PRINTThe anatomy of a superhero
Spandex + radiation + evil twin = comic book gold
Meredith Purcell and Kristin Noe
Voxman: Saving the world one reader at a time.
March 12, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Note: scroll down to the bottom for the link to "The Voxman cometh;" make your very own Voxman!
Hundreds of superheroes exist with all kinds of ridiculous superpowers, but all of them share fundamental super elements — the secret identity, the powers, the villain and the girl. With all these basics, Vox can’t help poke fun at these comic book characters. They’re superheroes. They can take it.
President Theodore Roosevelt is known historically as the guy responsible for the Panama Canal and trustbusting, but in a new comic book created by MU senior Craig Dunn and friends Adam Neuman and Jeremy Hellwig, Roosevelt fights the evils of the early 19th century with super strength and time travel.
Dunn says their fascination with the president started in high school when they heard a story about Roosevelt being shot during a speech and finishing it wounded. This man-of-steel complex inspired a list of Chuck Norris-like jokes about Roosevelt’s ridiculous tenacity. Faces of Rushmore is a mix of these jokes and some history. “We only use history when it works for us, and we completely ignore it when it doesn’t,” Neuman says.
The creative process began in 2007 but was delayed for six months because the writers couldn’t find an artist.Through Facebook, Neuman discovered a group devoted to comic book writers looking for artists. Neuman found Taylor Stauft of Calgary, Canada, through the group. After collaborating, Stauft began sketching the first issue.
Dunn says they hope the comic will reach publication in the near future, but they are still shopping it to potential publishers.
The tragedy
Every superhero suffers a tragedy. The science experiment gone horribly wrong is a textbook case. When real people are exposed to radiation, the results aren’t superpowers. Side effects can include cancer and radiation sickness, not to mention death. Forget super strength. The other superhero archetype is the rich playboy who has suffered a loss and uses his money to create his own superhero persona — enter Batman, Ironman and the Green Arrow. These guys suffered, but instead of hiring a therapist to deal with it, they run around playing hero with high-tech toys.
The villain(s)
After the mutant or rich playboy dons spandex and a cape, super villains enter the frame. The only thing worse than their evil deeds is the absurdity of their personas. Case in point: the Penguin and the Ragdoll. Whoever thought a penguin was intimidating could not foresee a world in which the arctic bird would tap dance better than Fred Astaire. The Ragdoll from the early Flash comics is a doll made out of rags. Raggedy Andy is just not a threat to society.
The secret identity
Captain America fought a civil war over his secret identity, but he and Batman seem to be the only ones who understand the importance of an alter ego. Is everyone in Metropolis blind? Does no one else notice that Clark Kent looks like Superman wearing glasses? Somehow Superman gets away with his low-maintenance disguise while Spider-Man’s elaborate cover is always being blown, putting Mary Jane and Aunt May in danger. Spider-Man needs to take a hint from his fellow Marvel superheroes. The X-Men and Fantastic Four don’t even have secret identities, and their loved ones are much better off (having rejected them as mutants long ago).
The damsel in distress
This woman just asks for trouble. Even before villains set their eyes on her, she’s wandering down dark alleys or getting all up in the mob’s business. Maybe this is Lois Lane’s strategy for attracting Superman’s attention, but there are better ways, honey. He might be a buff, handsome good guy, but his job is always going to come first. If a lasting relationship is what you’re looking for, sign up for match.com, and stay away from the bad parts of town.
The twist
To keep a 40- to 70-year-old character alive, writers have to resort to soap opera tactics. Evil twins, clones, alternate universes, long lost relatives and seductresses are just some of the weapons in a writer’s arsenal to jump-start a story. DC Comics, it must be convenient to be able to invent a parallel universe whenever you need to update elderly Superman. And Marvel Comics, how many times are you going to recycle the Green Goblin? He’s dead. Find a new archenemy for Spidey.
With all these basic elements also comes some basic ridicule.
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