HEROES IN THE NIGHT in the NEW YORK TIMES

The Black Monday Society-- photo by Jim Wilson- The New York Times

Heroes in the Night was supposed to be on holiday hiatus, but an exciting day of news bumps- somewhat unexpected- has led me to post an update on today's news.

Top of the list is a front page story in today's New York Times, which features a quote from Heroes in the Night author Tea Krulos. The story is titled "Crusaders Take Page, and Outfits, From Comics," by Kirk Johnson. Follow the link on the title, the website also has a video that accompanies the article.

The article mostly focuses on a Salt Lake City team called the Black Monday Society. I did meet one of the BMS members- Professor Midnight- at the HOPE 2011 event in San Diego. I've also written about the current BMS leader, Red Voltage (including a lengthy entry on the BMS change of leadership HERE)

I had a phone interview with Kirk Johnson and we talked about a great many things, including "early prototypes" of the RLSH. One of the early prototypes I cited was Terrifica (see an interview I did with her HERE), and that is what he ran with.

The Times article led to me getting an offer to appear on a news radio show on KCBS in San Francisco, so I did a brief 5 minutes or so with them, answering a few typical questions. I also did an e-mail Q and A with la Repubblica, an Italian newspaper, for an upcoming edition.

Hey, I'll take it!

This blog will return in its usual format the first week of 2012...Happy New Year!

HOPE EVENT THIS WEEKEND

ALSO- PHOENIX JONES APOLOGIZES, SQUASHES PARTY CRASHING RUMORS

Real Life Super Heroes are already beginning to congregate in the city of San Diego to enjoy Comic Con related events and prepare for HOPE 2011, a large scale homeless outreach program. The event was organized by Razorhawk who solicited donations and put a year worth of work into the event. The result is about 200 backpacks filled with supplies for the handout and a crew of 30 some RLSH attending to help him.

I will be there myself to give Razorhawk a hand and report on the weekend's events. I've met Razorhawk twice before, and other RLSH I've previously met attending include Thanatos, Knight Owl and Geist. Many others I'm familiar with and have written about here on the blog including Anonyman,DC's Guardian, Superhero, Miss Fit (see previous entry), and members of the Xtreme Justice League and the Black Monday Society. There will be many others and I am looking forward to meeting them all.

Besides the hand out, there will be patrols, a screening of the RLSH doc Superheroes at the Comic Con,some media, and some down time enjoying San Diego.
I won't be reporting daily like I did for my Vancouver trip- not enough time- but I will after my return home.

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And while I'm in San Diego, Milwaukee's RLSH team- The Challengers- will be conducting their own HOPE event handing out supplies to the homeless in Milwaukee and Madison, WI.

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One person who won't be attending the event is Phoenix Jones. Jones' history with the RLSH (Jones calls himself a RCSM- Rain City Superhero Movement) has often been contentious and filled with drama. This clash of egos led HOPE organizer Razorhawk to agonize over whether to let him attend- and have several people that don't get along with him drop out- or to ask that he not be present. It was not an easy decision for him.

Internet whispering then suggested Jones might show up and crash the event in San Diego. That seemed far fetched, so I asked Jones himself via Facebook message.

He replied- "NO I WAS ASKED NOT TO ATTEND BUT I HAVE A REQUEST COULD YOU POST MY APOLOGY LETTER ON YOUR BLOG IT IS ON MY FAN PAGE."

You can read this letter in its entirety below.

HOPE 2011

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING SO I AM GOING TO TURN THE CAPS OFF AND USE PUNCTUATION. Hope 2011 is an event run by Razor Hawk that will be taking place in California. At my request, a news publication that recently featured me provided a majority of the funding for Hope 2011. I assumed I would be able to attend the event and be able to help with the homeless outreach but I am the only superhero that has been banned from this event. I've never communicated with Razor Hawk directly, but I've heard via a third party that I am too controversial because I confront criminals directly and detain when necessary until the police arrive.

When I first became a superhero I was excited about joining the RLSH community and was quickly disappointed when I was banned before I ever even had a chance to make a post. I was notified by email the reason for my exile from the online community is because I lie about my deeds and there was no proof I was actually fighting crime. I would be fine with that if everyone else on the site had to prove their actions as well, but they are taken at their word. In the past few months through news media sources, guest patrols with other RLSHs, video, Phoenix Cam, and police it has been proven I patrol on a regular basis with a purpose to fight crime and stop acts of violence. I am offended that I am still ridiculed and put down by this community. I have more documentation and actual crime interventions than any other 'superhero' other than Master Legend of course.

I have not participated in the online bashing and gossip that consumes a lot of superhero's lives. But there has been media publications quoting me saying less than favorable things about certain members of the RLSH and of that I am guilty. Most of the comments I have made come from feelings of resentment that have arisen from being so discriminated against by the community. I have identified myself as a Rain City Superhero Movement member as opposed to an RLSH for three reason: 1, Certain members of the RLSH hacked my FB and deleted it and told me not to use the RLSH term because I was not one. 2, Most of the RLSH I know focus on humanitarian work and crime fighting second. 3, RLSH is a broad term and I wanted something more city specific to what we needed in Seattle.

I have always felt that the most effective outreaches are done in safe environments. I know a RLSH in Seattle who was robbed of his handout food during an outreach. If they would target him, I can only imagine what they do to the people receiving the food after I have left. If I am able to take away the violent offenders in these areas our homeless outreaches will be a lot more effective.

The point of this message is that we are all masked human beings trying to better the environment that we live in, each in our own specific areas of expertise. Hating each other, bickering and slandering, and banning people from events is ridiculous (I will enclose links that support my statements). It just minimizes our effectiveness, corrupts the message, and takes up valuable time that we could be using on the streets. I have tried my best to stay out of this drama but from this point on I am not participating in any way, shape, or form. I think its important to live your message, so here it is, I AM SORRY.

I am sorry if I have said bad things to you directly, I am sorry if I have sad bad things behind your back, I am sorry if you haven't understood or were offended by my crime fighting methods. But most of all, I am sorry that we had to make this public. I forgive anyone who has said anything bad about me. From here on out all slates are clean as far as I am concerned. We are fighting each other when we should be fighting the evil in this world.

HERO PROFILE #72: Red Voltage

Operates out of: Salt Lake City

Team Affiliation: Black Monday Society

Activities: Night patrols, charity events

Quote: "How I got my name, I am a smaller guy and at first I was really small, and not too versed in fighting technique and I wasnt too built. Things have changed since then, but I used to care a stun baton, hence the VOLTAGE, now I just carry a flash light and mace pens. Also my car is a Red Dodge Charger, so I thought of RED to match it, RED VOLTAGE. Kinda cheesy but I have stuck with the name and I am still fond of it."

Author's notes: Red Voltage is the new leader of the Black Monday Society, and you can read more on how he got the position and where he wants to take the team in an entry previous to this one.

Black Monday Society- Under New Management

BMS members (l-r) Owl, Red Voltage, Lunar Wolf

INSIGNIS TRANSFERS LEADERSHIP ROLE TO RED VOLTAGE
FUTURE PLANS INCLUDE SANDBAGGING, 'BOWLING WITH BLACK MONDAY SOCIETY' CHARITY EVENT

The Black Monday Society is a RLSH team based out of Salt Lake City. They were founded and led by Insignis, a tattoo artist who transformed his tattoo shop into a team headquarters of sorts. The team, whose membership peaked at ten or so members, become well known for their signature ghoulish look.

Leadership was recently passed to Red Voltage, and Heroes in the Night recently got him to talk about his new role via e-mail.

First, he tells of how he got involved with the group in the first place:

"It all started last year, my first patrol was a spontaneous meet with another new comer, Professor Midnight. Now we've patrolled together at least fifty times if not more. I started in April 2010 and plan to do this until I can't any longer...in fact I'm getting my Black Monday Society tattoo next week, finally. I'm pretty much the last to get it, haha. so after I had patrolled a few times with professor midnight we eventually met the BMS. I think Insignis' first impression of both Midnight and myself was pretty good for new comers we both had good heads on our shoulders and had a similar idea as to what the patrolling thing was all about! After over ten patrols I think Insignis felt we were trustworthy and he extended his hand out with an invitation to join the BMS."

Red Voltage goes on to describe Insignis' role in the group, and the traditional Black Monday Society tattoo:

"Insignis is the traditional mentor trainer/leader, he is all about being the main man, he does everything for the group, and you go to him for your everything, from adding new guys, to your look, to your BMS tattoo. The Tattoo is a traditional BMS thing, you basically should be repping the tattoo if your in the group, so some of the other guys have been harping on me to get mine, but I finally came up with the right design."

"After loads of fun patrols, some that get your adrenaline going, some that touch your heart, and some that just feel inspiring, I have finally made it to this point in my RLSH career so to speak, but I don't think of this as anything other than a duty of mine, cause I can, cause I believe in it and I am crazy enough to do it, just like my team, we all share that opinion. We are all crazy."

"Like Insignis once said, "you go around dressed in a mask and a cape...its a special breed of stupid, but it works" and its kinda like that, but its driven by the heart and the love of justice, its one my life passions, and sadly it might be some of the best times of our lives, but I guess that is why the tattoo is going to mean so much to me, just like my team and what we do."

Red Voltage describes the transfer of the leadership role:

"So just recently on one of my days off work, I was still sleeping in my bed, sun peering in through the window well, and I feel my phone buzz which is the final push to wake me up for the day, I look at the text message which happens to be from Insignis, he tells me that the BMS is mine and that I have earned it."

"I was surprised and shocked to get the message with my initial reaction of panic, and I was worried about Insignis, wanted to be sure he was okay, he was. To him it was just the time to hand the mantle over to the person he trusts, and I think he sees himself in me. We both occupy lots of our time focusing our creative energy on creative things, He taught me his craft for making the ABS masks, I have since taken on some of the communities mask making, I have made Voodoo's Mask and I am working on Bearman's. I naturally also have the ability to talk to people while getting out the right message, he wants someone who can talk as good as he does, which isn't really possible, but I try."

And when asked what the near future holds for the BMS, Red Voltage explains:

"My big plans are mostly some local events, like charity raising events such as Bowling with the Black Monday Society. I also want to get some of the guys together to help sandbag around here, since the snow is melting off the mountains, we wanna prevent flooding, and people need that right now!

I am just sticking to it and trying to do the best I can for the team and the community as well as SLC and its needs."

HERO PROFILE #56: Professor Midnight

Photo by Pierre-Elie de Pibrac

Operates out of: Salt Lake City

Group affiliation: Black Monday Society

Activities: patrols

Author's notes: One group I've had little contact with and haven't written much about is Salt Lake City's Black Monday Society, a group that uses a tattoo shop as a headquarters and has had a revolving line up over the last couple years. Professor Midnight is one of the group's more recent additions.

RLSH MUESEUM 2110

Will real life superheroes still exist 100 years from now? Pretend it is the year 2110 and there is an official RLSH museum. What items would we find in it? In a dark corner, illuminated by a spotlight, we might see Citizen Prime's famous suit in a plexiglass case. We might see Master Legend's beat up Justice Van parked on a giant rotating disk. A small alcove might display the collected masks of the Black Monday Society, illuminated with eerie lighting. Another room might hold cases of tools of the trade- moth-a-rangs, bolos, and body armor. Mannequin heads here and there would hold masks, cowls, and goggles. These are just some random guesses of a few of the things you might find in such a museum.

Another thing I'm sure you might find is a digital display projecting Phantom Zero's YouTube video "Attention: Real Life SuperHeroes," posted October 25, 2008. The video has had over 101,000 views (as of this date)and was many people's intro to the RLSH concept and helped many RLSH network.
Here is the video: