Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Who Were Your Heroes?


Over at Chaka's World, Brother Chaka was asking who we looked upon as heroes when we were children. I knew my answer before finishing to read his post - after my Dad it began and ended with Captain Kirk. This was what I wrote in his comment section:

"I always hoped that William Shatner would have died after Star Trek went off the air. Then he would have been frozen in our memories as the James Dean of Science Fiction. There were many embarrassing lean years between Star Trek, his classic SNL skit ("Have any of you ever kissed a girl?") and his great, great turn as Denny Crane on 'Boston Legal'. I have his RECORDS so I know from what I speak. Today he has a fantastic self depreciating sense of his own fame and can joke WITH us now about all the things that make him cool. Who would have ever thunk it? But as a kid...Captain Kirk was the bomb baby. In the "Gamesters of Triskelion" when he tore off that restraining collar with contempt at the end of that episode, I yelled "FUCK YEH KIRK" at the TV screen and got grounded for a week. I didn't care because my mother just didn't understand how cool a moment that was to me and I felt sorry for her because of that."

12 comments:

Artman2112 said...

i'm totally with you on this one Cal! Capt. Kirk is STILL one of my heroes! and yeah that is an awesome moment when he tears that collar off, completely unforgettable if you ask me! i still love that show and have gone through the entire DVD set in the last couple of years, 2-3 times now, episode by episode, letting 'em play while i'm drawing, totally like having old friends over.
as a kid James Cagney and Steve mcQueen were my heroes too. they're still just about the coolest dudes around. then of course there's the Silver Age Flash, cant forget him. i was so pissed when they killed him in the Crisis on infinite earths series.

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

In another reality...we could have been friends. Old Cagney movies like 'White Heat' and 'Angels With Dirty Faces' are the best.

Dr. Monkey Von Monkerstein said...

Willie Horton the Detroit Tigers left fielder, Marshall Dillon on Gunsmoke, and my late mom were my heroes when I was a boy.

Unknown said...

as a grrrl, juliette low (and my pops of course)

Artman2112 said...

hey Cal check out this post i did as a guest blogger over the summer, you might enjoy reading it.... maybe you follow this one already?
anyway, here: http://outofthepastcfb.blogspot.com/2009/06/guest-blogger-paulie-once-song-and.html

Cal's Canadian Cave of Coolness said...

Great post on Cagney Artman. I knew little about him except the immitations they used to do of him until University. Film class was the best for a great education in the history of film. In three years I spent every Thursday afternoon watching everything great from the beginning of silent film to today. Loved those gangster pictures of the 30s that Cagney made his bones with. Who knew he was also a song and dance man. I love the movie Ragtime mostly for his return to film. Thanks for reminding me again.

Unknown said...

jack burton, james bond [sc], jack cutter, [tales of the gold monkey]... fantasy.

my friend kevin [who for what ever reason always seems in the right place to save someone, and leaves before they can thank him... cause he isn't in it for the props, just to help], my father who i did not get to know him, until it was too late... knew the man my whole life and didn't bother to know him.... real.

Wings1295 said...

Hmmm... I am gonna have to go with Aquaman, myself. I just clicked with him on the old Superfriends show.

With live action actors, I guess Jon, from "CHiPs". I just thought he was a nice guy and always fair.

Drake said...

I think my first hero was Richard Boone as Paladin and then it was John Steed. But Kirk and Spock were up there too at the top of my Heroes list.

Keith said...

Captain Kirk was my brother's childhood hero among others. I always loved everybody from the Lone Ranger to Batman.

Artman2112 said...

hey Cal i forgot to say YES i did notice your tip of the hat to Balance of Terror, one of the best of the best ST eps!

Tom said...

Thanks for the plug. I agree with you about Kirk in his prime.