Who Am I?

I had hoped I could get someone else to write this for me, but no volunteers, so…

Hi, my name is Rod Williams and I love superhero comics. I love reading, discussing and creating them.

When I was about 9 years old I was poking around in a closet looking for something to play with when I discovered a shopping bag full of old comics. These were left behind by my older brother who had gone of to college the year before. To this point the only comic books I was familiar with were stuff like Archie, Richie Rich, Calvin (Calvin was kind of like Nancy and Sluggo only with a black cast.) and they didn’t interest me much. I had seen Spiderman cartoons and the like but had no real concept of where those characters came from. But this bag changed all that. In this bag were Romita, Steranko, Ditko, and Jack (King) Kirby. These guys were and are masters of story telling and my first teachers.

I guess I should start by stating that I view sequential art (comics) as a true art form, not just entertainment for kids. Telling stories with pictures goes back all throughout time to the dawn of man. We have been trying to communicate with each other this way for as long as we have been trying to communicate. It’s primal, it’s universal, and it’s natural.

The day I found those comics changed my life. The art of guys like Romita, Steranko, Ditko, and Jack Kirby spoke to me in a way nothing else had. I sat in that closet for hours absorbing these stories with out actually reading more than a few lines (Which is what good story telling is about, telling the story with pictures. If you have to explain too much in words you’re not doing your job). I admit it was more than the art and the story telling that got me it was the subject matter… Superheroes. Due to some tragic events in my life before that point I found myself in search of a role model, or moral compass. I found something like that in superheroes. I don’t think it’s odd for boys to turn to superheroes as role models. They’re strong, always right, and loved by all and I wanted all those things for myself. Who doesn’t? I wanted to be like them. There was only one problem… there weren’t many that looked like me.

It is my sincere hope that someday we will be able to judge the character of an individual with out being distracted or influenced by that person’s race or color. But we haven’t got there yet. Even comics are affected. Too few heroes of color exist and the ones that do are…under used. As a kid I couldn’t find a superhero to identify with so I created my own. Using friends and family as models I created the Vindicators where heroes come in all varieties.

The world is getting smaller every day. The person you sit next to on the bus, your next neighbor, or the real hero who helps the next time your in need could be anyone from anywhere. A little respect and tolerance can go a long way.

I can’t change the whole world, but I can change my world… but if I change my little part, doesn’t that in fact change the world… a little? …hmmm.