The Geek Beat: ‘Kick-Ass’ Commentary

Do you know what movie came out 31 years ago on this very day?* Superman: The Movie. What a Christmas present that was for every kid and geek in 1978!

It’s a nice anniversary to think about as every print and online outlet races to put up their Best of the Decade lists (and yes, I’m working on a superhero / comic one as you read this). Many are counting up the genre films in amazement, and feeling very culturally aware by labeling it the decade of the geek. But all of this began 31 years ago, except that no one thought to label it “geek” or snicker at comic book fans. Superman: The Movie was just that — the movie. I wish I could pinpoint the exact cultural moment when Superman and his heroic ilk took about twenty steps back into something that studios were sure nothing but “fanboys” would watch. I’m sure it’s possible, and I’m also sure it would be a relatively recent date.

But, this isn’t going to be another “geek is chic” column. I’ve done plenty of those, and I imagine I’ll churn out one or two more as the mainstream begins to encompass everything the geek held dear. No, instead I wanted us all to laugh over the fact that 31 years ago the most wholesome superhero in history took flight on the big screen. He thrilled the world with his boy scout antics. And now, funnily enough, we have Kick-Ass, where kids who grew up on a steady Superman diet take to the streets as vigilantes.