Fascinating Nouns Ep. 203: Superheroes Are Real, and They're Spectacular!

If you are the average person, you have probably been a fan of superheroes since the Marvel movies hit the scene, which was in 2008. If you happened to be into Batman, your fandom may go back to 1989. I am guessing that if your fandom is based on the movies alone, it is probably a passing interest, relegated to the 2-3 times a year a new flick hits the theaters. If you are a comic fan however, you may have loved superheroes all your life! Superman and Batman date back to the 1930’s, and have inspired generations of young boys (and let’s face it, it was mostly boys), to be better citizens, better friends, well just better people. Within this group there is a small faction, some would say a select few, who take the life a superhero very seriously. They develop a persona, dress up in costume, and try to make their neighborhood a better place. That could be feeding the homeless, protecting drunk people coming out of bars, or actually pro-actively fighting crime. Some call this The Real Life Superhero Movement, and author Tea Krulos was in the trenches for over a year documenting this group of do-gooders. Listen as he regales me with tales of The Watchman, Razorhawk, and Phoenix Jones, Guardian of Seattle!