Why I don't like Batman as a character anymore.

The other day, I opened up the YouTube app on my iPad Mini and it recommended a video to me featuring a UK-based American comic called Reginald D. Hunter who, in the clip explains that Bruce Wayne is a rich white guy who beats up street criminals and how Batman is a conservative's wet dream.

And when you stop and think about it, he's 100% right. Bruce Wayme is a disgustingly rich guy who can afford to spend millions on the Batmobile, the Batwing, the Batcopter, an endless supply of batarangs, all the equipment in the Bat Cave, and more.

Wouldn't those millions be better spent helping to fund schools in Gotham's poorest neighborhoods? Schools that could provide a good education so that kids don't grow up to be thugs like the one that killed Bruce's parents. Hell, he could fund after school programs so that poor kids have some place to go and won't get mixed up with the bad elements in Gotham. He could also fund a jobs program to help poor folks train to get jobs or HEY how about Wayne use those detective skills to find or even creat new jobs to hire those poor folks that are so desperate for work that they turn to illegal stuff?

Or, you know, he could dress up in a bat costume and beat on thugs. Which ever works better, I guess.

Seriously, I'm not a fan of Batman anymore because of this obvious truth: criminals largely exist because there are not enough legal opportunities for poor kids growing up and adults who grew up poor. The whole super-hero concept plays on the fantasy that violence against violence could make a difference when, obviously, it will, at best, prolong the violence, or even make it worse.

I know I sound like a bleeding-heart liberal, but do the math. Crime will always exist, but in tight communities with plenty of opportunities to make a good living, they put walls and gates up to keep people without those opportunities from getting in. So, if you think there isn't a correlation between money/opportunities and poverty/street-crime I think you're just plain batty.

#CreatorOwnedDay/Draw Every Day 3/1/12: i-Man - 100% Decapitation Proof

Today's Draw Every Day is also for Creator Owned Day 2012--a day where we artist-types focus on non-mega-corporate-owned comic characters. The goal: create a new character entirely unaffiliated with a giant corporation, draw him or her and then post the new character on your blog and tweet about it. DONE and DONE! :)

Read more about Creator Owned Day here:

http://www.stephendowneygallery.com/2012/02/creator-owned-day-march-1st.html

Fiction meets fiction: "Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church Headed to Comic-Con"

ComicsAlliance.com recently posted about Fred Phelps and his Christian extremist followers at the Westboro Baptist Church heading to San Diego Comic Con.  This cracks me up to no end. Back in the 90s I used to go to Comic Con regularly, as I am a reformed comic book fanboy, myself.  To me, I see this as just an inflated version of the “Who is better? Superman Vs. Batman?” argument.  Think about it—Jesus is a superhero or a god, like Thor.  He came to Earth, changed some lives, got into a battle of sorts, died and came back—much like when Superman was killed by Doomsday. Hell, Batman almost died at the hands of Bane and he came back, too—then there’s Spidey who would have died had Kraven not wanted him to live with the knowledge that he would be dead at Kravens hand.

But it gets better—here’s an excerpt the ComicsAlliance.com includes in their post that comes from Phelps’ website:

Are you kidding?! If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here. They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do! Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made: 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not. It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it. The destruction of this nation is imminent - so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.

Pretty awesome, huh?  Let’s take that apart:

Are you kidding?!

They do call them “comics” ya know. ;)

If these people would spend even some of the energy that they spend on these comic books, reading the Bible, well no high hopes here.

Uh, I think you forgot to complete that thought. I get what you mean, but you’re not going to get many points with any English majors, English teachers or anyone who understands grammar.  Just sayin’.

So your point was that if these folks would spend more time on the Bible and then less on comic-worship, things would be, I assume, better.  But how better?  How much is enough Bible time?  How much is too much comic time?

They have turned comic book characters into idols, and worship them they do!

Yeah, and comic book characters have NO similarity to characters in the Bible, do they?

>_<

Dude—have you ever considered that super-heroes are homages to figures from the Bible?  In fact, in many ways comic books do what the Bible does in helping readers understand morals and how to do the right thing in life.  Most comic books and the Bible are, technically, on the same side—so it makes no sense for you to get mad because people idolize Superman—Superman is just Moses, dumbass!  Exiled from his homeland, in search of a new homeland, possesses powers and knowledge that can help all of humanity—he’s providing a positive example for people to follow.

HELL-OOOO!???

Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols;

Who are you referring to??  Are comic book geeks actually mentioned in the Bible? That’s amazing!! How would God know about them 2000 years ago??  OMG! Maybe there IS an All-Knowing God after all!!

;P

they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:

Ewww… I hope they wash after.

But seriously, is this an “anti-pride” thing? We can’t be proud of our work? Oh that’s right—it’s because it’s not “our” work—it’s God’s work because He’s working through us, right?  Huh, well, how come drawing is so hard for me? It takes me hours to draw a handful of comic strip panels, while a buddy of mine is a professional comic book artist and can pencil an entire comic book page in the same amount of time.  Is it because God is working through him? Or is it because he went to college for illustration and has spent the last two decades drawing?

 9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself:

Nani?

What does that even mean?  Who’s the mean man? Todd McFarlane? (I never liked his take on Spider-Man!)  The great man must be Stan Lee (although he’s known more popularly as “Stan ‘The Man’ Lee,” not Stan ‘the great man’ Lee”—you’d think God would know that).

therefore forgive them not.

What the—!?

I thought the Christian god forgave sins!!

RIP-OFF!!

But seriously—Phelps is saying that if you are really into comics you’re going to hell.

I wonder if anime counts. If so, I’m in trouble!!

OH WAIT, there’s no hell—forgot for a sec!  WHEW!

It is time to put away the silly vanities and turn to God like you mean it.

You know, I was almost with you until the “turn to God” part.  Talk about hypocrisy—you tell fanboys to put away the silly vanities like you’re not vain in thinking that the (non-existent) creator of the universe actually gives two craps about you.

If that’s not vanity, I don’t know what is.

The destruction of this nation is imminent - so start calling on Batman and Superman now, see if they can pull you from the mess that you have created with all your silly idolatry.

HA!  I can guarantee that the lessons Batman and Superman teach are going to be a lot more valuable and practical than the lessons God and Jesus teach us.

Of course, you’re right in comparing Batman and Superman to God and Jesus, since all four are fictional characters.  Also, there is the same amount of hard evidence for the existence of Batman, Superman, God and Jesus. 

There are hundreds of thousands of “followers” of Superman around the world. That doesn’t make Superman a real person any more than millions of people “following” Jesus means the Big J really walked the Earth.

I hope when Phelps and his cronies show up at Comic Con someone shoots some video of it—I want to see the hot cosplayer-on-cosplayer action, when people pretending to be something they are not go head-to-head with people believing in someone that doesn’t exist.  It’s gonna be better than Godzilla Vs. Mechagodzilla!

OK, maybe not.

Thanks be to Adam of boredwithporn.tumblr.com for the heads up on this story.