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Wally Flores, Jr. wrote a compelling column about whey he thinks that the superhero genre is alive and well. His points invoked some feelings that have been floating around inside me for a long time, and I think I know why comics and superheroes are here to stay.
One of the things that make me think that the superhero genre isn't declining is that the Hollywood entertainment business is pretty much filled with comics geeks who are going to incorporate superheroes into their products in one form or another. I see several shows on television with an ex comics guy producing. The name I see most often is Joe Staton. This crowd is firmly entrenched in the movie business, and they aren't going anywhere. A lot of the guys in animation REALLY want to do comics too, but they do comic animation instead. I think in a time where the global problems and wars are so complex and depressing, and the fear of more terrorists attacks is very much a valid concern, and there is the *radical* Islam crowd, who thinks they should force their particular religion upon everyone, and will kill to achieve those ends, people start looking for heroes.
We certainly can't look to any of our political leaders, because frankly, I think all of them, on both sides of the aisle, are not working in our best national interests. Besides, their collective feet of clay is becoming more and more apparent... the Democrat who was soliciting hookers in his spare time and the Republican who was busy having anonymous gay sex in public bathrooms (although to be fair, I find both of those incidents hilarious, but for the wrong reasons) are but two examples. Our sports stars are on steroids, and one of the superstars who had his career safely in full swing, brought it all down upon his head by participating in the barbaric and cruel sport of dog fighting. Not to mention poor Chris Benoit, who killed his entire family in a horrific manner and then killed himself. If we look to Hollywood for our heroes, what do we find there? We see a lot of young women flashing their twats for the camera, getting into regular trouble with the law, and behaving bizarrely when they aren't in jail. Half of the female population out there look like they are suffering from anorexia and the effects of bad plastic surgery. We have guys with great public images like Owen Wilson trying to committ suicide. We have a legendary music producer on trial for killing some woman he picked up at a bar. There aren't a lot of heroes in the public eye these days.
Where are we going to find heroes we can look up to, believe in, and respect in this difficult time of our lives?
Why in superheroes, of course.
This is why I LOVE watching Stan Lee's "Who Wants to be a Superhero?" Regular people are validating everything I ever believed in about the good of humanity. Regular folks can step up and let their inherent goodness, courage, and intelligence show through. This is a corny show that actually transcends its genre and shows us a much more compelling glimpse into regular people's excellent qualities and heroism.
However, most people don't watch this show. We need heroes in these troubled times, and a lot of public figures are falling extremely short of this designation. Therefore, the heroes we see are located in film, on television, and in comics. They represent the best of what's great about being human, and people can relate to them, and they admire their bravery, courage and power to do good in a sometimes brutal world. It reassures people, and gives them something to be believe in and to hope for. I don't think superhero comics are going away any time soon. I think they provide a very much needed role models for those of us where real humans have fallen woefully short.
I think the comic industry is extremely safe at the moment. They provide an example of how good people should be behaving in a sometimes difficult world.
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