Four years ago, I made a video about the one thing every good writer needs to create their own superhero universe. I was watching many of my favorite comic book characters become shells of their former selves. Characters that had once been larger-than-life heroes were being stripped of the things that made them great. The... Continue Reading →
We have thousands of superheroes in comics, movies, television, and books. Decades of stories. People think they know what a superhero is. I don't think they do. I think a lot of people get it wrong. If you have powers, a costume, and a cool name, you must be a superhero, right? Not necessarily. Those... Continue Reading →
Spider-Man, Sacrifice, and the Meaning of Responsibility There is a common trope in superhero fiction, and in heroic fiction in general, where the main character believes they have to face the world on their own. They become the lone wolf. The solitary hero who keeps everyone at arm's length, both physically and emotionally. They carry... Continue Reading →
The Amazon Top 10 "Superhero" list is a mess. It’s time to clean it out. I took a look at the rankings today, March 14, and if you’re looking for a true superhero story—the kind built on inescapable obligation and the clear-cut battle between Good and Evil—you won’t find it there. What you’ll find is... Continue Reading →
The Doctrine of Superhero Fiction Most people think superhero stories are about costumes, flying, or cool powers. They aren't. Those things are just the "decorations." True superhero fiction is actually about obligation. It is the story of people who have a job they can never quit, and a burden they can never put down. If... Continue Reading →
I know people are extremely passionate about what is happening in the country today. Hard lines have been drawn, and you won’t find many people in the middle anymore. We are on one side or the other. It seems that the comic book characters we grew up with and love have also been dragged into... Continue Reading →
For those of you who visit this site regularly and enjoy reading my random thoughts here on the blog, you may have noticed a new banner at the top: STEVE’S SOAPBOX. You might already be familiar with the idea, and yes, I’m doing it on purpose. It’s my way of honoring the man who got... Continue Reading →
I’m not going to lie, this past year has been the year from hell. If something could go wrong, it did, often in spectacular ways I never could have imagined. But if you want to keep your sanity, you eventually have to shake it off, no matter how hard that is, and move forward. Life... Continue Reading →
Sometimes I wish I didn’t have as much self-respect as I do.It would be easier to crawl to the feet of lesser people who somehow rose higher than they deserve, just to stand in their circles. But then I see how they act, clowns begging for crumbs, and I thank God I still have dignity.... Continue Reading →
The light at the end of the tunnel that is 2025...at least I hope it is. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but this has been the year from hell. If something could go wrong, it did, usually in the biggest way possible. Now, with only two months left, I’m doing what I can to... Continue Reading →
stephenhudler.com 