Have you always loved superheroes but languished in disappointment over not being one? Have you been following the exploits of Real Life Superheroes around the world and ever thought you might want to take up the cape?

Well, no need to fret – Superheroes Anonymous is now starting to hold bi-monthly meetings beginning on Thursday March 25th. These meetings will bring together aspiring superheroes with established superheroes in order to educate the public on superheroism, street outreach and community service. We will also be establishing group missions to tackle a variety of causes – which means that if you have a cause you’d like to suggest we work on, then this is the meeting for you!

We highly encourage aspiring superheroes and the public to join us March 25th from 7-8pm. Please RSVP by emailing ben@beginnorth.com for the location and additional details.

To Light & Power!

~Cameraman

In part of our ongoing series exploring the reasons behind the costumes and the various things you should keep in mind when designing a costume, we bring you this article discussing the balance between Functionality and Flair.

Functionality vs. Flair

Real Life Superhero Citizen Prime

The superhero Citizen Prime spent over $8,000 on designing a costume that is bullet-proof, stab-proof, fire-proof and pretty much everything-proof. However, while one might think that his costume is an exercise in functionality, it actually is better categorized as an exercise in flair. This is because Citizen Prime doesn’t actually fight crime. Rather, he focuses on inspiring kids, volunteering in his community and raising money for causes. So why would he spend so much money on creating such a protective costume? Because it looks awesome!

Functionality and flair are both important characteristics for a costume to have, but depending on what kind of superhero you are trying to be you will either lean one way or the other. Civitron has a bright costume that incorporates the colors red, blue, yellow and black. He also wears a sleek pair of shades, combat boots and silvery armbands. While he has never needed to block a punch with his armbands, they do add a touch of detail to his costume thereby making it more eye-catching. For Civitron, who is more of a volunteer superhero, having a bright, colorful and cool costume helps him draw attention to his causes.

On the other hand, a superhero like Dark Guardian wears a full body leather motorcycle suit on top of a bullet proof vest, arm bands and knee pads. He also has a belt equipped with mace, a flashlight, first aid materials and other crime-fighting tools. The only two colors in his costume are red and black. This is because he doesn’t want the drug dealers he’s busting to spot him from a mile away. Though his costume isn’t as visually impressive as someone like Citizen Prime’s, it’s much more effective for what he does since it is not weighed down with unnecessary features such as fire-proof helmets.

The following article was written by our contributing writer Captain Black. Cpt Black promotes crime prevention and self-development. Check him out at http://www.captblack.info/

Dr Martin Luther King Jr fought for civil rights and was by all means a superhero.

The real life superhero ( RLSH ) movement combines human rights; philanthropy and crime prevention into a creative dynamic modeled after fictional superheroes. Our shared culture draws diverse individuals united in unconventional commitment to the common good. We’re an offbeat branch of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Beloved Community. His April assassination date is a good time to examine these commonalities. As members of what media calls the real life superhero movement, color and politics take distant second place ( if any ) to this shared culture.

As a Southerner this is as close to being judged by the content of my character as I’ve experienced. The movement welcomes you for who you are and what you offer- period. Don’t let colorful names and outfits blind you to a truly egalitarian community. Our most secret identity is each of us is an idealist. We’re purists who plainly state there’s no shame in doing good. It’s not larceny to offer a protective presence or extend helping hands. While obviously not a religion our movement has clearly ethical imperatives. Compelled to creatively serve society, we stand along side more conventional helping professions. Since 9/11 our story has worked itself into American and world consciousness. More fellow citizens know about us each passing year. Well visited movement websites bring this story to new onlookers every minute.

I see parallels between us and the civil rights movement. Both united colors and creeds in creative service against social problems. Each demands a certain amount of courage. Freedom Riders and marchers faced certain death in many cases. Real life superheroes risk at least embarrassment. The other extreme of possible peril includes threats of death from angry criminals. Unlike Batman, they may not flee in terror upon seeing us.This eventuality is real for crime fighters in our ranks. Having fought crime I know what basic steps to take. Even experience doesn’t promise total safety. At bottom crime fighting means sticking your nose into situations where others feel it doesn’t belong. Anything can happen from that point forward. The same holds true for challenging JIm Crow in the 1960s.

Higher motivation and menace are two common features RLSH share with civil rights activists. Both groups show society the lengths a few determined people are willing to go. America and the world needs fewer armchair quarterbacks. These movements offer concrete examples of individuals who make things happen instead of making excuses.

The real life superhero movement is truly an offbeat branch of Dr. King’s Beloved Community. We continue his work in our own creative way. We breathe new life into the veins of civic duty. Hopefully we will inspire others to do the same just as we were inspired by Dr. King.

Just some food for thought as the anniversary of his assassination comes in April.

NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nadraenzi

As part of our ongoing series exploring the purpose of the superhero costume in do-gooding efforts, we bring you this issue on functionality. Aside from needing to look good, a superhero costume must be functional and this article will give you some of the basics to take into consideration when choosing your outfit.

Functionality

The cape has been a staple of the superhero costume, but functionality-wise it serves no purpose.

If symbolism explains the abstract purpose of the costume, functionality explains its practical purpose. Functionality refers to how your costume directly aids you in your missions. For crime-fighting superheroes, your costume may play a vital role in ensuring the success of your efforts: bullet-proof vests protect you from harm; masks conceal your identity; pockets and pouches can hold your gadgets.

Functionality should be taken into account for all superheroes, not just crime-fighters. This can range from making sure the material that you use in your costume is strong and flexible, to simply avoiding heavy fabrics if you live in a hot area.

Additionally, if you are involved in activities such as street outreach, making sure that you have pouches or a bag to hold supplies in is one of the simplest expressions of functionality.

The bottom line: practicality must always be taken into consideration when designing your costume.

Keep in mind that certain aspects of the classic superhero costume don’t quite translate all that well into the real world. Capes, for instance, more than any other accessory embodies the image of a superhero, but Real Life Superheroes have consistently run into problems when trying to incorporate the cape as part of their costume. Capes can be unwieldy, annoying, and even dangerous as they run the risk of getting stuck in escalators, caught in doors, or stepped on – by you or someone else.

So, for functionality purposes, the cape is almost entirely useless. But for symbolic purposes, the cape remains a very desirable accessory – precisely because it immediately evokes the classic image of the superhero. That’s why capes still remain popular additions to costumes of Real Life Superheroes involved in volunteerism, homeless outreach, and, especially, public speaking. In fact, the symbolism of the cape in making the superhero can be so strong that the cape alone can identify someone as a superhero, which is why we highly recommend making it a part of your costume if you are involved in any non-crimefighting activities and need that extra bit of superhero seasoning.

The following article was written by our contributing writer Captain Black. Cpt Black promotes crime prevention and self-development. Check him out at http://www.captblack.info/

The group that the media calls real life superheroes ( RLSHs ) offer a “super” lifestyle for everyday people. Garish uniforms, colorful names and brilliant ideals inspire folks to step outside the ordinary. These steps can lead to involvement in crime prevention; combating hunger or promoting limitless worthy causes. Super lifestyles aren’t the exclusive province of so-called real life superheroes. Activists across the political spectrum and creative professionals use innovation and inspiration to enhance message impact.

Being “super” is a habit. Done consistently “super” persons routinely touch other lives. They reach out by first reaching within. This rationale prompts leaving personal comfort zones to create “super” people. This lifestyle doesn’t have one vocation or religion. Anyone, anywhere can do it. The price of admission is paying attention to potential opportunities to serve society. Instead of observing problems without taking action “super” people take ownership for providing solutions. Resolving matters for others becomes equal to resolution done for personal benefit. “Super” people are bridges to greater civic involvement. Their example prompts observers to get involved. They often shame skeptics into listening to the better angels of their nature.

Steadfast skeptics dismiss being “super” as a pipe dream. They recite endless lists of charities filling the roll as proof that things never change for the better. They’re right in a way. The alphabet soup of relief agencies haven’t permanently ended crime or poverty. They have ended some crime and poverty. The “super” mindset commits us to eating elephant-sized problems one benevolent bite at a time. That’s why marketing is all important.

Real life superheroes are obvious drum majors for this lifestyle. The rest of the parade includes people from all walks of life. Casting the net narrowly under serves public mobilization. Publicity generated by RLSHs catalyzes citizens to creatively engage their sphere of influence.  Service is the end result of the ” super” choice. Location and occupation are secondary to simply assisting. More people going above and beyond the ordinary promotes sanity; increases safety and offers opportunity.

Our world is where folks give up; Our world is someplace people choose harm over help. Our world seems to have too many problems and too few solutions.

This same world can also be incrementally changed by the daily choice to be ” super. ” What are YOU waiting for?

NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nadraenzi

The "Guardians of the Gate" have prevented countless suicides

As part of our ongoing series where we look at the superheroes that surround us in our daily lives, we bring you this classic interview from Story Corp with Kerry Davis and Ken Hopper. Having worked on the Golden Gate Bridge for over 25 years, these two superheroes have saved as many lives as any superhero – all through the power of compassion. By speaking to people on the verge of jumping to their deaths, they have managed to prevent an enormous amount of suicides. Someone needs to buy these guys a cape, because they are true superheroes.

Listen to their interview HERE:  StoryCorps »  Stories » Ken Hopper and Kerry Davis

From NPR:

For 25 years, ironworkers Kerry Davis and Ken Hopper have climbed around on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, where the tops of the towers rise 746 feet above the water below.

The job requires them to walk on a 3-foot-wide pipe, in the face of the wind and bad weather. But the pair says that’s not a drawback — they both love working in what Hopper calls “the world’s biggest jungle gym.”

For safety, Hopper and Davis wear full-body harnesses that are anchored to the bridge. But they also rely on one another.

“We have each other’s back,” Davis said. “We do all the stuff that nobody else wants to do.”

But those heights, and the bridge’s easy public access, also make the Golden Gate Bridge a destination for people contemplating suicide. And often, Davis and Hopper have been the first ones called to help when someone goes out over the safety rail.

Wearing their harnesses, they try to get close to the person and talk to him — or at times, just grab him to stop him from jumping.

“I’ve got to the point where I walk up to them,” Hopper said, “and I just flat-out say it: ‘You thinking about jumping off this bridge today?’ And I’ve had them truly answer, ‘Yeah.’ ”

It’s difficult to see people at that level of desperation, Hopper and Davis say — especially the ones who succeed in ending their lives. But thankfully, many of them do not.

“The majority of the time, we’ve been pretty successful,” Davis said. “I’d say we’ve gotten 90 percent of the people that we’ve gone out after.”

In particular, Davis recalls a San Francisco bartender who was considering leaping off the bridge after he couldn’t find a job. The two wound up having a conversation on the bridge, and the man came down safely.

“He was one of the guys who said, ‘Thank you,’ ” Davis said.

The men often have no idea what happens to the people who decide not to jump. But they’ve also gained some nicknames: “The Guardians of the Gate, or The Angels of the Gate,” Hopper said. “It was nice to hear.”

This is part of an ongoing series where we explore the reasons behind the Superhero costume. In this segment, we explore the symbolic importance to a Real Life Superhero’s costume:

Symbolism

Symbolism may be the most important feature of a superhero's costume

Perhaps the most universal reason that we wear the costume is for the symbolism. The costume allows us to be transformed into another person entirely – a superhero. By becoming this other identity, we can shed the weight of our past selves and start anew. In starting over, we are allowed to shape ourselves to represent a cause – and become a symbol for the world.

You’ll soon see that the effects of such a symbol are astounding. When handing out food to the homeless, or volunteering at a local shelter, you will find total strangers approaching you to ask what exactly it is that you are. People who would have otherwise gone on about their day without taking a moment to stop suddenly will engage in a conversation with a real life superhero!

“What do you mean, real life superhero?” they’ll ask. They’ll be giddy, want to know more, and, most importantly – they’ll want to know how they can help.

A Real Life Superhero stands out in a crowd of people like the Batmobile in a parking lot. People in society are so used to associating superheroes with the pages of comic books or the screens of movie theaters that when they see us walking among them, they react as though they have spotted the Loch Ness monster taking a stroll down the street. And this is ultimately where we draw some of our greatest power from as a superhero – the ability to draw attention to what it is we represent.

While no doubt a few will be incredulous and, perhaps, even hostile, far more often people will gasp in disbelief, choke back a torrent of hopeful tears, throw their arms around you and hug you tightly, repeating over and over again, “I knew superheroes were real!”

With this attention comes great responsibility. You should be prepared to not only inspire these people, but to also have outlets and materials that tell them how to get involved if they are interested.

But sometimes being that symbol also provides opportunities to help in addition to inspiring others. One particular story that comes to mind occurred during a road trip from New York to New Orleans for the second annual conference of Superheroes Anonymous.

On this trip, 10 superheroes piled into an R.V. and set off from New York, picking up superheroes all along the way to New Orleans. At every gas station and at every restaurant the superheroes would be dressed in full regalia, eliciting questions and stares in equal measure. However, while stopped in West Virginia to restock on snacks and to stretch our legs, we were flagged down by a woman across the streets who saw the banner on the R.V. which clearly read “SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS.” At seeing this banner and then seeing a bunch of costumed superheroes idling around, she started to wave at us yelling “Are you guys really superheroes?!”

We crossed the street to talk to her and see what’s up, telling her “We are indeed superheroes. Real Life Superheroes to be exact.”

“Oh thank God!” she exclaimed before going on to explain. “I just moved in to this house behind me and there’s a wild squirrel inside. I’ve called animal control and the police but nobody has come to help!”

Well, she was in luck because not only did we help her remove the squirrel but we were also able to help her fix a hole in her fence as well so her dogs couldn’t escape. When all was said and done she hugged the superheroes and gave a tearful “farewell” and wished us a safe journey to New Orleans. She has kept in touch with us to this day.

The point of this story is that without the superhero costume, she never would have known that she could turn to us for help. In that way, wearing your superhero costume can turn you into a pillar on which people in need will lean.

By Ben Goldman

Photo courtesy of martinboz