"I wanted to create some kind of a hero", said Hal (Harold) Foster in the late 1930s after his dramatic success with a newspaper cartoon strip entitled: Prince Valiant. I was so struck by this concept ... create a hero. It made me wonder where "the hero" goes next. There were heroes when I was a kid, but by young adulthood the hero had morphed into the anti-hero. We began to see soldiers as murderers. The president had to resign. Assassination made heroic figures run for cover. So is the hero back?
Well, first a bit about Hal Foster, as he gives us lots of illustration about success. Born in Nova Scotia; at 28, after a life of principally self education, he rides a bicycle to Chicago (1,000 miles a way) after deciding to be an artist. He attends classes at night, including classes a the Chicago Art Institute, The National Academy of Design and The Chicago Academy of Fine Art. He lands a job as an illustrator drawing ads and magazine covers. He becomes the "presenter" of Tarzan in 1929 when it is first introduced. He becomes known (eventually) as the father of the realistic adventure strip. He brought "art" to his "design" work using an impressionists approach and becomes an early experimenter of chiaroscuro (the usage of light and shade in painting).
Foster spends years creating his own 'hero'. He develops an entire mythos about Prince Valiant. His childhood, his young adult life and even his old age of wisdom are carefully crafted. Valiant becomes a knight of Arthur's round table. Foster studies English and French legends and undertakes a significant dive into middle ages history. He recognizes the power of attention to detail. Nothing is a "little thing" ... not the story line... not the illustration ... not the schedule. He never has a setting he has not personally visited.
Valiant became the most beloved hero of the 1940's and into the 50's. He personifies both courage and competence. He is true to himself. He is compassionate.
So, are we at a seminal point in the concept of heroism? I think the next few years will give us a chance to find out. In the end the hero makes one of the biggest marks on society of any of the archetypes. We sure could use one now.
W2
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