site and blog has information on past, current, and future things I am writing.

I'm on Goodreads.

And if you haven't yet, please buy a copy of Heroes in the Night. Several links are below.

See ya around!
---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM

Researching RLSH Finds More "Early Prototypes"

Knight-Hood Writes About El Murcielago

Hello, my friends! It's been awhile since I've posted here, but I've been VERY busy wrapping up travel, research, and writing for my next book. It's about the lives of paranormal investigators and will be out in 2015 from Chicago Review Press.

Knight-Hood is an RLSH from Saint Petersburg, Florida (you can read an interview I did for him for Pop Mythology HERE) who has done a lot of research into early comic book history, as well as the history of the RLSH movement. Recently, he has written on Clayton Moore, the actor who portrayed the Lone Ranger and who wore the costume and did good deeds off camera. He also wrote on luchador El Santo and wrote the following on El Murcielago, the bat themed luchador that was stepping into the ring a year before Batman was created.

Here is Knight-Hood's write up on this interesting character:

THE REAL LIFE BATMAN

El Murcielago, which translates as "The Bat" was a Mexican wrestler whose debut match was April 3rd, 1938, a full year before Bob Kane and Bill Finger created Batman in Detective Comics #27 and also before Norman Daniels aka G. Wyman Jones introduced his pulp fiction hero the Black Bat in July of 1939. 

Bob Kane maintained until his death that the only Bat character he knew of prior to creating Batman was the villain in the 1930 film "The Bat Whispers", but what of Bill Finger? Could Finger perhaps have seen a photo of El Murcielago prior to drawing Batman? As you can see in the photo the full length cape, black boots and trunks are all there but as an artist myself, I was particularly struck by El Murcialago's thigh muscles which bear a strong resemblance to those drawn by Finger of Batman's in Detective #27. A coincidence? It's possible. After all Batman and the Black Bat only came one month apart in 1939 and were created independently. 

Even though his influence on American comic books is debatable, El Murcialago aka Jesus Valazquez was one of the original wrestlers who helped create the world of lucha libre or "free wrestling" as it translates. He was one of the first, if not the first to wear a mask in the ring and would be followed by thousands to come. These masked characters were far more to their Mexican fans than mere wrestlers, but are considered true folk heroes. Many like the famous "El Santo" appeared in comics, and multiple films in character as well as personal appearances.

This culminated in 1996 with Super Barrio, one of the first of the RLSH community, who uses his image to organize labor rallies, protests and file petitions for better living conditions for the poor. Super Barrio is joined by other luchadors who battle corruption, animal rights, pollution and poverty. So there is little doubt that El Murcielago, "The Bat" is definitely one of the precursors to the real life superhero movement.

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Heroes in the Night: April Events

Crusader Prime, one of the C2E2 panelists. Photo from Chicago Tribune.

Hello, my friends, it has been awhile since I posted on my blog here. I’ve been extremely busy working on my next book, doing final interviews, transcribing, research, a million and one little details. It’s going well and I can kind of see the forest from the trees on this project now. 

I have two events going on later this month that I’m real happy, real excited about. 

First, I’ll be talking about Heroes in the Night at the next MKE Comic Book Meet-up, April 22. This is a cool group in Milwaukee that meets up on a regular basis to discuss comic books. The them for the next one is "Social Issues in Comics” and they kindly asked me to be part of it. The first part of the evening will be a discussion from 6:30-7:45pm about comics that have tackled social issues. People are encouraged to bring comics they’d like to talk about. 

I will be talking about Heroes in the Night afterward from 7:45-9pm, particularly focusing on how the subject of the book (Real Life Superheroes) reflect their comic book counterparts. I’ll be showing some slides and I will have copies of the book available for a flat $16. This is going to be a fun time at Anodyne Coffee in Walker's Point, a nice, casual environment. 

Info: Tuesday, April 22, Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co., 224 W. Bruce St., Milwaukee 53204. Comic discussion 6:30-7:45pm, Presentation by Tea Krulos 7:45-9pm. Free, copies of Heroes in the Night available for $16.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/292877017537427/

Next, how cool is this– I’ll be hosting a panel at this year’s Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2)!

The panel is titled “You Can be a ‘Real Life Superhero!’” I’ll be moderating special guests Razorhawk, the Watchman, Crusader Prime, Crimson Catalyst, and Night Vision. We will also have a couple surprise guests appearing via video message. I will be showing some slides and we will be talking about what this Real Life Superhero business is all about. We also will have a Q & A session with the audience. Hulk Hogan will be at C2E2, but I can’t speculate if he’ll show up for the panel. 

This will take place Sunday, April 27 2:30-3:30pm Room S401ab. Afterwards, I will be signing copies of Heroes in the Night at the Chicago Review Press booth from 4-4:45pm.

Besides the panel members, several other RLSH will be attending the con and my inside sources tell me the assembled RLSH will be joining forces and patrolling Chicago, handing out supplies to homeless people as they go. Good work, my super friends, good work!

Info: The panel takes place at C2E2 (South Building at McCormick Place) Sunday, April 27 2:30-3:30pm, book signing follows 4-4:45pm at the Chicago Review Press booth. 

Here is the panel listing on C2E2′s site: http://c2e214.mapyourshow.com/5_0/sessions/sessiondetails.cfm?ScheduledSessionID=18ADCB

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Kitty Genovese Day 2014

Today is the anniversary of the death of Kitty Genovese. Some Real Life Superheroes (as discussed in further detail in Heroes in the Night) treat this day as a sort of memorial holiday, making sure they are out on patrol. Some hand out flyers about the incident (in which Genovese was murdered while bystanders ignored it) and for others, the date marks the first time they patrolled.

RLSH say their hope is to prevent another Kitty Genovese story from happening. Be safe out there!

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

HEROES IN THE NIGHT TO BE FEATURED AT C2E2!

We've got a flashy red carpet announcement to make here...
Ladies and gentlemen, Tea Krulos will be moderating a panel of Real Life Superheroes at this year's Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. The panel is titled "You Can Be a Real Life Superhero!" and will take place Sunday, April 27, 2:30-3:30PM in Room S401AB.

The panelists include Razorhawk, the Watchman, Crusader Prime, Crimson Catalyst, and Night Vision. They will discuss the "trade secrets" of being an RLSH and the session will include a Q & A with the audience. There will also be some short video messages from a few surprise guests.

Afterwards, Tea Krulos and members of the panel will be hanging around the Chicago Review Press booth where you'll be able to buy a copy of Heroes in the Night and get it signed by the author and the RLSH.

Please help spread the word and hope to see you at C2E2!

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Challengers Christmas Toy Drive a Huge Hit!

Local Milwaukee RLSH team the Challengers do a charity toy drive every year and this is the fourth year I've done a small part in helping them with their mission. At this annual event the team asks for in-person donations of toys and art supplies for two charities. Gingerbread House donates toys to low income families in Washington County. Meta House is a rehab program in my neighborhood (Riverwest) for women and their families. They incorporate a lot of art therapy into their programs.

This year, we set up the RLSH appearance at Dryhootch, a non-profit benefit coffee house that helps veterans and their families with a variety of issues.

It was a cold and snowy day, but that didn't prevent the Challengers from showing up in force. The Watchman, Blackbird, Night Vision, the towering Skyscraper, and the Junior Challengers--Wonder Boy, Badger Boy, and Guardian Girl-- were all there.

Overall, the toy drive was a huge success. Our friends at comic book store Lost World of Wonders hosted a show earlier in the week and offered free admission with a toy donation, and donated generously themselves. The Junior Challengers even pooled some of their own money to buy donations. Good work!

FOX 6 stopped by to shoot some footage for last night's News at 10. Here's the clip:


Pretty cool, huh?

When I returned home and checked in on Facebook, I realized the Challengers weren't the only ones try to do some good out there this weekend.

For example, Crusader Prime reports that he and fellow Chicago RLSH handed out supplies-- gloves, blankets, shirts, socks, hand warmers, and food-- to the homeless yesterday in the area around lower Wacker Drive yesterday. He says they ran into a lot of people in need and handed out the amount of supplies they usually spend all night distributing in about an hour and twenty minutes.

Meanwhile, on in the West, teams were participating in a quarterly RLSH outreach program called S.I.G.N.S. of HOPE. In San Francisco, the California Initiative handed out supplies including water, first aid kits, cookies and 240 homemade burritos (!) yesterday in the Mission District. Also, in Seattle, members of the Washington Initiative and other Seattle superheroes teamed up to do a similar hand out of supplies and food.

WAI members will discuss S.I.G.N.S of HOPE tonight (9PM EST) on the Initiative hosted Tribe Radio:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/tribetalk/2013/12/16/5-of-7-neighborhood-heroes--tips-training-and-tales-ft-the-wai

Tune in!

Hollywood HEROES and Holiday Shopping

Tea Krulos signing stock at a recent Barnes & Noble appearance.

Hello! I hope you're enjoying the holiday season. Here's a treat for Heroes in the Night-- we were featured on the blog My Book, the Movie, in which authors are asked to pick out the perfect cast for a Hollywood adaptation. I went in trying not to over think it, I went with a lot of my immediate thoughts. Some I think are serious candidates, others are just a dose of humorous vision.

My dream casting can be found HERE. Someone get Hollywood on the line!

The post was also linked by related blog Campaign for the American Reader.

Also, today is the shopping holiday known as Black Friday. I, personally, am not a fan of the crowds and the ugly sweaters, but I know it is a tradition for many people. Have fun and be careful out there!

And consider a gift of Heroes in the Night, perfect for anyone interested in superheroes, social movements, pop culture, social science, true crime, or high adventure.

You can find it at a variety of independent and big box stores (or ask them to order a copy) as well as online at the links below. Have a wonderful day!

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND///iTUNES///MICROCOSM
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Miss Fit on Mission to Help St. Jude's!

One of the interesting people I met on my journey into the word of Real Life Superheroes is Miss Fit, an RLSH that focuses on health and fitness promotion. I always love to use her as an example because she smashes the knee jerk response that some people have when they hear about RLSH-- that oh, these must be a bunch of white-n-nerdy comic book guys.

As you can see from the photo above, Miss Fit does not fit into that category. I got to meet Miss Fit at HOPE 2011 and am looking forward to her documentary The Adventures of Miss Fit. I also mention in the book the fantastic success Miss Fit and her team of friends had in raising money for Saint Jude's Children's Research Hospital by entering into a Warrior Dash competition as a team. Miss Fit and her "Missfits 4 Life" raised $16,000.

Wow!

Miss Fit is leading her group into the Warrior Dash again. They are about halfway to their goal of ten thousand right now and have about ten days left. I'll let the video below from Miss Fit speak for itself, but here's a couple notes.

--One of Miss Fit's team members will be featured Hero Profile tomorrow here on the blog.
--This Saturday I will be appearing at Westfield Comics in Madison, WI with my book. I will be donating $2 for each book I sell to tomorrow's featured team member. Will that be a lot of money? No. But every bit helps.
--Here is the donation site: http://www.active-ism.com/

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

HEROES a Hit in Milwaukee!

RLSH and costume contest entries. Skyscraper, the towering robot in the back, won the contest. More pics to follow soon!

BOSWELL BOOK COMPANY PACKED--SURPRISE GUEST--SILENT AUCTION A SUCCESS 

What a fun night! I presented Heroes in the Night to my hometown crowd (as I pointed out, I was born just down the street at St. Mary's hospital) at Boswell Book Company. Lots of friends and family and a good number of curious people I didn't know. I read the book's introduction and showed some slides. Then for the Q and A I called up a surprise guest--Milwaukee area RLSH the Watchman. The crowd reaction was great.

I'm glad to say that book sales that night were good enough that Heroes in the Night was listed as Boswell Book Company's bestselling paperback non-fiction for the week! Here's the mention on their blog:
http://boswellandbooks.blogspot.com/2013/10/sunday-bestseller-post-mary-oliver-and.html

The after party was fun, too. We had a costume contest with  three honorary judges: fashion designer Miranda Levy (she was a contestant on the current season of Project Runway. She also has an exciting Kickstarter going on now HERE) as well as my friend, photographer, writer, and fashion guru Lacy Landre and comic book artist David Beyer, Jr., who contributed a few pages of art to the book.

Some of the local RLSH-- Watchman, Blackbird, and Night Vision-- proved they were good sports by entering the contest. A man dressed as Hermes got third, Watchman won second, and the crowd was wowed by first place winner Skyscraper, a giant homemade robot costume (over ten foot) who vowed to "tower over evil." Good show!

We also had great entertainment by Nineteen Thirteen and later DJ Beta.

From 9PM-Midnight we had a display of about 16 items generously donated by friends. Some of these included original art from the book, lots of certificates, and other unique items. After final bids were in, we had raised $531.00 for the RLSH run charity HOPE, which helps distribute supplies directly to homeless people.

All around a great night, and thanks for everyone who supported me and my book.

Up next:
Westfield Comics, Madison, WI 10/19
Common Good Books, Saint Paul, MN 10/20

Tomorrow on the blog, I'll be talking about another great RLSH charity event going on right now: Miss Fit's Warrior Dash to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Heroes in the Night Book Trailer!

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available NOW  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Minneapolis RLSH Hit the Street!

Yesterday, a group of Minnesota RLSH hit the streets, handing out supplies to homeless people, patrolling, and making donations to Minneapolis shelters People Serving People and Higher Ground.

The group included Geist, Misery, Blue, and new recruits Murrica and Amethyst.

L-R: Murrica, Amethyst, Blue, Geist

The group with Misery, furthest right

I'm excited to see this crew and the fine folks of the Twin Cities when I make an in-store appearance on Sunday, October 20 at Common Good Books in Saint Paul at 4PM.

Here's the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/467455183351314/

Hero Profile: Meet the German RLSH!

Meteor, of Offenbach, Germany

MITGLEID DER GERECHTIGKEITSLIDA...HEROES IN THE NIGHT GETS EXCLUSIVE SCOOP ON FIRST TEAM OF GERMAN REAL LIFE SUPERHEROES

Team: Die Gerechtigkeitsliga (Translation: Justice League)

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Die-Gerechtigkeitsliga/225433034270362

City: Wide range of German cities, noted in parenthesis in next entry.

Members: Meteor (from Offenbach), Schattenschritt (Itzehoe), Shadow Cat (Heidelberg), Protector (Berlin), Ghost (Bremen), 2 unnamed prospects.

Activities: Public service, social and environmental activism, crime fighting.

Author's Note: I still get contacted by new RLSH all the time and I'm always interested to see what people have decided to make RLSH their new lifestyle choice. Most recently, I've been in contact with Meteor, who has been telling me about his team Die Gerechtigkeitsliga, the first team of German RLSH. Here are some of the members:

Shadow Cat, of Heidelberg, Germany

Protector, of Berlin

Schattenschritt (translation: Shadow Step) of Itzehoe, Germany

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available NOW  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

We Got Books!

Mission: COMPLETE

If you pre-ordered a copy of the book, thank you. It should be in the mail soon. 

If you live in Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, or the Twin Cities, please consider going to one of my in-store events and purchasing a copy in person. You'll not only be supporting me but some great independent bookstores as well.

Here's a list of Midwest appearances: http://heroesinthenight.blogspot.com/2013/08/heroes-in-night-midwest-tour.html

Everyone else-- the book is available at every online bookseller you can think of (see links below) or better yet, ask your local bookstore to order you a copy.

Last, if you're a bit pinched, ask your local library to order a copy. Most libraries have a simple request form for new material.

Thank you all, this is a pretty awesome day for me.

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

Heroes in the Night is "A Great Example of the Promise of Creative Non-Fiction"

Wow, Heroes in the Night got a spectacular review from the fine folks at Popmythology.com!

Reviewer Matt Hlinak writes:

"Krulos combines solid journalism with colorful storytelling to shed light on this bizarre and utterly human subculture...

Heroes in the Night is a great example of the promise of creative non-fiction. Tea Krulos lays a solid foundation of fact and then builds an entertaining story on top of it. He is a necessary character in this story, but he never allows himself to overshadow the real-life superheroes, who are the real stars. He gives them a chance to explain themselves and deftly mixes humor and compassion in his treatment of his subjects.

This is an entertaining book that sheds light on the strange but timely, understandable and relevant subculture that is the RLSH movement."

You can read the review in its entirety here: http://www.popmythology.com/heroes-in-the-night-review/

And while you're there, subscribe to the site and get Pop Mythology articles delivered to your inbox.
---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available  at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
Add us on:
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK

HERO PROFILE #10: Väktaren

Operates out of: Malmö, Sweden

Name Translation: Väktaren is Swedish for "Guardian"

Activities: Väktaren patrols criminal hotspots, looking to report crime to police and intervene in crimes in process.

Author's notes: I still hear about new RLSH all the time from all over the world. Today's Hero Profile comes from a tip from a Heroes in the Night Facebook fan, Xerxes Sockerstinn, who forwarded an article from a Swedish newspaper on Väktaren. The article reports that Väktaren, a comic book fan, was motivated to become a RLSH last month after he was mugged. The Swedish RLSH has found that his costumed appearance has frightened several Swedes, so he hopes the media exposure will garner some understanding of what he is trying to do.

Heroes in the Night has an entire chapter dedicated to different translations of the RLSH concept around the world.

---------
HEROES IN THE NIGHT, available for pre-order at IPG///BARNES & NOBLE///AMAZON///POWELL'S///INDIEBOUND
GOODREADS///FACEBOOK
Book available OCTOBER 1, 2013!