Super Hero Poses

My preferred method of entertainment, comic books, is an extremely visual medium. In fact, it's the essential core concept of the medium. And for decades the adventures of super-heroes were best contained in comic books because it was the only medium that could showcase their adventures with the special effects necessary.

Sometimes I'm caught off guard by how these images can stick with me. Most of all, images from comics I had as a child keep springing to mind.

For instance, the other day I reached for a towel and imagined my arm was stretching like Mr. Fantastic to grab the towel. Afterwards, I wondered why. As I do this kind of thing frequently. The answer is simple:

I was reaching for a towel like Mr Fantastic in Fantastic Four #185, 1977, as drawn by George Perez.


I find myself adopting poses or at least imagining poses from the comics of my childhood quite alot. Such as ring recharging and rhyming like Green Lantern in Green Lantern and Green Arrow #95, 1977, as drawn by Mike Grell.


Or fighting like Captain America from Giant-Size Captain America #1, 1975, as drawn by Jack Kirby.


Or swimming like Aquaman from Aquaman #57, 1977, as drawn by Jim Aparo.


Or size-changing like the Atom from Super Friends #6, 1977 as drawn by Ramona Fradon.


Or running like the Flash from Limited Collector's Edition C-48, 1976, as drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.


Or swinging like Spider-Man from Amazing Spider-Man #184, 1978, as drawn by Ross Andru.


Or flying like Superman from Action Comics #459, 1976, as drawn by Curt Swan.


I slipped into a Superman flying pose in my boss's office once. She told me I looked like a football trophy. I was deeply offended.

I was disappointed in college by my course in archery as they did not teach us how to run with our face two inches off the ground while clicking our bow like Green Arrow from Green Lantern Green Arrow #96, 1977, as drawn by Mike Grell.


BUT... how many of you can say you've been on the ground and tried to fire an arrow without arms? I can! Just like Green Arrow from Limited Collector's Edition C-41, 1976, as drawn by Mike Sekowsky.


Comics being what they are, some of the images that pop into my head are a little less conventional and iconic. At several points through the week you might catch me mimicking my face exploding while in a wide-legged stance of awesomeness. Much like Wildfire from Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #214, 1976, as drawn by Mike Grell.


Sometimes I want to run to my car with flat-fingered, cape swooping running style as evidenced by a certain caped crusader from Batman #290, 1977, as drawn by Mike Grell.


Oddly enough, I'm prone to doing some metal working just like the original Captain Marvel from Limited Collector's Edition C-35, 1975, as drawn by C.C. Beck.


Speaking of Captain Marvel, I can't pass any kind of metal disk on the floor or circle on the pavement without picturing myself tapping it with a foot in order to trap the Human Torch. This is thanks to Marvel's Captain Mar-Vell from Captain Marvel #47, 1976, as drawn by Al Milgrom.


At least I didn't pick up womanizing from Batman Jr (you read that right) from World's Finest Comics #233, 1975, as drawn by Dick Dillin.


Some moments I envision a sense of dramatic tension and urgency. Such as sometimes feeling the need to grab a stick and smack it on the ground with only moments to spare. Thanks to Thor from Marvel Team-Up #26, 1974, as drawn by Jim Mooney.


Or my need to summon the world's greatest super-heroes just like Hawkman did from Justice League of America Tempo books reprints; 1977, as drawn by Dick Dillin.


Back last Spring when I first joined Instagram (as Aquadcd), I tried to encapsulate one of the aspects of having these images floating through my mind all the time. Here's what I wrote: "I still walk around pretending my fingers are a little super-hero running and posing. A strange habit left over from childhood. I was at work one day walking along and my fingers were running and jumping and hero-posing down by my side. I realized that the guy behind me probably thought I was making rude gestures at him. After considering this for a moment, I realized I was okay with it."


So yeah, if you work with me you might occasionally find me springing into an odd pose or two while I think no one's looking. Hopefully it won't be like this one from Super Friends #25, 1975, as drawn by Ramona Fradon.


Thanks,
DCD

Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer

Have you ever caught yourself thinking about the differences between Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise? How the heck did you get THERE? What was the thought pattern? Holy Moley. Okay… let’s track back.

Right before this moment, I was thinking about whose life must be better. Tom Cruise is more successful in his field and still considered a ‘hottie’. But Val Kilmer has GOT to be leading a more stable life, if the super market tabloids are to be believed.

Right. That’s no help. Okay… one step further back.

Both were in Top Gun, with that sharp jaw thing that twenty-something’s seem to have. Only Val was the bad guy because we were all supposed to root for Tom, which is ironic because Val was Batman. Of course, Tom was Ethan Hunt. But one suspects they’re both pricks in real life.






Okay. We still have no insight on where this all began. One step further back, what was I thinking about?

That’s right…. The scene in Top Gun where Tom Cruise is shouting insults while pretending to cough.



Hmmmmm….

Right. I was thinking about the email I sent out the other day at work.

“I'm gonna be out tomorrow afternoon on accounta being totally sick. (cough) BATMAN MOVIE (cough). So I've got no dev meeting planned.”

I was thinking about how obviously our culture uses this cliché coughing-and-speaking technique after having seen it popularized by young, cocky, fighter pilots in the movie Top Gun.

So Batman ended up being more relevant to this thought process than originally thought, which just goes to show that EVERYTHING begins with comics.

Thanks,
DCD