NaBloPoMo Post #9 - Why Comics?

Back at New York comic-Con, my friend Clay and I became very inspired at a panel which was actually a lecture by Michael Uslan, who had written a book called "The Boy Who Loved Batman."  Long story short, he produced the original Batman by Tim Burton back in 1989, but he bought the rights back in 1979, and dreamed of one day doing a Batman movie that made people forget about Adam West.  Everyone thought he was crazy, but now he is laughing all the way to the bank, literally.  Sometimes, good things happen to good people, and dreams do come true.  He was also recently awarded the very first doctorate in Comics from Monmouth University.

When John and I were young, we used to talk about one day working for Marvel comics, and how we would kill Galactus.  Non-comic readers may not know who that is, but he's a big, powerful, scary, planet-eating dude.  It was said partially in jest, but the idea was that we would one day create comics.  Nowadays, it doesn't matter if it's for Marvel or for ourselves, but I think the dream is still there.    Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing this at all.  John himself has been working for comics for many years, so I definitely need to catch up here
One of the reasons that i think we are drawn to comics is because, as Dr. Uslan said in his lecture, comics are our modern myth.  Centuries ago, human created the Greek gods to explain things that they had no explanation for, but these gods also had personalities and got into adventures and scraps, and messed around with humans, and some were heroic and noble and some were wicked and evil.  Is that really much different than our myths today?  Or, to once again use Uslan's logic, think about the story of Superman.  His world was being destroyed, so his parents sent him off in a spaceship to save him.  Now compare that to the story of Moses.

I think that there are few heroes in the world now.  All the heroes I had growing up, like Jose Canseco or Roger Clemens, even Hulk Hogan, have ended up being disgraced in some way.  But Batman?  When has he ever let me down?  Sure, he may have a stretch when the writing is bad on his book, but it'll come around.  The Hulkster?  His goose is cooked. 
I think that's why I continue to hold on to comics.  Obviously, the talent that goes into making them, but the very idea behind them draws you in.  Good vs. Evil.  A hero's journey.  Overcoming the odds.  All the stuff that makes for good drama.  Plus cool colors and fights and stuff. 
What's not to like?