Next weekend I am going to the London Film and Comic con. I haven’t been to one of these since before I got married so it will be interesting to step back so heavily into a culture I have become slightly removed from. Now even back then I used to come away from a convention feeling positivly normal in comparison to some of the fanboys (and girls) so it will be interesting to see how I feel after this one.
Of course I promise a full report on my return, and if I caved and purchased any swag/autographes*
In the meantime I still need a topic for this blog, so this week I am going to talk about my own fictional heroes.
Now in the past I have talked about the media that has shaped me into a geek, and I have spoken about the lesser known heroes and villains that need championing, however I have never really spoken about my own personal greats. So this week that is exactly what I am going to do.
SPIDER-MAN
We all love Super-Heroes, it’s in our makeup, and many a page has been written about which ones are best, and why. Here I do not make a case for Spider-Man being the best but rather I make a case for why he is my number 1.
As much as he is about wise cracks and thwarting villians, Spider-Man for me is about two things. The first is that aside from his powers he is a normal guy, with very normal problems. I think it’s a testiment to his creators** that that very simple idea has lasted for so long and remains such a core part of the character. Peter Parker is the ultimate underdog who keeps going no matter what, which leads me very nicely to point number two. He never gives up. Despite everything they throw at him (and they do throw a lot at him) Parker carries on fighting the good fight and hoping for a better tomorrow. In a world full of cynicism and depression we can all take a leaf out that book.
DR PETER VENKMAN.
Ghostbusters is well documented as my favourite film and it’s main protagonist remains one of my all time favourite characters. Bill Murray takes what on paper, could be a very unlike-able charter and gives him a charm and warmth under the surface of his sarcasm and cheap hustler nature. As a teenager I really wanted to be like Venkman and tried to model my personality after him, (something I have thankfully grown out of) but I think what I like most about him is that even with all his flaws he is still more than willing to save the world.
So be good, for goodness sake.
INDIANA JONES
Many people love Star Wars and although I am one of them, for me it’s the adventures of Dr Jones that I love the most. I credit these films and this charater with my love of history and my passion (as a child) to become an archaeologist*** and although that dream and career choice faded away I still hold a place in my heart for this character. Interestingly I think he is the most “normal” of choices on my list. He is a typical square jawed hero built in the pulp model however what I love about him is that (a lot like Spider-Man) he always seems to be the underdog. If you look at his films you will see Jones’ never really gets the upper hand and never really outright wins. Sure he finds the Ark, or whatever he is hunting, but never gets to keep it and never gets the credit for finding it. True, he always makes the right choice but it is never the right choice for him.
And lets face it, he is just so damn cool.
SKELETOR
Yes he is a hero of mine and always has been. I can’t help it, I always route for old skull face to win. I won’t bore you again with why I love this guy so much suffice to say that it’s a combination of the way the cartoon portrayed the character and the very excellent voice work of Alan Oppenheimer that makes him my hero. You can keep your Harry Potter, Gandalf, Merlin and all the other wizards of fiction, I’ll take my blue skinned, skull faced villain any day of the week.
THE DOCTOR
I grew up with Dr Who, like every other British Kid so this entry was inevitable. Silvester McCoy was my first Doctor, which probably explains why I love Matt Smith Take on the Charater the most out of the recent ones. A clown’s persona hiding a huge amount of skill and knowledge (with just a hint of Machiavellian planning) is how I like my Doctor, and it appears that Steven Moffat agrees. But in any incarnation of the character at it’s heart is a guy who want’s to do the right thing and is willing to help everyone. It’s also kind of nice to have a hero who likes to think his way out of a situation rather than shoot at people. That’s not to say I don’t like my Captain Kirk types, I do, but The Doctor makes a welcome change to them.
So there you have it, a look at my own fictional heroes. There are more of course , but these are the ones that have stayed, and will always stay with me for as long as I live.
Until next time…
*SPOILER – I probably will.
** Yes both of them
*** Actually I wanted to be a marine archaeologist and find the Titanic but someone beat me to it.