HEADS UP - !!!!!!
The Flying Mouse Man is HERE !!!!
" Watch out - the Flying Mouse is gonna clean up this town - you damn filthy - you's - " - Ted
Hölle hat Flügel, und es ist Name ist... FLEDERMAUS !!!
O.K. - This is a goofy idea I had in response to the ' Hero / Super-Hero ' question I have been pondering for some time now. Last summer I caught Batman : The Dark Knight Rises, and after that - that's when I started playing with the idea. Batman in German is still Batman. But a Bat is called a 'flying mouse' - a Fledermaus. I thought it funny a ' flying mouse man '.
So that bit of ridiculous, coupled with my frustration of the Hero bracket being lorded over and controlled by the WEALTHY, led to this. I know western 'pop' comics reflect the capitalist / materialist culture from whence they were spawned. The reality of it is - there are A LOT more poor people out there than affluent. Christ, even the Fantastic Four were loaded. So the subtext is; you have to be wealthy to affect any change - or have any say ?
That's funny, it sounds like our political system.
Anyhow - lets keep having fun.
I know Comics are fantasy and designed for escape, especially the mainstream titles and characters.
I find it interesting that a lot of European Comics are fast paced and crazy too - but their primarily dominated by the erotic and mysterious. Their human texture is undeniable. But in America - it's different. Big tits. Big bombs. Big hero's.
Soooooo - why not have a real everyday type of person ( kind of ... ) running around ' trying ' to help. Disorganized. Disheveled. Destroyed. There are probably a 1000 Comics fans right now ready to freak on me - how dare I ??? But the only, main stream 'average' ( non-loaded ) person in comics, is Spider - Man. Its cool. He lives with his Aunt. Nice.
If I understand things correctly ( ? ) Superman ( that should be retitled 'Alien' like WTF ??? ) was inspired by the Man of Bronze . . . Doc Savage. Old Doc was spun up in the 30's as an answer to depression blues. Well, the Doc rocked, and in turn a little later - old Supe - Alien was hatched, bearing some interesting parallels to the Doc. The Doc had a fortress he would duck out to to grab some alone time in and chill. So did Supe - Alien, and so does The Batman.
But the one thing that ties them all together is their affluence.
They are all independently wealthy. Single. And they all employ ' side - kick ' - accomplices.
So anyhow - here's my 2 cents : Fledermausmann.
Ted. He's a butcher, when he works. He's freaked a bit. Single, but not by choice. Down often, and self medicated with vice. One day ( of course ) he 's had it - its red light time ( after some significant moment ) and then . . . m e l t d o w n c i t y -
He snaps and goes tearing out to right some perceived wrong.
His only friend in the world - Garry.
Garry feels kind of sorry for Ted - and he doesn't want Ted doing anything stupid to himself, or anyone else. In some ways - Garry is the REAL hero. Teds just fucked. Chasing his own delusional glory phantoms, with his perceptions and filters, mostly inverted, he experiences a 'reality' set up by his insecurity, and flavored by his reactions to it. Thus snowballing along - his avalanches of certainty feed themselves. His pursuits are mainly just - if only accented, ah - a little severely. He's angry and starting to boil over ( re: Falling Down - Micheal Douglas ) and Garry's there to catch it all - most times. Strangely enough, old Ted does do good.
When questioned by Gary once, by his choice of wearing a pair of rubber gloves out on a ' job ' - Ted replied - "It's a dirty world out there . . . "
SNAP - SNAP !!!
Ted likes women, even if they don't like him. He yells at his bosses. Shows up late for everything. Forgets to shave. And often has hallucinations. He has a soft spot for rescuing insects that are in risk of being trapped inside of buildings. He cant stand kids.
