Broken Frontier

Can superheroes making a difference in the real world? Sure, Superman always saves the day in the DCU and Spider-Man always pulls it out in the end over in the Marvel Universe, but what about ours? Can comic book heroes have an impact on our lives? It just so happens that very once in a while, they do. The thing is though, they need to do it more often!

The Personal...
I've read comics all my life. When I was a younger kid, my buying habits were strictly random: whatever looked coolest on the rack at the local 7-11 when my Dad took the regular visit. When I got older, I quit altogether, then returned, but collected only a couple titles, which then expanded and expanded, and expanded.

Did I read comics because I enjoyed them? Well, duh. But I also kept coming back to them for another reason...

Life sometimes has a way of throwing kids, showing them a rough time, leaving them confused, battered and sometimes lost. I was NOT the exception to the rule. Part of what kept me coming back was the message in comics. Spider-Man taught me about responsibility and perseverence, even in the roughest times. Superman taught me even when far stronger, faster, or smarter (he was also a genius pretty much in those days), it was still better to help other people. Batman taught me about discipline, self-discipline, not being scared of getting beat up. The Fantastic Four taught me about family and how they are supposed to stick together, even if members are hotheads, sometimes ugly, feel invisible, or stretched too thin. (Get it?)

They inspired me, encouraged me, and empowered me.

And every once in a while, such as most profoundly in Amazing Spider-Man #248 – containing the classic story “The Kid Who Collected Spider-Man” by Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz – they touched me deeply. A young boy named Timmy shares his collection of everything Spider-Man with Spidey himself, who in a shocking moment, reveals his identity to the boy. We learn at the end that young Timmy is terminal with cancer. Wow!

I can truly say the man I am today has been partly shaped by my journey as a comics fan.

I know I'm not alone in that. As a counsellor and mentor, I have heard many times how comic book heroes and heroines have inspired and lifted up many others. Some of the folks I've heard from have even said they would not be here today were it not for their comics! Pretty heavy stuff!

The Social...
Over the years there have also been a number of comics purposefully designed to have a social impact on the world.

Marvel and DC both right around the same time published comics where the respective heroes came up against a bigger threat than any villain: World Hunger. Both specials committed all proceeds to Famine Relief, the time, energy and product being donated by creators and companies.

    

Marvel has quite a history of producing special comics which have been geared toward children and youth for the purpose of helping to prevent child abuse (including sexual abuse), smoking and bullying. These have been distributed, free, through various non-profit publishing houses to places where they can reach the right audiences.

We all remember the quick response from the comics community to raise monies for the 9-11 tragedy. The industry published stories, in regular series and specials, which showed our heroes facing the tragedy themselves, dealing in the aftermath, or saluting the TRUE heroes who give their lives every day.  Many of these books had proceeds donated to the support of families of the victims.

Related But Plug Loaded Personal Creative Process...
Maybe I'm biased. See, my main life is actually my ministry and outreach work. I counsel and mentor youth, assist families in crisis, partner with schools, social services etc. all to reach people in need. I run an agency I began in 1997 to meet the needs of our local community and beyond. That means that most of what I do is my own version of trying my best to rush to the rescue. I wear the underwear inside my pants though and don't do the heroic stuff, just the helping stuff.

Now, don't get me wrong, when I come to the craft of storytelling, it is first and foremost about the craft and quality for me. As a creator, I want to always put out an excellent story, one that hits whatever marks I've set for it (epic, wild, scary, etc.).

But I also find, personally, there is much of me that comes to the craft and my understanding of the world. Sometimes that's me stretching, altering, shifting my own experiences and putting them in stories; other times it’s basing characters (good and bad) on people I've known who've inspired me. But I also find often that the important things inside me come out in my writing.

There is no mistake that my Kandora series Savage World is a story of a youth facing incredible odds and feeling like the world is against him--he's inspired by the youth I've mentored. Monarch of Manhattan is not the story of someone dedicated to fighting crime, but someone wanting to change the world, someone I see as an ideal to aspire to.

In other series I have coming up in other formats and locations it's the same. SoulStar is often an auto-biographical story (in the way Mage was for Matt Wagner) of a man trying to make a difference, and often feeling like he falls short, despite incredible opportunities. 2050 is a series that tries to hold on to hope for the future, though sometimes realizing that the future is on shaky ground. Books of Creation is an epic fantasy, but at the same time it is also a tribute to faith. (For more info on these new projects, check back later, as I'll be filling everyone in on ASAP.)

I feel my best stories come when I dig deep to tap something personal. Judging by reactions, others seem to feel those are my best works as well. My guess is that those stories that touched me most as a fan, where I was inspired, encouraged, or empowered, were also dug from creators who reached into their own personal mythos. Imagine if all us creators pushed that kind of storytelling a little more? Would we end up with more classic tales that speak about the human condition?

Think about some of the greatest comic book classic stories you remember; chances are they had some powerful element that spoke to our hearts, and most likely flowed from a creator, because it was spoken from his or her own heart.

The Publisher Challenge...
We can all encourage creators to strive and produce more of that kind of storytelling, and don't get me wrong, I'm sure many, many do, but...

What if EVERY comic publisher out there looked for ways of supporting something? What if every publisher encouraged creators and gave them the room to do dramatic stories which challenged us? What if every publisher looked at the line of books they publish and thought about how any given book can connect to a worthy cause? It might be through a story arc that touches on a critical issue many people face personally, or a social issue that stirs a lot of feeling. It might be in having a character that gives a voice to a group of people desperately needing one in our world today. It might be in having a character being used as a spokesperson for a worthwhile outreach in PR or some other means. It might be doing periodic specials or efforts designed to raise money for a good cause. The possibilities are endless!

And for those that can't get past the 'good economic sense' part of it...

Studies show overwhelmingly that companies that support various causes and show ways of supporting people in need enjoy many benefits. This includes greater worker morale, higher productivity, higher quality, increased sales, increased consumer loyalty, and better overall public relations.

So, there.

Think about it.

Next Week: The Challenge II: Whether You Like It or Not...
It ain't just the characters out there that have an impact on fans! This part looks at the reality that at times, creators are role models... whether we like it or not!