Comic book expert shares stories behind superheroes

Comic book superhero fans know well that Superman was named Kal-El by his parents on his home planet Krypton. And it's common knowledge that Clark Kent was the Man of Steel's Earthly alter ego.

But how much do fans know about the story behind the fictional story?

Terry Fisk, a lifelong comic book fan, will share his extensive knowledge at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, at a free presentation at Nichols Library in Naperville.

"I discuss the history of comic books and, more specifically, the history of comic book superheroes," said Fisk, who lives in Wisconsin.

"Our summer reading program was about superheroes," said Lisa West, marketing services associate for the Naperville Public Library. "It was this year's theme."

Fisk's fascination with superheroes began when he was a young boy watching the "Adventures of Superman" and "Batman" TV series.

"I loved them so much I wanted to one day be a comic strip artist," he said.

That one day came when he was only 13. His mother arranged a chance for his original comic strip, chronicling the exploits of a character he named Albert, to appear in the Standard Press, the local paper in Polk County, Wisconsin.

Fisk, meanwhile, continued acquiring comic books of all kinds, most of the superhero variety.

"As a kid I collected them and stuck them away in a box under my bed," he said. He still has them, he said, carefully preserved and stored.

He also began researching how cartoon superheroes came to be.

"Superman was created by two young Jewish boys from New York. Both their families were immigrants to the United States. They were kind of outsiders," he said. He points out that Superman was a native of another planet, living on earth under an assumed identity.

Fisk said that Superman's storyline loosely parallels the biblical account of the prophet Moses' start in life, when his mother put him in a basket and sent him down river on the Nile in a bid to save him.

There have been times when comic book heroes have influenced real-life heroes, Fisk said. For example, Captain Marvel Junior wore a blue suit.

"That's where Elvis got the idea to wear one," he said.

Fisk regularly brings his comic book superhero expertise to audiences like the one that's expected to arrive at Nichols on Monday. "It's the hard-core fans that show up. Most of the people in the audience are wearing superhero T-shirts," he said.

When Fisk's not talking about the back story on Batman or The Fantastic Four, he's investigating paranormal phenomena. He and partner Chad Lewis look into encounters with ghosts, Big Foot and UFOs. He has authored the "Road Guide to Haunted Locations" book series. For information, visit unexplainedresearch.com.

"That's kind of my secret identity," he said.

Fisk said the recent string of movies and TV shows revolving around superheroes demonstrates the continued popularity of the genre.

"Right now, there's a boom of superhero movies," he said. "In most cases, so far, they've been fairly faithful to the stories in the comic books."

If you go

What: History of Comic Book Superheroes

Where: Community Room at Nichols Library, 200 W. Jefferson Ave, Naperville

When: 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24

Cost: Free

Info: naperville-lib.org or (630) 961-4100, ext. 4931