Tag mr. xtreme

Originally posted: http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2011/06/a_brief_conversation_with_mich.php
By Keegan Hamilton
Just when you think the media coverage of real life superheroes has reached a critical mass (see: Jones, Phoenix), somebody goes and makes a feature-length documentary film about the entire subculture. That somebody is director Michael Barnett, and his movie, titled simply, Superheroes, screens tonight and tomorrow as part of the Seattle True Independent Film Festival. (It’s also been picked up by HBO, and premieres on cable August 8.) Barnett, who is in town and will make a cameo tonight at Central Cinema, was kind enough to offer his thoughts on costumed crusaders and, of course, the Phoenix Jones phenomenon.
Why did you decide to make a documentary about real life superheroes?
Probably the same thing that drew you to it. It was fascinating. I just sort of stumbled upon these adult men who are putting on costumes to fight crime and help their communities. I just couldn’t believe it was real.
What surprised you most about these people?
It’s really tough to generalize. Everybody was so different. I guess what surprised me most was, we sort of went out looking for this pop culture phenomenon and found so many of these guys — there are literally hundreds of them — so we had to weed through the ones who are just online personalities, doing it as a sort of a cosplay thing. Then we sniffed out the ones who are really doing things — Mr. Xtreme in San Diego, Zetaman in Portland, Dark Guardian and Life in New York, and Thanatos in Vancouver — and focused on them.
A lot of people’s first impression when you explain the concept of real life superheroes seems to be something along the lines of, ‘Those people are nuts.’ How did you try and normalize them, or rationalize what they do? Or did you even try to do that?
Our first approach was to try and make people realize that each person is sort of eccentric in their own way, and they have their own reasons for doing what they do. It’s not a rational thing to do, to put on a costume and walk around a dangerous neighborhood. A lot of these guys don’t have proper training to do that sort of thing — some do — but most don’t. And in some states the laws allow them to carry some pretty serious weapons.
The other thing is showing their situation in life. Quite a few of them don’t have the resources to do what they do. But they want to help their community. Some of them were sad — financially, personally, and just in general. But it’s showing that out of that darkness they could rise above and try to do something good. It’s not all cookies and rainbows, though, it’s profoundly sad and tragic on a certain level.
You interviewed Stan Lee — the Godfather of comics, and the and former president and chairman of Marvel — for the film. What was that like and what were his thoughts on these so-called superheroes?
Stan is the man. He’s amazing. He’s awesome. And he’s 88-years-old!
We thought about trying to interview all kinds of figures in the comic world but ultimately we realized there was only one person we needed to talk to and that was Stan. He understands what it means to be a superhero better than anybody. A lot of these guys (the real life superheroes) are very wary of the media and kind of protective of their community. But once they heard Stan was involved it was pretty easy to get them at least on the phone.
Mostly [Stan] was worried that one of these guys is going to get killed or injured. And yeah, somebody is probably going to get hurt. It’s going to be a sad day for the superhero community when that happens but it seems inevitable.
Phoenix Jones isn’t in the film at all. Why? And have you met the guy? What are your thoughts on him and his impact on the superhero world?
Never met the guy, never had a conversation with him. There’s so many of these guys and we were meeting them [Phoenix Jones] didn’t even exist yet. When we were shooting we rolled through the Pacific Northwest and never even heard his name. And then while we were in production he sort of came out of nowhere and was suddenly everywhere. So I don’t know what my opinion is. If he is just in it for the attention it’s a bad thing. But he is trying to be iconic, and for a message of good so that’s a good thing.
Superheroes screens tonight at 7 p.m. at Central Cinema, and Barnett will be in attendance, along with several members of Seattle’s superhero scene. (Barnett notes that two other Seattle superheroes, Skyman and White Baron, appear briefly in the film.) The movie also will also be shown tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at the Jewelbox Theatre and the Rendezvous. Ticket info here.

Originally posted: http://blogs.indiewire.com/spout/archives/2011/06/01/superheroes_hbo/
By Christopher Campbell
Add one more superhero blockbuster to your summer movie schedule.
I had heard a whisper of this a while ago, but now it’s confirmed: HBO Documentary Films bought the TV rights to Michael Barnett’s Slamdance hit “Superheroes,” a doc about those real-life costumed crusaders who are often likened to characters in the films “Kick-Ass” and “Super.” The funny thing is I didn’t realize it was official until I saw a magazine ad today for HBO’s summer doc series, which features a new premiere every Monday from June 6 through August 15. Other titles include such festival hits as “Bobby Fischer Against the World,” “Hot Coffee,” “Koran by Heart” and “A Matter of Taste: Serving Up Paul Liebrandt” (see the rest of the titles here). The news about “Superheroes” was also confirmed recently on the doc’s Facebook page, where I regrettably missed it earlier.
Of course I’m excited about all 11 films in the series (the only other I’ve seen so far is “A Matter of Taste”), but I’m especially happy for Barnett’s film, because it wasn’t seen by enough people in Park City and I know there’s a significant audience that will find it intriguing. Here’s a snippet of my review:

Often “Superheroes” comes off as also being more about the problems of the world than the costumed crusaders on screen. Through people like “Zetaman,” “Life,” “Mr. Extreme” and the simply named “Super Hero,” we are made to think about the issues of homelessness and violent crime, as well as police corruption and bureaucracy that lead to the necessity for these [Real-Life Superheroes] to pop up in cities across the nation…“Superheroes” will surely be a big hit with the RLSH crowd, of which there are hundreds more than the selected few in the film, as well as the Comic-Con/fanboy types. Plus it’s a well made, albeit fairly standard doc, without many flaws or bumps.

Fortunately, “Superheroes,” which is screening at Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival next week, is also apparently getting a small theatrical run in October and a DVD release in November.
Check out a trailer for HBO’s summer series, including footage of “Superheroes,” after the jump.

Originally posted: http://www.pressplus1.com/cdnfilm-festival-reviews/hot-docs-superheroes.html
Hot Docs Review
Superheroes
World Showcase
82 minutes | USA | Language: English | International Premiere | Rating: PG
The conceit of the graphic novel and film Kick Ass is the idea that no one before in real life has had the thought of putting on a costume and fight crime as a superhero, and if they did, and they took it seriously, then they would have to be insane. There’s a fine line between genius and inspiration, and the people profiled in Michael Barnett’s documentary Superheroes definitely mark that line as their own.
To anyone that’s ever read a comic or seen a superhero movie, the language and the iconography used by the so-called superheroes featured in Barnett’s doc are all too familiar. From the streets of Orlando, to the borough of Brooklyn, a nationwide fraternity of costumed avengers are striving to make a difference in their towns in the flamboyant and chivalrous traditions of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Joe Shuster and Bob Kane. Real life superheroes are alive and well and patrolling down sidewalks and back alleys in a town near you.
Barnett maintains a difficult tone with his movie. On the one hand, many of these “superheroes” describe terrible, painful and downright abusive backgrounds that spurn them to make the leap to costumed crime fighting. On the other hand, one has to admire these people. In their communities, despite the jeers and despite the looks, they are delivering a kind of hope to people in precious need of some. It’s not all about beating up bank robbers or rescuing orphans from fires. It’s also about giving a helping hand, assisting a drunk man home, giving a man whose foot is run over medical assistance, and handing out needed essentials to homeless people.
But despite their good intentions, it’s hard to deny that some of these people suffer from some kind of mental malady. Mr. Extreme, a California-based hero, gives up his apartment and lives in his van in order to free up more money for the cause, plus this way he can remain mobile lest unscrupulous characters find out where he lives. In Orlando, Master Legend happily takes a break from patrolling to either grab a pint from the bar, or out of the back of his van. It doesn’t do much to brace the confidence in these heroes, but hearing them talk about their personal abuse stories, you’re glad that their emotional turbulence found a rather benign outlet like playing superhero.
The final scene of the documentary takes us to San Diego in July, the setting for the biggest annual gathering of all things geeky and superheroish, the San Diego Comic Con. But a few blocks away from the convention centre where fans dress up as comic book strong men and Hollywood studios preview superhero films, a gathering of so-called real life superheroes are helping San Diego’s homeless. These two things juxtaposed, it becomes really hard trying to figure out just who the crazy people are in this scenario. Who are the real pretenders here, and do these people truly understand the idea of superheroes better than the thousands than honour them as fans? That’s for the audience to decide.
Mon, May 2 9:00 PM Bloor Cinema
Wed, May 4 4:00 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Sun, May 8 7:00 PM The Royal Cinema

Originally posted: http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HotDocs/superheroes-directed_by_michael_barnett
By Will Sloan
Mr. Xtreme lives in a small apartment, with his costume and weaponry buried under stacks of papers and magazines, where he watches Power Rangers on a 12-inch TV during his off-hours. He calls it his “Xtreme Cave,” and he doesn’t seem to be joking. He’s a working slug by day, but by night he roams/”protects” the streets of San Diego, CA, where the police regard him with a mix of bemusement and gentle concern.
He’s a little too overweight to be terribly intimidating in his costume, but lest you think he doesn’t take his responsibilities seriously, remember that he’s the president of the Xtreme Justice League, a community for like-minded crime fighters. He’s also the only member, but he does sometimes work with another San Diego superhero, “The Vigilante Spider.” Not to be confused with a certain other arachnid-themed superhero.
How does Michael Barnett, the director of Superheroes, expect us to regard this man? Mr. Xtreme is one of many real-life superheroes profiled in this very odd documentary, and he comes across as the saddest in a very sad group. Barnett seems to agree: why else would he show Mr. Xtreme losing a grappling tournament and interviews with his comically unsympathetic parents?
Barnett regards most of the other superheroes with similar ironic detachment: when the Vigilante Spider describes a hypothetical situation in which he kisses his girlfriend goodbye in the morning to go to work, Barnett pointedly asks if the Vigilante has a girlfriend (the answer may not surprise you); and Barnett’s camera stares blankly at “Master Legend” as he clumsily attempts to pick up a girl at a bar. The idea of a documentary about real-life superheroes is pretty irresistible, but what are we supposed to take away from this one except that sad, lonely people are sad and lonely?
Some of the superheroes are more like charity workers, distributing food and necessities to the homeless while wearing their costumes. Others, like a group that incite and then arrest attackers by having one of the members dress as flamboyantly gay, regard themselves in the Batman/Superman tradition (a police staffer interviewed points out that this group’s method borders dangerously close to entrapment).
When Barnett attempts to shift gears in the second half to a more sentimental tone, rhapsodizing the heroes as naïve but good-hearted folks who want to make the world a better place, it feels even more hollow and condescending than before. Superheroes is a one sad movie, and not often in a good way.
(Theodore James Productions)

Originally posted: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/983219–move-over-batman-real-life-superheroes-are-here

By Raju Mudhar
While the big-budget superhero films have to try to balance the fantastic with the real, director Michael Barnett had no such problem with Superheroes.
Screening at Hot Docs on May 2, 4 and 8, the documentary looks at real-life superheroes, who don masks, capes, duct tape and other equipment to patrol the streets and make this world a better place. The film is equal parts hilarious and hopeful — and sometimes sad — and despite the costumes, it takes its subjects very seriously.
“Every single one of them is doing more to make the world a better place than certainly I, and most everyone I know, are,” he says. “I have a deep respect for what they’re doing. Are some of them ineffective? Sure. Are some effective? Absolutely. Are some misguided? Yes. Are some of their lives seemingly tragic? Yes. So it’s hard to generalize for all of them, but I love what they’re doing.”
Whether it’s helping the homeless, raising awareness about crime or even dressing up as “bait” to lure criminals, the likes of Mister Extreme, Master Legend, or the four roommates in Brooklyn who form The New York Initiative are part of the more than 700 documented masked vigilantes around the world who describe themselves as part of the real life superhero movement.
“We shot in pretty much every major city. At the very least, it’s a subculture,” he says. “But I would say it’s a movement because it has this unorganized manifesto behind it.”
Barnett knows that what many of these people are doing is dangerous, and they know it too.
“It is only a matter of time before one of their activities leads to someone getting hurt or possibly worse,” he says. “Some have told me that they’ve received death threats. But the thing is they know that going in. They know the villains are out there, and that’s why they’re doing what they’re doing.”

Public Office Hours Flyer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Leslie Reyes
1(619) 866-7932
April 25, 2011
DEPUTY MAYOR RUDY RAMIREZ TO HOLD PUBLIC OFFICE HOURS ON RAISING AWARENESS REGARDING SEX OFFENDERS AND RELATED TOPICS
Chula Vista, CA- Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez will host his “Public Office Hours” on Monday May 2^nd in Council Chambers at City Hall, 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista.
Due to recent tragic events that have occurred throughout San Diego County involving sex offenders and related topics it is essential to raise awareness in all of Chula Vista and neighboring cities. It is highly encouraged for residents throughout San Diego County to attend this informal discussion at City Hall on creating a public consciousness concerning sexual predators and related topics.
The Public Office Hours will provide members from the community an opportunity to grasp very important information that the Chula Vista Police Department, Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez, The Xtreme Justice League, and Mr. Pinnick will present in order to defend and/or prevent any sort of predator attack. The Xtreme Justice League is a group of superheroes that are dedicated to defending our city from evildoers. They will attend this event as guest speakers, presenting their reasons and forms of protecting this wonderful community. Mr. Pinnick is a local martial arts instructor that will hold a demonstration on basic self defense moves in order to teach those that attend how to protect themselves from any sort of attack.
Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez holds “Public Office Hours” each month to address issues of importance to Chula Vista and its residents. He welcomes all community members to his “Public Office Hours” and will meet one-on-one with anyone desiring a private meeting. For more information, please contact Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez by email at [email protected] or by phone at (619) 585-5717.
Deputy Mayor Rudy Ramirez represents the entire City of Chula Vista
###

By Amy Molloy for Grazia, Issue 314, April 4th
PDF File- A wonder woman among us

With the police facing cuts of 20 per cent, crime rates are expected to soar. Yet when this happened in New York, ordinary people decided to take Neighbourhood Watch to the next level. Here, Irene Thomas, 22 – accountant by day, crimefighter by night – explains why ‘Wonder Woman’ could be coming to a street near you soon…

‘It’s the dead of night, in the roughest part of town and while most of the city sleeps, I’m out looking for trouble. As I pass by an alleyway I hear a woman crying. That’s my cue – I’ve got work to do.
‘If you happen to look out of your window and catch sight of me – dressed all in black, a mask covering my face – you’d never guess by day I’m actually an accountant who likes shopping, movies and sushi. To my colleagues
I’m just Irene from accounts who dyes her hair red, gossips about TV shows and dreams about getting a bigger apartment.
‘Yet for one night a week, after dinner, I transform into NYX, Greek goddess of night – a real-life superhero, fighting crime and helping those in need. To date, I’ve called the police to countless bar fights, provided evidence that helped convict drug dealers and fed hundreds of homeless people on the street of New York – all in costume.
‘I expect you’ve already written me off as someone mad on comics, who’s more likely to be found in Forbidden Planet than American Apparel, but that’s not the case. The “superhero movement” is a growing trend that I’ve been part of for five years. We’re not vigilantes and never endorse violence. Instead, we simply patrol the streets to help vulnerable people and if there’s real danger, we call the emergency services.
‘There are hundreds of us around the world – everyone from bankers to shop assistants – including a dozen in the UK. And with crime rates predicted to rise if funding for police forces is cut, it’s only a matter of time before more people get involved. Indeed, new figures released this month revealed a third more people have already joined Neighbourhood Watch in the UK in the past two years.
‘It’s not the first time civilians have taken it upon themselves to tackle crime. In the early 1980s, a volunteer group called the Guardian Angels patrolled New York in matching crimson uniforms. Their founder Curtis Sliwa was inspired by the film The Magnificent Seven. We’ve been working like this, undisturbed for years, but earlier this month two superheroes were “unmasked” and made headline news.
‘“Phoenix Jones”, a superhero from Washington who dresses in a skintight black and yellow bodystocking, was spotted apprehending a car thief as he tried to break into a vehicle. Meanwhile, a British “superhero” called The Statesman was revealed to be a banker from Birmingham, after giving an interview to a local paper claiming he had foiled a drug dealer.

‘I became involved in the movement six years ago when I was living in Kansas. Surfing the internet when I as 16, I stumbled across the MySpace page of “Doctor DiscorD” – a crime-fighting superhero in Indianapolis, who patrolled his local community in costume, breaking up fights and stopping people drink-driving. While some ridiculed him, I was amazed there were actually people out there dedicating their free time to protecting
others. And it really struck a chord with me. I witnessed my mother being assaulted when I was a child – and
her terror as she realised there was no one there to help her. I don’t think she ever escaped her fear of the man who hurt her. She died when I was 13 of cirrhosis of the liver.
‘That’s when I vowed never to let anyone control or hurt me. My mother’s premature death also gave me a deep sense of urgency. I didn’t want to die unfulfilled, before I could do any good for others.
‘So, aged 17 and still at school, I decided to go on my first “patrol”. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing – my family were very strict and would have been horrified. Meanwhile, I was worried my friends would think I was crazy. After all, our usual idea of a night out was the cinema! To make sure no one recognised me, I wore a mask over my face. On a student budget, I dressed all in black, with fingerless gloves and a utility belt for my torch and camera.
‘I know it’s our costumes that make a lot of people dismiss us as weird or fantasists. After all, what right-minded 22-year-old would really swap her maxidress and wedges for a black bodysuit and face mask? It’s simple. Donning a uniform is liberating and can make you feel braver. Looking back, I didn’t know what I was hoping to achieve on that first patrol. I suppose I was a bit naive and could have got into real trouble. I walked around my neighbourhood before getting the courage up to head to the rough part of town. Every sound made me jump, but nothing noteworthy happened. When I got home I felt exhilarated though, buoyed that if there had been someone in need, I could have tried to help them.
‘With drugs a real problem in my neighbourhood, I decided to focus on the local dealers. I wasn’t stupid enough to try to tackle them myself. Instead, I would photograph the drug dens from the outside then send the pictures to the police. Looking back, I put myself in some dangerous situations and often felt jittery.
But I felt proud that I was trying to make my community a nicer place to live.
‘Shortly after starting my own patrols, I got in touch with other real-life superheroes online – there are now about 200 around the world. One I met was also an accountant by day, and at night he patrolled the streets feeding the homeless. Phantom Zero, whose real name I won’t reveal to protect his identity, invited me to visit him in New York.
‘On every street corner it seemed there was someone in need of help – children as young as 10, sleeping rough, starving and scared. It was so overwhelming that I realised I had to stay and help. So, I got a job at an accountancy firm in New York and, three years on, Phantom Zero is not only my street partner, but my boyfriend. We live together, though, not as people like to imagine, in some sort of bat cave, with a revolving wall that hides our costumes. I wish! In our modest apartment there are no clues of our secret double life.
‘During daylight hours our lives are no different from our friends. We work 9 to 5, come home, cook dinner and eat it in front of the telly. It’s just that, one night a week, while normal people go to bed, we head into the night and don’t return until dawn.
‘In an ideal world I’d do more, but it has to fit around my day job. We sometimes patrol during the day at weekends, but there are friends to see (who have no idea what we do) and the supermarket shop to do! It can be hard to switch off which is where the costume comes in handy. In our civilian clothes I try to think as Irene and turn off my “danger” radar so I’m not permanently on edge.
‘Some might argue being a have-a-go hero is dangerous. But I’d never get into a fight. We’re more an extra pair of eyes on the streets and our motto is “Help anyone who needs assistance”. That doesn’t necessarily mean tackling muggers or saving people from burning buildings – it could be as simple as giving a homeless
man a sandwich or volunteering at a hospital. Whatever your community needs.
‘There’s one superhero in Liberia who educates local families about the dangers of child traffickers. He has to wear a mask to protect his identity, otherwise the traffickers would come after him. Then there’s “Mr Extreme” – a superhero in San Diego – who learned a sexual predator on the police’s wanted list was last seen in his neighbourhood, so handed out flyers with the culprit’s picture on. The man has since been apprehended and the local government thanked him for his assistance.
‘Most real-life superheroes are extremely protective of their real identities. I don’t publicise what I do to my colleagues. I don’t want to be praised or – at worst – mocked for my work. Instead, I want others to realise that everyone has the capability to make a difference.
‘There’s a superhero in all of us… so what are you waiting for?’
Hair and make-up: Spring Super at Ennis Inc Additional photos: John Frost
Newspapers For more info, visit www.reallifesuperheroes.com

Originally posted: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/real-life-superheroes-patrol-our-city-streets

By Mark Berman Opposing Views

The next time you need help, you may get it from a real life superhero. A group of people calling themselves, oddly enough, the Real Life Superhero Project takes to the streets of U.S. cities, helping out the needy.
People magazine reports that members want to reduce citizen apathy by exhibiting “superhero” virtues and encourage others to do the same.
The group’s Web site writes:
So who are these modern day heroes? They are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They are artists, musicians, athletes, and yes, politicians. Their actions serve as reminders that as most giving today has become reactive—digital and removed, temporarily soothing our guilt and feelings of helplessness—we have blinded ourselves to simple principles and practice of compassion and goodwill.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, 21-year-old Irene Thomas is one of them. By day she is a self-described “boring accountant” in New Jersey. At night she is “Nyx,” patrolling the streets of New York City wearing a black catsuit and mask with a red belt, gloves and boots.
She gives food and clothes to the homeless, and hopes “other people notice and are maybe motivated to help too.”
New York production manager Chaim Lazaros’s alter-ego is “Life,” wearing a black hat, mask and waistcoat.
‘I just feel like I’m walking on air after I’ve helped 30 people,’ he told People.
The ninja-like “Motor Mouth” calls San Francisco home. He generally gets a positive response, but one teenage homeless girl smirked when he handed her a bag of food.
“(I don’t mind) if a million people snickering behind my back as long as there is the possibility to help,” he said. He added, “if you live this kind of life, you can’t take yourself entirely seriously.”

Originally posted: http://honoluluweekly.com/film/current-film/2011/03/no-capes/
By Ryan Senaga

Superheroes looks at ordinary “crime fighters.”
Superheroes / Just in time to reality-check us before the gluttonous orgy of comic-book-inspired summer blockbusters is Superheroes, an examination of real-life superheroes that walk among us.
These are people who dress in costume to fight crime. An Albert Einstein quote opens the documentary: “The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing.” On the flip side of that is Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee, who deadpans, “I figure that person could get hurt.” Some of the people who patrol the streets in costumes could very well get into serious trouble.
Mr. Xtreme is a slightly overweight shut-in who eventually moves into his van to keep up his lifestyle. At one point he admits, “I don’t really have a social life.” And it’s heartbreaking when he attributes this to his dedication to his “job.”
There’s more. Zimmer, an openly gay superhero, dresses in a red fishnet shirt and swishes femininely down a street after midnight to “bait” someone into mugging him. (His crew tails him in hiding to assist with any potential attack.)
Master Legend takes frequent breaks to refresh himself with an ice-cold can of beer.
While telling an anecdote about the life of a superhero, the Vigilante Spider mentions that superheroes kiss their girlfriends goodbye before heading out, just like any normal person would. The interviewer asks, “So you have a girlfriend?” Vigilante Spider answers, “Oh, just metaphorically speaking.”
Still, there is a sense of humanity that paints these folks as genuine Good Samaritans. While they seem like nutballs–and some definitely are–director Michael Barnett makes us feel for these people and what they are trying to do.
Zetaman and his girlfriend, Apocalypse Meow, hand out care packages that contain essentials, such as toilet paper, to the homeless in Oregon. And the money for these supplies come from their own pockets.
At one point, a map of the US is shown with pins marking the states that have real-life superheroes. Hawaii isn’t marked.
While it’s nice to know there aren’t fat people in spandex walking the Honolulu sidewalks, perhaps more people with purposeful intentions to do good wouldn’t be such a bad thing for the Islands.

Originally posted: http://www.semana.com/noticias-gente/luchar-justicia/152468.aspx
A phenomenon in the streets of the various cities, walking the line between reality and fiction. These are the Superheroes, 100’s of average citizens who fight against evil, dressed in trousers, capes, and mask.
It’s one o’clock in the morning, two drunken gang members are exchanging insults, punches and kicks in a park in Milwaukee, USA. Then suddenly someone who was hidden behind the trees steps out of the shadows and shouts “Stop what you are doing!” The two youths remain frozen, suspended staring at the man dressed in black wearing a red mask with “W” on his chest, who with hands on his waist, threatening to intervene if they don’t stop the fight. The scene isn’t from a comic nor from a movie, it’s any day in the life of “The Watchman,” an average, big guy who is currently 35yrs old, who by day works in an office and by night walks the streets of his neighborhood to “fight against crime”.
Watchman (vigilante) is a part of a movement known as the Real Life Super Heroes, a well organized 400 mortal men and women, who, like the business card for www.reallifesuperheroes.com says, an internet page that is used to connect them, choose everyday to mark a difference. They are not crackpots in costumes as it might seem at first glance. These modern heroes are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They are artist, musicians, athletes and yes, politicians. The majority patrol the streets of their cities looking for thieves, rapist, and drug traffickers. Others hand out food to homeless, donate toys to sick children in hospitals or hand out copies of the constitution to transients so that they learn about their country. There are also others who care for prostitutes; protect drunken women in bars to prevent men from taking advantage of them.
All of them create their identities and costumes, which generally include a cape and mask. They also have their accessories to help them complete their missions, like a 1st responder’s first aid kit, pepper spray to drive off bad guys, and a cellular phone to call police in case of problems. Some go out alone and others in groups similar to the Justice League of Superman, Flash, the Green Lantern and company.
“It’s an incredible movement” a week ago commented Dark Guardian, superhero and administrator of reallifesuperheroes.com. “We help people, and fight crime, and do it with our own money”. Chirs Pollak is the real name of this New York teacher of martial arts who at night patrols the city to look for drug dealers who work in the parks. Chris feels he was a kid with lots of problems until he started to read comics and discovered what he wanted to be like the protagonist in these adventures. And so he bought a bullet proof vest, cut proof gloves, boots, shades, flashlight, and a megaphone, and went out to pursue delinquents.
The phenomenon of the superheroes that don’t fly and don’t have x-ray vision has grown during the last few years so much so that it has expanded into some European countries. In England, for example, the famous Statesman, a banker who cleans up the streets of London, and says the he has helped the police catch more than a few bad guys. It’s has been four years since publications like The New York Time or the magazine Rolling Stone started to publish articles on this theme. At that time it was calculated that there were approximately a 100. Two years later there was talk of 250, and today they say 400. Though they admit it is almost impossible to get an accurate number, for many youths join the movement week after week.
These superheroes of flesh and bone have become so famous that they already have a documentary movie, which premiered at the most recent Sundance film festival. They have also received photographical exposure thanks to Peter Tangen, who fell in love with the stories like that of Knight Owl, an anonymous EMT who served in Iraq and who after becoming a superhero decided to write a manual so that his colleagues could learn from firsthand knowledge. Peter has also covered the life of Mr. Xtreme, who after he was abused as a child decided that he needed to protect the defenseless and had been patrolling for some ten years now. Also that of Life, a film producer who every night wears his tie, mask and hat to food, soap, shavers and tooth brushes to the homeless in New York.
“I believe that the phenomenon has grown due to interest in comics, movies and TV series base on the theme. Also because many of us want to change the world and since we have always seen superheroes as powerful beings who can get the job done, who we try to emulate” commented Life to this publication. He organizes meetings for superheroes through the net site www.superheroesananymous.com, and who real name is Chaim Lazaros. “The Heroes have always been there, but only started to network with each other after the “hero boom” on the internet. In 2007 I united them to make a documentary and complete my transformation into one of them.”
Tea Krulos is an independent journalist who writes a blog called “justice seekers without superpowers,” and is finishing a book on the same theme he’s planning to call “Heroes in the Night”. Krulos says that the first real superheroes he found during his investigation was active during the 70’s. He was a fat man with a beard who was called Captain Sticky, and he was devoted to uncovering scandals. Years later, other appeared. Like the Mexican born Superbarrio, an ex-masked luchador who defended the housing rights of those injured in the earth quake of 1985 who participated in the presidential elections. Then the phenomenon kept growing until it became what it is today.
“One of the most amazing things about these superheroes is the range of people who participate in this is varied. There are rich, poor, Christians, Atheist” said Krulos about a week ago. But when they put on their outfit they are all the same. They see the wrong that is happening and say this nigh I will go out to help instead of staying home and watching TV.
But not all of them have had good luck in this. Like Dark Guardian who accounts to being threaten and having a gun pointed at him, even though nothing has happen to him yet. The British Newspaper, The Times, published a few years back a story about Mr. Invisible, a Californian who took years getting ready to hit the streets. When he finally did, he found himself confronted with a man yelling at his wife. He wanted to intervene, but the woman punch him in the face and broke his nose. Then he sat on the sidewalk and a beggar urinated on him. The publication commented, what has been done to confirm his invisibility.
For other the hardest part isn’t confronting delinquent but confessing to their love ones that they are superheroes. They explain that not everyone likes the idea of them going out dressed up at night. “Hey today isn’t Halloween!” someone yells at Watchman, he takes it with a sense of humor, it’s precisely his look that has saved him. “In general, Gang members get distracted with my outfit”, he says. “They laugh and they ask me what the hell I am. In a short while they forget they were fighting or causing problems”. And so he is satisfied that he completes his mission to “Make the world a safer place”.