Firefly, con Nathan Fillion

Joss made superheroes out of all of us, complete with a super-hideout spaceship. During filming, we’d all retreat to our dressing room trailers and emerge like Supermen with our alter egos. The boots, the suspenders, gun holstered low on my hip…with a flick and a spin of that wicked awesome coat over my shoulders, I became someone else

And then there was Joss. I met him in a small, dimly lit office, where he regaled me with tales of adventure, swashbuckling, shooting, spaceships, and narrow escapes. Um, where do I sign?

Soon, Archie, Dot, and Richie Rich gave way to Spider-Man, Captain America, X-Men, and Alpha Flight (Canada’s very own super team). Now, around this time, my memories blur a bit, but what I remember is this— I wanted to be a superhero. My brain was constantly calculating my super moves, my super costume, what powers I would have, how I would use them, and with whom I would share my incredible secret. My brother was in, my parents were out— lest they force me to use my newfound abilities on chores. There were, however, no radioactive spiders available to me, no toxic waste sites, and I found out very quickly, despite my brother’s urging, that jumping off the garage roof with two kites to sweep over the neighborhood didn’t work. When the price of comics increased, so did my interest in girls and cars, and my treasure was relegated to the darkness of the crawlspace of our house, carefully packed in plastic bags and taped twice, not once. My desire to be a superhero, however, never abated. I couldn’t help but think about how being able to fly and being bulletproof would help me in any endeavor I chose

So, I guess the message I want to leave you with is this: What you hold in your hand is not just a comic. It is much more. It is a handbook. It is a guide. It is reference material for when your become a superhero. I have found the secret, you see. To become a superhero, all you have to do is want it badly enough, and comics are the fuel to that fire.