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Spotlight on Comrade Hero II

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January 28, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: Comrade Hero in Prose II

Another excerpt from when I was working through my Certificate and Diploma in Creative Writing at Waiariki Polytechnic. This is circa June 2009.

This time it's Comrade Hero himself talking about the 'joys' of being a Hero who can soar through the skies...

You don't see many flying Heroes these days. Those that do get permission to patrol tend to fly fast and keep low, rarely traveling any great distance in a straight line, and always darting in and out of cover to avoid a direct line of sight. Hard lessons learned when every aspiring flying Hero wanted to own the skies and nobody wanted to stop and think about the risks, and the consequences.

You cannot argue with the realities that were faced and the lesson passed on from the time our ancestors took to the skies over France in 1914. Brave young men taking to the sky in motorized vehicles made from thin strips of wood, wire, and linen.

The average life expectancy of the World War I fighter pilot was around several weeks. In terms of flight hours, a fighter pilot average around 40 to 60 hours of flight combat before being killed. And most of the men who flew in those primitive machines died before the age of 25. Making it to 30 was almost unheard of.

A world away from the hours I spent at instruction from veteran pilots and studying in classrooms, and countless more hours spent in flight simulators and combat trainers. At the age of 21 I had graduated with honors from the Kharkov Military Aviation School for Fighter Pilots. By the age of 25 I was a veteran pilot, and flew combat missions during the Fifth Taiwan Strait Crisis against the American led Coalition. And at 29 I stood before the President of the Federation and was honored with the Hero of the Russian Federation, and Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation.

No-one could have foreseen the eventuality that one day a person could soar through the skies unaided, without being encased in a hard shell of metal and carbon, and guided by a network of computerized flight systems. There had been experiments and projects of course; portable jet packs and micro-fliers were a reality long before Hollywood movies made them popular. These devices, as useful as they are, were not meant for sustained flight, or combat sorties. Too fragile, too unwieldy, and very expensive to produce.

When the first Heroes took to the skies they abandoned over a century's worth of knowledge and experience gained by pilots and cosmonauts. These new pioneering aviators believed they could fly with impunity, without a care, and without consequence. They were wrong.

This new generation of fliers tried to ignore the basic principles of physics, biology, and aerodynamics that applied to flight. All too often these fliers would fall from the skies like the proverbial Icarus whose wax wings had been torched. Heroes crashed ignominiously not because of any threat that opposed them, but because of their own ignorance and folly. The uniqueness of our kind made it possible to bend some of the rules that had governed flight for almost a century, but ultimately most of us cannot break all the rules.

As with manned flight, the most difficult maneuverer for flying Heroes to master proved to be landing. Landing is similar to that of the parachutist approaching the ground - keep your eye fixed on the terrain, and use to learn to full strength and flexibility of the lower body to ensure that you land safely, minimizing the risk of injury. Miscalculate the speed of decent and the angle of approach and at best you end up breaking the bones in your feet and legs, at worst you end up as a crimson smear.

I don't know many of us who can hover without some sort of technology to stabilize them in place. Hovering sounds like it should be relatively simple, but it isn't. Most aircraft need a decent stretch of runway to get airborne. Military advances provided solutions - aircraft carrier STOL (Short Take Off and Landing), and jet thrust vectoring VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) for example. And one of the first tasks of the helicopter pilot is to learn how to hover at various altitudes.

Perhaps it's the specific nature of my abilities, or my own specific background and training, but I've personally never had a problem flying, landing, or hovering. I still find it rather exhilarating, and more than a little terrifying but I enjoy soaring through the skies. And unlike most of our kind, my physiology can handle the rigors of flight.

Still, flying for our kind still a very risky proposition and as I said earlier, you don't see a lot of flying Heroes these days. Aside from the physical practicalities of taking to the sky, there's another aspect of flying just as dangerous.

Soar too high and you get targeted by armed aerial drones, or blown out of the sky by missile delivery platforms; fly too slow and you'll get picked off by large caliber sniper rifles and shot down by ground based flak cannon arrays. And as amusing as it may sound, I am dead serious when I say that many a would-be-flier has had their career cut short by bird strike, insect swarm, or a lack of basic flight survival training.

I'm not afraid of getting shot down. I conquered that fear in combat engagements over Central Asia, the Taiwan Strait and the Indian Ocean years before my rebirth. And trust me on this - surviving an uncontrolled free-fall from low earth orbit tends to remove any lingering doubts about one's mortality.

And, I already know the risks associated with flying and flight combat. Lessons drilled into me over countless hours in the classroom, in simulators, and in the air, by flight instructors, cosmonauts, engineers and scientists. I know what my body can cope with, and what my mind can handle. Not that I haven't had my share of accidents. But I managed to walk away from every one, and learned from the experience.

When I was at the Aviation School for Fighter Pilots in Kharkov the instructors made it clear that the pilot should focus on flexibility, agility, and power - in that specific order. It takes a great deal of discipline and control to achieve mastery of all three focuses. And the greatest mistake that any pilot can make is to focus exclusively in the power of the machine that they command.

I rarely tell anyone how high I can fly and how fast. To me such details are on a need to know basis. I know, and you don't need to. Besides, making such details public would earn me incredulous scorn from my peers, and unwanted interest from others. Believe me, there are very few of our kind around who can't resist bragging about what they can do, and what they think you can't.


January 29, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: Comrade Hero in Prose III

Final excerpt of Comrade Hero prose that I worked on as part of my Certificate and Diploma in Creative Writing at Waiariki Polytechnic.

Comrade Hero wasn't a particularly upbeat and optimistic sort of fellow...


Forget altruism. Very few people have ever done anything without furthering one agenda or another. That is as equally true of our kind as it is of the rest of humankind. When individuals arise with abilities and gifts that are considered miraculous, then people tend to assume that miracles will follow. And the miracles did come, but with a price.

You call me a hero, but that doesn't automatically make me a nice person. I'm a hero that gets things done. A hero that occasionally has to do bad things to some very bad people. No one said this business was simple, easy, or clean. There are times when I don't like myself very much because of what I have to do, but I live with it. Sometimes you get to save the day, but most of time just getting through the day in one piece is its own reward. I don't smile so much on those days, but I take comfort knowing that you will sleep a little safer tonight. And trust me, you really don't want to know what some of the other heroes take comfort in.

Just once I'd like to get handed an assignment that doesn't have the words 'extreme' and 'prejudice' in the same sentence. These contracts have one very simple objective. Put the bad guy in the body bag (if there's anything left to bag and tag) by any means necessary. A lot of law enforcement officers pretend to look solemn and concerned as they keep any civilian onlookers out of harm's way, but the men and women in blue privately cheer when they see a notorious mass murderer ignominiously tossed off the rooftop of a building, or a reviled cop killing gang banger take a semi-truck trailer to the face. Dead villains rarely get the opportunity to come back and hurt another innocent civilian.


Rule Number One: If you want to win then you have to be prepared to lose.

For every civilian life saved, for every villain stopped, there's always the sobering realization that somewhere else, someone will have been hurt or killed, and the villain managed to pull off their scheme and got away with it. You simply can't be everywhere at once. The hardest thing about being in the hero game is that you learn to prioritize your objectives in the same way that the battlefield doctor decides which soldier will receive medical treatment and which soldier will be given a few encouraging words and a parting shot of morphine to deaden the pain.


Rule Number Two: Get the job done without making the evening news.

Why make yourself an even bigger target by posing for the cameras? Better that the public and the press are kept guessing about what happened and who did it. Slip in on the quiet, deal with the problem at hand, and exit just as quietly without anyone being the wiser for it. When you do things right then they won't know if you've done anything at all. Skip the flashbulbs, and avoid the film crews. Let local law enforcement officers deal with cleanup and working the media.

A lot of heroes and villains fall victim to their own inflated sense of ego. It's the cult of celebrity rearing its ugly head amongst would be gods. If you've got it, then you must flaunt it - be that power, fame, wealth, or beauty - or any combination thereof. Thankfully, I don't quite fit into three of those four categories. Leave the media grandstanding and posturing to the aspiring world saviors and would-be conquerors. That's fine by me. I already have a large enough target emblazoned across my chest.


Rule Number Three: No matter how good you are, there's always someone better.

Sooner or later you will fail. Probably sooner if you try and ignore the simple reality that no matter how fast, how strong, or how tough you are, there is always someone out there who will be faster, stronger and tougher than you. If you're lucky, you'll manage to crawl away from whatever beating that was handed to you - somewhat the worse for wear - but having learned something. If you're foolish or brave (or both), then you'll wind up as a bloody warning to the rest of us that even gods can be killed.

There are plenty of aspiring heroes out there already looking to make the front page of the morning paper or secure an interview on the evening news. That's not me. I know it's a cliché, but in this profession it really is a case of 'only the good die young.' And those heroes that tend to get taken out first are those who are more interested in media coverage than their own self preservation. There's some truth that the hero game is about image and style.

Personally, I want to walk away from this one day and take a well earned and extended vacation on a little slice of paradise far, far away. I don't want to be prematurely retired because of obsessive fans, overzealous paparazzi, or hero or villain looking to increase their own fame or notoriety.


January 30, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: What's in a name?

This is most frequent question I get asked. What does the name Comrade Hero mean?

Both words – Comrade and Hero – have separate political and cultural connotations and while the application of the words may vary between countries and across continents, there is a common understanding of what the words mean.

I'll give my understanding of what I believe the words, and the term Comrade Hero, means.

A Hero is any individual or group of individual who through selfless thought and action go out of their way to try and prevent risk of injury or potential death to another person(s).

The word Comrade has generally come to be used as term of scorn and ridicule by some, and conversely as a unifying identifier by others. This duality is because Comrade has both political and non-political use meanings – and it's often difficult to separate the two.

In the political sense, Comrade is used as a term to imply solidarity and equality. In the non-political sense Comrade is used in a fashion to calling someone your friend. Despite the association with socialist and later Communist movements, the term Comrade was inspired by the abolishment of titles of nobility during the French Revolution of 1789-1799. Revolutionaries took to referring to one another as citizens.

Comrade Hero can be seen as a title that has both political and non-political meanings, depending on what you choose to believe. Is the Comrade Hero a Hero of the People, a Hero for the People, or both?

Of the people, by the people, for the people... sound familiar?

I will leave that one for you to decide.


January 31, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: Spotlight on Comrade James

Today's post is about that creative dissident behind Comrade Hero - moi!

I got asked a pretty relevant question considering I've entered Comrade Hero in the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation.

What was my first exposure to comic books and graphic novels?

The first comic books I read weren't by any of today's major five publishers, or any of the independents.

The first two I remember reading were Davy Crockett and Robin Hood. They were graphic novel style comic books that came with a cardboard 45LP. You played the record, and followed along with the comic book as you listened to the narration and voice acting. Pretty amazing stuff to a young kid!

The comic books and graphic novels that I read growing up were The Adventures of Tintin series created by Hergé, the Asterix series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, Garfield created by Jim Davis, Footrot Flats created by Murray Ball and Commando Comics published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd.

If you were to ask me what were the first Marvel Comics I ever read, I would be hard-pressed to name them off the top of my head – but I remember the stories and the characters.

I had to go digging to get the exact names of the Marvel Comics in question but these are the first two I ever read as a kid.


Marvel Team-Up #131 (July, 1983) - "The Best Things In Life Are Free...But Everything Else Costs Money!"

Spider Man and the Fabulous Frog-Man team up to take down White Rabbit who is on a rampage robbing fast food outlets.

Why does an aspiring super-villain begin their career robbing fast food outlets? Beats me, but I guess you have to start somewhere. Oh, and did I forget to mention that White Rabbit is slightly insane. A memorable issue with the rather inept Frog-Man trying to play hero and having to be rescued by your friendly neighborhood Spider Man.


The Incredible Hulk #104 (June, 1968) - "Ring Around the Rhino!"

Okay I wasn't born when this came out, but I remember reading a reprint of this in a collection of Hulk stories that also included a reprint of What If? #12 (December, 1978) - "What If Rick Jones Had Become the Hulk?"

"Ring Around the Rhino" is an epic confrontation between Hulk and Rhino that is truly amazing. Both Hulk and Rhino refuse to back down. Well, the Hulk does temporarily turn aside to do his usual get Betty out of harm's way, and make sure the puny humans - I mean innocent civilians - aren't caught in the brutal battle that takes place.

Rhino has every opportunity to back out of this fight, especially once it dawns on him how hopelessly outclassed he is. There is a particularly memorable last panel in this story that sees the victorious Hulk standing over the badly beaten and apparently mortally wounded Rhino. The Hulk issues a particularly chilling line as he holds one fist raised - 'Say it before you die, no-one can defeat the Hulk.'*

*I may have misquoted that – 'no-one can defeat the Hulk' or 'no-one is stronger than the Hulk.'


February 1, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: Spotlight on You!

This is the final week before voting starts on February 8, 2011 for the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation Creative Invite.

So instead of keeping the Spotlight on Comrade Hero (and me), I'm going to shine it on you, dear readers, just this once.

Come what may - be that victory or defeat for Comrade Hero - I thank each and every one of you who has provided support, encouragement, and feedback over the past few weeks.

I've been saying it rather frequently, but the only bad publicity is no publicity. Yes it's a cliché, but that doesn't make it any less true!

I'm very encouraged with the response I've received not only to Comrade Hero himself, but the namesake comic book Project I've been developing to promote literacy skills development and encourage language exposure.

Winning this Creative Invite would be a bonus, but the challenge for me will be to sustain your interest and to realize my creative vision of bringing my Comrade Hero Project to print and digital publication in 2011.

On February 8, 2011 show your trust-confidence in Comrade Hero with your vote!

And in the meantime, I'll continue working towards making my Comrade Hero Project a reality!

Urah!


February 2, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: What's in the Belt?

Typically I get a lot of questions related to Comrade Hero's character, powers, history and background. And if they are about Comrade Hero's uniform the questions tend to be about the choice of colors and the Communist/Soviet-era symbolism.

However I did get a question about Comrade Hero's uniform that gave me pause.

What's in the belt?

More specifically what's in the pouches on the belt that Comrade Hero wears?

The belt Comrade Hero wears is modeled on real-world tactical belts worn by law enforcement personnel, minus the weapons and equipment typically attached to such a belt - holstered sidearm, handcuffs, baton, mace etc.

And because Comrade Hero doesn't carry a sidearm (and there's no concealed weapons hidden on his person), the pouches on his belt don't contain ammunition for a pistol or revolver.

There's at least three pieces of equipment on Comrade Hero's belt that are similar to those of law enforcement personnel in the real-world - handcuffs, a flashlight, and a notebook and pen.

Not metal or synthetic polymer handcuffs but flexible plastic handcuffs. Lightweight, easy to carry in quantity, and very strong.

Comrade Hero also has a dependable pen flashlight. Why would Comrade Hero needs a flashlight given that he can see perfectly like complete darkness? Because not everyone else can.

And Comrade Hero may be a superhero, but he's not a super-genius. There may be times when having a humble notebook and pen can be very useful. Just ask your average Police Officer who goes about their business every day.

Aside from these three items, some of the other pieces of equipment and kit that can be found stashed inside the belt pouches include an emergency first aid kit, a multi-purpose tool/knife, compact glow sticks, and military style food and water rations.

The list is not extensive or exhaustive, but the belt pouches certainly aren't bottomless containers of convenient expedience for Comrade Hero!

Thanks for asking me a question that actually made me research the possible items that Comrade Hero could have in the belt pouches. Even after all this time working on this character, there are still things that even I have yet to discover.


February 3, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: Greetings from Comrade Hero

Privyet,

Ot vsey dushi pozdravlyayu i zhelayu vsego nailuchshego!

Our mutual friend Comrade Hansard has asked me to say a few words in support of his entry in the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation.

While I am not comfortable with the idea of high-profile self promotion of one's accomplishments and achievements, I appreciate that Comrade Hansard is doing this to raise awareness of his Comrade Hero Project.

This worthy Project is dedicated to literacy skills development and to encouraging language exposure. Knowledge is a power that is as formidable as my own ability to accomplish superhuman feats of strength, endurance, agility, and speed.

Knowledge brings confidence and appreciation, understanding and awareness. Knowledge often unlocks potential, fosters dreams, and helps realize new goals and ambitions.

To bring the gift of knowledge to the People is a worthy goal and Comrade Hansard has my unconditional support in this endeavor. I ask that you, my friends and compatriots, show your support for Comrade Hansard on February 8, 2011.

A vote for the Comrade Hero is not just a vote of confidence in me, but an endorsement of the vision Comrade Hansard has of helping the People through his Comrade Hero Project.

Spasibo!

S uvazheniem,

Comrade Hero


February 4, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: The Words In My Mouth

Thank you Comrade Hero for your rousing words of support. I'm sure the folks out there are suitably inspired.

And speaking of inspiring words, here's another question I got asked that has me stumped. That makes two questions in less than a week where I've had to go diving through my notes, scribbling and computer documents.

Does Comrade Hero have a Catch Phrase?

The answer to this is... I'm still working on it.

Quite a few heroes have catch phrases and titles attributed to them.


Titles:

Some titles reflect a character's physical attributes and abilities e.g. the Man of Bronze and the Man of Steel.

Some titles reflect a characters inner strengths and traits e.g. The Man Without Fear, The Dark Knight.

And some titles reflect an aspect of the characters superpowers e.g. the Unstoppable, the Incredible, the Amazing.

Comrade Hero has one title - The Man Who Fell To Earth. A title that reflects his origin story.


Catch Phrases:

Characters from literature, radio, film and television tend to have a memorable line associated with them.

Something these characters say that we immediately recognize as their signature.

"Dead or alive, you're coming with me."

"I'll be back."

"Shall we play a game?"

"I am going to count to three, there will not be a four."

Comic book heroes and villains also have a favorite catch phrase or two that tends to be associated with them.

Some catch phrases are rather articulate e.g. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows..." while others are less succinct (but no less effective) e.g. "Hulk Smash!"

But in a glaring oversight on my part, Comrade Hero has no catch phrase. Is that a good or bad thing?

Should Comrade Hero have a signature catch phrase or two that he defaults to in certain situations?

I would be interested to hear from anyone who believes they can put a fantastically cool catchphrase or two into Comrade Hero's impressive arsenal of powers, abilities, and traits.

But for now, Excels - oh right that one's already taken.


February 5, 2011

Interesting Facts about Comrade Hero: What If?

Over the past couple of weeks I've been asked:

'What would you do if you won the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation Creative Invite?'

It's a valid question. But I don't think it's the most interesting question.

For me the question with that bigger unknown 'x' factor, is:

'What would you do if you don't win the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation Creative Invite?'

That's pretty easy. The same thing I do every night. Try to convince a pair of laboratory mice to help me take over the world...

Well, maybe not. My plans at world domination don't necessarily start there!

This Creative Invite has given me the opportunity to try things which will ultimately make it into my Business Plan in one form or another – most likely in the form of data analysis.

The first thing I take away from this Creative Invite - and arguably the most beneficial from a creative point of view - is that I have written a lot of new material that I can draw upon. And I've learned more about the sorts of things you want to know about Comrade Hero, and just as importantly, what I don't know about my own creation.

The second thing I take away from this Creative Invite is a renewed sense of belief in own creative vision. It's quite easy to showcase new ideas and creative works to people who are already interested in your character, but quite another to pack up your traveling show and take it to a place where very few people know about Comrade Hero, and even less people know who I am.

And in the long run if you can't continuously get out there and sell yourself, your characters, and your creative vision to the People then you probably aren't going generate long-term interest with that potential to become something more.

The third thing I take away from this Creative Invite is a sense of encouragement. Be that praise, feedback, comments or a simple 'follow' or 'like' box marked, it's gratifying to get a sense that I'm on the right track.

And with encouragement comes the belief that you can take that creative vision and keep on moving forwards with it – no matter how long or slow the journey may be.

Getting a critical review, treatment, or assessment may be better from the creative and business point of view, but every once in a while you need that comment or remark that boosts your confidence and gives you that little shot of pride in your accomplishment.

What if I don't win?

From my point of view I have already 'won.' This Creative Invite has allowed me to test the waters with an untested character, to share my creative vision with a new audience and assess reaction, and to make contact with individuals and groups who are interested in both. Translating such interest into tangible project funding has always been my main goal for 2011.

And I've used this Creative Invite to see if I'm ready for that. The arts funding season for 2011 has started in Aotearoa/New Zealand and there are key dates in the next few months that I will be aiming for.

I've also received an invite to submit a Crowdfunding Project, and while that concept is relatively uncommon in New Zealand, it is something I will also have a crack at.

There's still the business plan and budget to refine, scripts to be written, edited and drafted, and both character design art and sequential art to get completed. And of course there is the promoting and profile raising. The Creative Invite will end, but my Comrade Hero Project won't.

This is my final Spotlight on Comrade Hero and I wish each entrant in this Creative Invite the very best to you and your heroes.

And thank you, dear readers and followers, for your support and encouragement, for your feedback and comments.

James Hansard aka Comrade Hero.
I've been making a daily post on Talenthouse highlighting different aspects of Comrade Hero's origin, development and character.

I'll keep deviantART updated as well as this information will prove a useful reference for me. If you have any questions about Comrade Hero, drop me a note.

Spotlight on Comrade Hero I:




Comrade Hero Needs Your Support!


Vote for Comrade Hero in the Create a Superhero Character for the Stan Lee Foundation competition over at Talenthouse.

How do I do this?

There's a simple two step process.

1. Show Your Support

Visit the Comrade Hero Superhero Profile and click on the blue banner on the right marked "Support James". This will add you to the list of people who support Comrade Hero.

Please not that the blue banner will link to Facebook, adding you to the list of Comrade Hero's supports and automatically reminding you to vote in February.

If you prefer not to use Facebook, just bookmark Comrade Hero's profile, leave a nice comment, and wait for the voting in February.

2. Vote in February

Those who used the "Support James" banner will be sent an automated reminder in early February by Talenthouse to confirm vote for Comrade Hero in the Create a Superhero for the Stan Lee Foundation contest.

For the rest, please drop by when voting begins on February 8, 2011 and show your support by voting for Comrade Hero!

That's all there is to it! :D

Thank you for your consideration and support.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Urah!

James aka Comrade Hero

Ingame information and images of Comrade Hero can be found here: [link]

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SunGryphon's avatar
I wish I could help come up with a catchphrase, but I don't know Russian :P