PebbleInALake

With the 20th anniversary re-release of Revenge of the Sith in theaters last weekend, I've found myself once again dragged back into my first major fandom obsession. Since I'm trying to post every day for 3W4D anyway, I figured it was the perfect time to try one of the Star Wars fandom questionnaires I've had bookmarked. Anyone is welcome to grab the questions and fill them out as well.

( Star Wars Fandom Questionnaire )

So, today is the 85th anniversary of Superman. 85 years! That's incredible. I've done a few posts on tumblr, LJ, and the fansite to mark the occasion. But here I wanted to share a few thoughts on why I love this character so much and genuinely believe he's an important figure in our culture.

Obviously, Superman is a massive cultural icon, having pretty much kickstarted the whole superhero genre and constantly paving the way for a lot of huge steps forward in the comic book industry. But he's also extremely important because of who he is as a character and what that means for the world at large. I love that Superman is someone who inspires us to be better -- a symbol of hope and the courage to do what is right no matter what opposition we face. I love that he's such a perfect example of how literally anyone can be a hero. Because he really is such a normal person at heart; he grew up in a small rural community, works a 9 to 5 desk job, lives in a modest little apartment, loves his wife and kids with all his heart. He's a hero not because of all of his powers, but because he sees someone in trouble and wants to help them. He's a hero because his parents taught him to always do what he can to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. He's a hero because he genuinely cares about others. And I feel like, especially with everything going on in the world right now, that's exactly the kind of hero we need. We need people who will see someone hurting and try to help them. We need people who will see an injustice and take a stand against it. We need people willing to listen to each other and find the common ground. We need Superman. And we can have that, because his greatest strength has never been his amazing powers or alien nature -- it's his very very human heart.

Superman is important because he's a symbol of what we really need: hope and kindness. And that's always the best foundation for anyone who wants to be hero.

Happy anniversary Superman fandom! Here's to another awesome 85 years.