AWM: Arrested While Masked

Bee Sting, right, shown here chatting with Master Legend, is the latest RLSH arrest.

People ask me what the relationship between RLSH and the police is like. I'm somewhat relieved to say that the majority of the time it is ok, if not a little awkward. That is because most RLSH patrols are done unarmed, like a concerned citizens foot patrol.

But over the last 9 months there has been... incidents. Consider the following RLSH Arrested While Masked (AWM):

--October, 2011. Phoenix Jones and "the Pepper Spray Incident." One of the more hair-raising parts of my upcoming book, Heroes in the Night, details a night I spent in Seattle. Phoenix Jones, along with his Rain City Superheroes Movement team mate Ghost, myself, and videographer Ryan McNamee saw a street fight between Russians, Jones intervened and pepper sprayed the combatants, and all hell broke loose. Eventually the Seattle Police Department showed up and read us all our Miranda Rights. They let us all go except Jones, who was taken to jail with assault charges. The charges were later dropped.
Infamous video HERE

--November, 2011. I was the one who broke the story of the arrest of The Ray, a Bay Area RLSH and former member of the Pacific Protectorate. The Ray was beaten down by police and arrested for "assault" and "failure to disperse" at an Occupy Oakland protest. See my write up HERE.

--January, 2012. I traveled to San Francisco to meet a man named Richard McCaslin aka Phantom Patriot aka Thoughtcrime for a protest. Although he hasn't been arrested recently, the event reflected on the 10 year anniversary on his 2002 arrest for raiding a place called the Bohemian Grove. It is a complex story and I try to make sense of it HERE.

--April, 2012. The Bar Harbor Batman finds himself in hot water after he posts a Facebook update meant to be an April Fool's joke that says the Bar Harbor Batman will blow up a hospital unless his demands are made. A trial is still pending. See my blog post HERE.

--April, 2012. Bee Sting arrested. See entry after this one.

BAR HARBOR BATMAN GOES BEHIND BARS

APRIL FOOL'S JOKE FOUND NOT-SO-FUNNY BY BAR HARBOR'S FINEST

Lots of people were posting jokes as updates on Facebook yesterday, and the caped crusader of Bar Harbor, Maine, was no exception.

The Bar Harbor Batman (who was profiled a little over a year ago on this blog HERE) does parade appearances and foot patrols and posted this April Fool status update:

"I demand payment of 1 million Dollars or I will Blow up the Hospital. Once the funds are secured, Private Message me for Further Instruction."

Facebook followers didn't see the funny side and reported the Facebook posting to the police, who showed up at the Bar Harbor Batman's humble abode to haul him in.

He is out on bail and returns to court in June to face "terrorizing charges," according to a report you can read HERE.

This is a rare case where Batman will have to stand before a judge and prove that he is...funny.

HEROES IN THE NIGHT IN SEATTLE WEEKLY

COVER STORY SCRUTINIZES PHOENIX JONES
SUPERHERO LAWSUIT REVEALED AS BATTLE OF SEATTLE CONTINUES
AUTHOR TEA KRULOS OFFERS RANDOM NOTES
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This is not usually the style I write things on this blog. Oh well.

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Oh boy, where to begin with this one? At the beginning, I suppose. Keegan Hamilton is a writer who has penned a front page expose on Rain City Superhero Movement founder Phoenix Jones for the Seattle Weekly, titled "The (Alleged) Adventures of Phoenix Jones." Mr. Jones has sustained a presence in the media since November.

A few months ago, Keegan gave me a call and we spent an hour or more discussing the interesting world of Real Life Superheroes (RLSH). He used part of this conversation to help explain the secret history of this movement, citing 70's consumer rights/ quality of life costumed activist Captain Sticky as an example. I was quoted fairly and given a fair amount ink and Heroes in the Night was mentioned. I can't complain about that.

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"What kind of person dresses up like a superhero? Long before Hollywood unleashed Kick-Ass and Super—two movies released within the past year about real people who don capes and masks—Tea Krulos was asking himself that very same question."

See, that's a good quote.

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The article makes another attempt to get the Phoenix Jones origin story straight-

"Then, the next night, while at a club celebrating a friend's birthday, a fight broke out between two of Jones' friends and a larger group of men. Running to his car to retrieve his cell phone—Jones says he never keeps it in his pocket because he doesn't want to risk damaging it when he break-dances—Jones, a cage fighter in his spare time, impulsively threw on the mask and chased down the fight's instigator."

This I can understand- I never have my cell on me while breakdancing, either.

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The article then goes into two common bones of contention with Mr. Jones- no evidence of received injuries- a shooting, a stabbing, a swat with a baseball bat, etc. Jones claims these injuries were treated by a private doctor who "won't agree to an interview for fear of losing his medical license."

And also, the lack of a paper trail/ evidence in several of Mr. Jones' crime fighting adventures (that is why the word "Alleged" is in parenthesis in the article title, you see)- they document several calls to the police, a couple that led to arrests, some that didn't.

I don't know though- just because there isn't evidence it happened, does that make it a non-event? I once literally bumped into Joey Ramone in Saint Mark's Place. I have no evidence of this, but it did happen.

Still, Jones has many claims that are confused with alternate accounts of the same event, and logic defying claims that would go over better with something solid to go with it.

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Yes, Phoenix Jones has traffic violations. And he's had financial problems.

You know why stuff like that gets reported? People love seeing dirty laundry.

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Eventually this leads to what may perhaps be the Dumbest RLSH Story Ever Told. I've known of it for quite some time but never reported on it because, uh...how do I put this....words escaped me.

Basically an internet argument began to rage between Mr. Jones and fellow Seattle superhero Mr. Raven Blade. This was hashed out on Facebook and on Mr. Raven Blade's blog.

It was very similar to the time Batman started an internet flame war with the Green Arrow. Oh wait, that never happened.

Eventually, Mr. Raven Blade says he received threats from Mr. Jones via phone and internet. The two have not met in person. Mr. Raven Blade filed for a restraining order, which was granted, barring Mr. Jones from being within 500 feet of Mr. Raven Blade.

Call me old fashioned, but I've had guys threaten to beat the (expletive) out of me in person, and I've just shrugged it off. Why? Because guys say stupid stuff they don't really mean when they're pissed off.

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The article says "a photographer" distracted Jones while a crime went on down the block. I think you mean to say "our photographer."

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After finding out the photo session (which could be substituted for any number of reasons he would have missed the crime- he had to pee, he turned left instead of right, etc.) has caused him to miss the crime, here's what happened next-

After getting a description of the alleged attacker, Jones heads back to the corner where the fight occurred. His plan, he says, is to wield "the Phoenix Cam" — a silver Flip pocket camcorder—and confront the assailant, provoking another altercation.

"I'm going to have to take a hit for the team," he says. "I'll get the guy to punch me in the face and we can press assault charges."

"Are you aware of the concept of blocking?" asks Ghost.

"Yeah," says Jones. "But then it's not assault, it's only attempted assault."

He was going to block, Ghost. With his face. But seriously- I don't think this strategy is a good long term solution for capturing criminals.
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The article ends with this quote-

"Sure other superheroes don't like me," he says. "Why? Because they suck at their jobs . . . Tonight we literally didn't stop any crime. But we did definitely talk to some drug dealers, we picked up a girl who fell and hit her face on the ground, and we talked to a bunch of different people in Seattle who may now report crime because they talked to us. That's still 100 times better than every other superhero."

That does sound really bad. My friend summed it up with one word- "hubris." It is also ridiculous since Jones isn't omnipresent- he doesn't know all the RLSH out there (even I don't) and what they are up to. For all we know there are RLSH quietly cleaning up and not publicizing it.

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This article was thoroughly researched (in addition to the main article, you can find links of related content at the article to video and police reports) and the longest article on Jones to date, but I think the bias from the Seattle Weekly is pretty noticeable from the get go. It seems like they were sitting around the office, perhaps drinking the excellent coffee Seattle is famous for and decided they were going to bag Phoenix Jones before they even wrote word one.

Indeed, one of the SW's bloggers have been after Jones like a hip J. Jonah Jameson for some time. Blogger Curtis Cartier has cranked the snark to 11 in three posts lambasting Jones. The blog posts and the article are unrelated, but they are under the same roof- the Seattle Weekly.

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Mostly I think there is a point that the article only briefly touches on. Yes, Jones has some issues with some RLSH. Yes, some writers don't like him, or can prove there is a lack of evidence. But if Jones is so lame-o, why does he have thousands and thousands of Facebook friends cheering him on, creating fan art work, and defending him when people insult him?

I myself am friends with Phoenix Jones and every time I swing by his page it is loaded with people giving him encouraging words. From what I hear, his reception on the street is pretty enthusiastic, too.

I remember in winter I posted something about the Bar Harbor Batman. I thought he was just a dude goofing around in a Batman costume (and might still think he is)- I was surprised that quite a few people from Bar Harbor took time to leave comments defending the caped crusader, saying that seeing him out on the street made them feel better.

Ultimately, I think that is who decides if you are a hero- your constituency, the people you interact with. Not your internets.

HERO PROFILE #63: Bar Harbor Batman

Operates out of: Bar Harbor, Maine

Secret identity: "Wayne Bruce"

Activities: Bar patrols, public appearances, sign campaigns

Quote: "I am the Bar Harbor Batman."

Author's note: A poll on this blog asked if Bar Harbor Batman would technically be considered a RLSH despite him not adopting an original persona. So why is he featured here even after "No" won the poll with 51%? Because the people of Bar Harbor weighed in and defended him. You can read more in the entry previous to this one.

The Dark Knight (Poll) Returns

Last week I wrote an entry on the Bar Harbor Batman, a man who dresses as the famous caped crusader, star of DC Comics and silver screen. The entry, and accompanying poll was meant to generate debate on whether the criteria for being a Real-Life Superhero (RLSH) included having an original persona, as most RLSHs do.

Commentary began with regular blog readers, but after a link was posted up by the Bar Harbor Times Soup and by the dark detective himself (on his Facebook)- the blog got a steady stream of comments from concerned citizens of Bar Harbor. I don't think some of these people are familiar with the greater Real Life Superhero movement, but they sensed their hero was under attack and came to his defense.

"I think he brings fun and joy to what can sometimes be a dreary town in the winter and gives the summer an extra pizazz." One commenter wrote, No harm in making people happy...he gives people a cheer. That's special."

Another said, "He's real life. He's a super hero in a time and place that needs him. And he's assailed by the non-believers who don't have anything to contribute to our community."

One commenter even suggested I move out of my mom's basement and "stfu" for allowing such a blasphemous blog entry exist! The votes for "Yes" continued, and so did the comments.

"If seeing BHBM walk down the street, wave to a child or pose for a photograph makes people smile, then doesn't that make the world a better place?" A commenter asked.

Another comment: "I believe he is the embodiment of positivity and (mostly) good morals, and gives without expecting to receive. What more could we expect in a RLSH?"

And for all of us that had a lonely Valentine's Day: "The only hug I received on Valentine's Day was from the BHBM, that makes him a Super Hero in my book. He makes us smile and promotes justice. What's not to like?"

Despite the positive upswing, a last minute push moved the "No" vote ahead.

Final results: Is the Bay Harbor Batman a RLSH? (109 votes total)

No, you need an original persona. 56 votes- 51%
Yes, he is. It doesn't matter what he wears. 33 votes- 30%
It doesn't matter. 11 votes- 10 %
I am the Bar Harbor Batman. Arrest me. 9 votes- 8%

Something is very clear, though- the people of Bar Harbor support their local Batman. And if he is a hero to them, then who are we to judge?

Sourced

The Bar Harbor Batman with a vigilante valentine on the streets of Bar Harbor. Photo by Ezra Silk.

It always makes me happy to see the Heroes in the Night blog sourced in other media, big or small. In the past week, two blog entries here have been re-reported elsewhere.

Writer Genevieve Suzuki wrote an article for the La Mesa version of Patch.com titled "Who Was That Masked Man? Real-Life Superhero Visits Classes at Helix High!" which quoted from and linked to a blog entry here about DC's Guardian and a day spent speaking to students at Helix High School. (entry HERE)

Also, the Bar Harbor Times Soup is a website which was the source of info for an entry last week on the Bar Harbor Batman. I created a poll, which is open until Friday, to see what conversation I could generate about RLSHs with original personas vs. ones based entirely on an already existing character. Members of the RLSH world as well as Bar Harbor residents have weighed in on that entry HERE.

The writer following the Bar Harbor Batman for the Bar Harbor Times Soup, the exquisitely named Ezra Silk, didn't guess my sex right (it happens) but mentioned the blog and the poll in a write up titled "Bar Harbor Batman Plays Vigilante Valentine," which also talks about his Valentine's Day appearances.

Results of the Bar Harbor Batman poll will be posted Friday. But please- this is not supposed to be a serious online trial of the man. It is just for fun and to try to generate discussion.

Bar Harbor Batman: RLSH?

The Bar Harbor Batman with a fan

-Bar Harbor, Maine

Throughout writing Heroes in the Night, especially early on, it has been difficult to get people to understand what I'm writing about exactly.

Example: I told a friend I was writing about real life superheroes, and they were like, "oh yeah, I saw a documentary about them- Confessions of a Superhero."

Confessions of a Superhero is a good (but depressing) documentary about four actors who hang out in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, soliciting tourists to tip them in exchange for a photo with them. They dress as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Incredible Hulk. They are not RLSHs.

There have been an occasional person doing RLSH style patrols in already existing personas (or very close to the source material)- in general, I've tried to stay away from them as to avoid confusion, however they have come up a couple times already. The Heroes of Albany, which were profiled HERE include The Spirit of Albany, modeled after Will Eisner's hero, and Kick-Ass of Albany, complete with the green and gold diving suit. Hellpool(profiled HERE) I think it is safe to say, is modeled after Deadpool.

And then there is the Bar Harbor Batman. According to wikipedia, Bar Harbor is a town of approx. 5,000 people (97.88% white) near Cadillac Mountain and the Porcupine Islands in southern Maine. And it's streets are patrolled by a Dark Knight.

The Bar Harbor Times Soup did an...interesting... Q and A with the cowled crusader here:
http://mdi.villagesoup.com/people/story/q-a-with-bar-harbor-batman/376445

His activities include patrolling, stopping in bars, and a "honk for justice campaign."

And apparently, it's spreading in Bar Harbor, because now he is joined by (and having some friendly rivalry with): yes, you guessed it- a breakdancing Bar Harbor Spiderman. I can't make this stuff up.

Story on the funky webslinger here: http://mdi.villagesoup.com/people/story/bar-harbor-spider-man-busts-a-move/379448?source=rss

Bar Harbor Spiderman prepares to bust a move

Would you consider the Bar Harbor Batman to be a RLSH? Vote in the poll to the write and explain your answer in the comments section!