HERO PROFILE #3: Phoenix Jones

Phoenix Jones. Photo by Lucien Knuteson

Location: Seattle

Team Affiliation: Rain City Superhero Movement

Activities: Crime patrols, charity events

Favorite food: Skittles

Author's notes: PHOENIX JONES! Opinion on the "Guardian of Seattle" differs sharply. Some say he is the best thing to happen to the RLSH movement, some say he is the worst. He's had many memorable controversies over the last couple years: May Day, Mutual Combat, and the Pepper Spray Incident (I witnessed that one first hand!) I think Phoenix Jones is passionate and dedicated to his mission, but he sometimes gets himself in over his head.

Phoenix Jones is featured in a couple chapters of my book. I presented his story in an objective way, and after reading about him, I'm sure you'll draw your own conclusions.

Links:

Check out Phoenix Jones live on patrol at his Ustream Channel HERE

Phoenix Jones's wife, Purple Reign, spearheads a campaign against domestic abuse called the Purple Reign Campaign.


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

HERO PROFILE #2: Zetaman

Photo by Pierre-Elie de Pibrac

Status: Retired

Location: Portland, OR

Team Affiliation: The Alternates

Activities: Charity events and fundraisers, homeless hand outs, neighborhood patrols

Special power: Amazing comic book creations

Author's notes: I met Illya King (who used to be known as Zetaman) twice in my travels. He had a turbulent falling out with the RLSH community and he was candid enough to share his experiences with me. King continues to do charitable events sans costume and draws a superhero satire comic called Naked Man Comics, which often parodies Zetaman and his fellow RLSH.

I was surprised and delighted when King sent me a plug for my upcoming book...Naked Man Comics style. It's posted below and here's a link to it on his website.Thanks much to Illya King for creating a well threaded ink version of me and to his alter ego Zetaman who shared my adventure with me!

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

HERO PROFILE #1: The Watchman

The Watchman Photo by Pierre-Elie de Pibrac

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Team affiliation: The Challengers

Activities: Neighborhood crime patrols, charity events

Favorite comic book superhero: Superman

Author's Notes: I couldn't start the new Heroes Profile with anyone but The Watchman. He's a local RLSH and the reason I got started on Heroes in the Night. I had heard a news blurb and thought the topic would be interesting to write on and so I began searching for a local RLSH. I found The Watchman. Over the last few years I've stayed in touch with him on a regular basis and have joined him on quite a few of his adventures, as well as seeing his team, The Challengers, evolve.



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

Heroes in the Night Blog is Back!

Hello, Real Life Superhero fans! I took a break from the blog here for awhile to finish up Heroes in the Night. I've been slowly reviewing the final proofs of the book with my publisher (Chicago Review Press) and it looks great! In the photo here you can see me holding an advance reading copy-- this is basically a mock up that the marketing people use to get some advance publicity. The real thing will be available October 1, 2013 (see links below for pre-order info) and we got lots of fun stuff ahead-- book excerpts, in store appearances, all that great stuff. I'm also working on my second book. I'm not ready to talk much about that yet, other than to say it will document another interesting group of people.

I also think it's a good time to "reboot" the blog here. Hey, if DC Comics can do it with the "New 52," why can't I? Weekly Hero Profiles will start over at number 1, with the first running a week from today and carrying on every Thursday for an unspecified duration. Some of these will be people I've already profiled in the past, some will be new mystery men and women. I'll also be updating with news on the book, media and bookstore appearances, excerpts, and the occasional RLSH news flash.

This is a fun and exciting time for me and I'm glad to share it with you. I'll see you next week for our first new Hero Profile.


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

HEROES IN THE NIGHT BOOK COVER!

Plus PRE-ORDER INFORMATION!

This is a proud day for me and I'm pleased to be able to release the cover of my book Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement, a secret I've guarded as vigorously as a superhero's secret identity up until now. Here it is:

The photos, l-r, top-bottom: Seattle superhero Phoenix Jones (with myself in the background making an Alfred Hitchcock/ Stan Lee style cameo appearance) Milwaukee RLSH The Watchman, early RLSH prototype Terrifica, who patrolled bars in Manhattan, and Zetaman, of Portland, Oregon.

More book info:
Publication date: October 1, 2013, Chicago Review Press.
272 pages. 22 black and white photos, 25 color photos, 10 black and white illustrations.
Paperback: $16.95 (CAN $18.95)
E-pub/Adobe pdf/ Kindle: $13.99

Want to pre-order a copy?

Amazon link HERE

Barnes & Noble link HERE

Powell's link HERE

Independent Publishing Group link HERE (book description is up, but not pre-order option)

Information for Indiebound coming soon!

I've also set up my Goodreads author page, so please stop by. I'd be honored if you'd hit the "become a fan" button and add Heroes in the Night to your "to read" list. My Goodreads page is HERE

I'll be posting more updates as I get them and this summer the blog will swing back into action with some new Real Life Superhero profiles, a book excerpt, books news, and more!

The Challengers 2012 Christmas Mission

The Challengers, with special guest appearance by Santa Claus.

The Challengers’ annual holiday toy and art supply drive was a success. Through a donation box set up at Blush and an in-person appearance by The Watchman, Blackbird, and Night Vision at Brewed Cafe, the team collected donations.  that benefits the Gingerbread House (in West Bend) and Meta House (here in Riverwest). It was a rainy and cold day, but they stuck it out and collected donations of toys, art supplies, and cash. All together, they ended up getting a couple boxes worth of donations- good work, guys! 

Online fundraising (all monetary funds will be used to buy more toys and art supplies) will remain open until Friday, December 21 here: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6Om35

Happy holidays!

The Challengers 2012 Christmas Charity Mission

Author's note: This is the third holiday season that I've helped out (mainly with press and e-mails) The Challengers- a local Milwaukee group of  RLSH. Each year they try to gather donations of toys and art supplies to donate to two charities. We had a good success with it in 2010. 2011 was a little disappointing, but we're hoping 2012 will be the strongest year yet. All the info for this year's event is below. Happy holidays!

Photo by Lacy Landre

LOCAL “REAL LIFE SUPER HEROES” ON A CHRISTMAS CHARITY MISSION

Superheroes to appear in person December 15 at Brewed Cafe

-December 5, 2012

Milwaukee’s team of “Real Life Super Heroes”-- The Challengers--  are once again working on their annual Christmas charity mission. Like the last two holiday seasons, they’ll be making an in-person appearance to collect toys and art supplies for two great local charities.

The Gingerbread House is a charity in West Bend that collects toys for low income families that need help buying gifts. Meta House, in Milwaukee, is a rehabilitation center for women and their families that has a need for toys and art supplies for their art therapy programs.

The Challengers are using their time and flashy appearance to help attract attention for these charities and collect donations for them. Monetary donations will be used to buy more supplies to donate.

This year, there are multiple ways you can get a donation to The Challengers:

In person: The Challengers will be making an in-person appearance at Brewed Cafe (1208 E. Brady Street) on Saturday, December 15, from 11-4. They will be accepting donations of toys, art supplies, and cash. This is a great chance to meet the “Real Life Super Heroes” in person and help them out with their cause.

There is also a donation box set up at Blush Beauty Boutique (249 N. Water Street) from now until December 15^th where donations can be dropped off anytime during business hours (Mon: 11-5, Tu-Sat: 10-6).

In addition, there is a page set up on Fundrazr where you can donate money online: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/6Om35

###