Twenty-eight-year-old David “Civitron” Civatarese is a Boston-based real-life super hero. In his day job he works with adults with autism but in his free time, Civitron dons his home-made super hero disguise – a burgundy and orange jumpsuit – and takes to the sidewalk, assisting his community however he can by cleaning up the streets, helping out the homeless or families in need.

He’s part of a growing collective of ordinary citizens across America who have transformed themselves into something – and someone – else, made themselves larger than life. Going under the banner ‘Superheroes Anonymous’, the collective is dedicated to inspiring the super hero spirit in everyone.

Original persona
According to Civitron, it’s about finding out what your individual powers are and finding out how you can use those powers to help your community.

“Many of us dress up as an original super hero persona – and that’s part of the personal journey of going out and changing your life, of becoming the change that you want to see in the world [to quote Gandhi]. We take a look at ourselves, take a moral inventory – and see what we can change. With the persona we provide a template for ourselves to live by.”

The costumes – and the reasons for wearing them – are different for everyone, says Civitron.

“It’s about becoming a living example, not only for others but also yourself. You put on the costume to remind yourself you are out there specifically for the purpose of helping and for living your cause. For others, it’s more about fun.”

Whether it’s Life Lazaros, a New York hipster who wears a black mask and works on the street with runaways and homeless people, or Zeta Man, who coordinates fundraisers in his local hip hop community, the growth of the real life super hero has been exponential in recent years, with close to 200 members across the United States.

Health and safety
But it’s not a question of vigilantism, Civitron is keen to point out. Superheroes Anonymous members act within the boundaries of safety and the law and liase with the police to build upon existing mechanism within society, rather than working alone. They aim to take responsibility within their own community.

Whether you wear a costume or not, Civitron says the guidelines to becoming a real-life super hero are simple:

“Know the law and know what the legal boundaries are. Always be safe… and for anybody looking to become a real life super hero – they should explore themselves, know what they believe to be true, set out to be that ambassador to the world and always stay true to their message.”

http://www.rnw.nl/pt-pt/node/27694

FOUR caped crusaders have taken to the streets to protect the residents of Colchester from evil.

Calling themselves the Nightwatchers, the group are a self-proclaimed “vigilante crime-fighting team”, aiming to stop fights, tackle antisocial behaviour, offer food to the homeless and generally do good deeds.

The four men refuse to identify themselves, admitting only that they are all 21 year olds and from the Colchester area.

Instead, they go by the names Dr Insomnia, the Nightman, the Shover and the Green and White Knight.

Dr Insomnia said: “It may sound a bit childish, but we class ourselves as real-life superheroes. We take the law into our own hands, but we do this in a way that is not breaking the law.

“We feel it is our duty to help the public. Colchester is getting worse and worse and there is only so much the police can do. Let’s just say we’re here to give the police a helping hand.”

He added: “We also want to let people know there are still people our age who are willing to help people, and to show we are not all hoodlums.”

The inspiration for the group came from dozens of similar organisations in America who view it as their civic duty to help.

True to form, the men don costumes to take on their superhero personas, although they draw the line at masks.

Dr Insomnia said: “I wear a hood, a long coat and I have a Union Jack on the back of my trousers.

“The Nightman is a big bald guy, who also wears a hood.

“We decided not to wear masks because we do not want to scare the public.”

The Nightwatchers were only formed a few weeks ago, but already claim to have helped drunks home safely.

They drive around in a car, looking for people to help.

Eventually they hope to have business cards printed with a Heroes Hotline for people to call.

http://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/4647140.Superheroes_are_roaming_Colchester_streets/

by Ben Goldby, Sunday Mercury

IS it a bird? Is it a plane?

No it’s a portly middle-aged businessman in a mask and cape.

Birmingham has its very own superhero patrolling the streets, and he is out to tackle the city’s toughest criminals.

Captain Britain, as he likes to be called, promises that he is “the protector of this Blessed Isle and all who live here”.

The brave Brummie is part of a new online fad which sees comic book fans carry out real-life crimefighting deeds dressed as their own Superhero alter egos.

The World Superhero Registry site boasts scores of characters, from across the globe, many of whom post videos of their heroic acts and pictures of their bizarre costumes.

While Captain Britain remains elusive, some of the “Superheroes” on the site have gained notoriety in their communities, and have even been pressured to reveal their secret identities.

Shadow Hare, 21, who “protects” the US city of Cincinnati, featured on his local TV news channel and has been battling to maintain his anonymity ever since.

“Despite the coverage I have been patrolling just as usual,” he wrote on his blog.

“I’ve heard about the lame bounty on my identity. Who cares? It doesn’t distract me from the people out there that I need to help.

“Besides, anyone can give you people a name. If they do, does that mean you will give them money? Nice try guys.”

And Shadow Hare is not the only real life superhero to hit the headlines.

California-based crimefighter The Eye, 50, has become a legend in his home state, and uses social networking site Myspace to promote his skills.

“I am a street-level, practical crime fighter and Neighborhood Watch Block Captain who uses various self-created electronic devices and other means to prevent crime, and help others in need whenever and wherever possible,” the Eye writes.

“My background as a certified private investigator as well as over 25 years of electronics expertise have aided me well in these efforts, and will continue to do so.

“I am also trained to mastery in the style of Kung-Fu known as Northern Shaolin Praying Mantis.”

Britain boasts five other crimefighting comic book stars, based in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Whitley, on the ouskirts of Reading.

Scottish superhero Seagull Man has targeted his feathered foes in a campaign to: “Keep the city clear of the vermin that live on our streets”.

And Whitley’s Batman and Robin are also tackling the lighter side of superhero duties.

Dressed as the famous dark knight and his sidekick, the Reading crimefighters are attracting more laughs than plaudits from the public.

One damsel in distress said: “They just appeared. I saw them running down the road in Batman and Robin outfits – I was laughing so much.

“It was like a scene out of Only Fools and Horses and they stayed in character the whole time.”

ben.goldby@sundaymercury.net

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/09/20/meet-the-real-life-registered-superhero-66331-24742662/

By Michelle Stockman (AFP)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jvOAXBNUg

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts — Inside a hotel room in this New England port city, a superhero assumed his disguise before hitting the street.

Dressed in a black fedora, white shirt with skinny black necktie, and a studded belt, 24-year-old Chaim “Life” Lazaros looks like any other hipster from New York City. Except for his black mask.

In real-life he’s a radio personality at a college radio station, but in superhero mode, Lazaros spends his time comforting homeless people.

And his eye-catching uniform helps his cause.

“You will get stares, questions on the street from people who are interested and curious,” Lazaros said.

“They are always inspired. I got emails from soldiers in Iraq saying ‘It’s so inspiring to me to see people back at home helping each other.’”

Three years ago, Lazaros and Ben Goldman, a documentary filmmaker, created “Superheroes Anonymous,” an organized group of real-life superheroes.

Lazaros said there are now roughly 200 fellow superheroes across the country — costumed civilians who patrol the streets behind self-made superhero personas.

Their missions are varied, from conducting homeless and sex worker outreach and picking up litter to looking out for crime and teaching first aid skills.

In early September, about 20 members gathered in New Bedford from across the country for a three-day event that included a hip hop concert, beach clean-up and workshops on how to disarm an enemy.

“Scavenger,” a 28-year-old social worker, stood outside a local coffee shop during a break.

Dressed in a velvet bustier and black tassled bodysock, the tight spandex revealed only her eyes. She said crows and vultures inspired her costume, as they are the recyclers of nature.

“They clean up and they use things to live. So I take garbage off the street,” Scavenger said, explaining that money she earns from picking up litter goes to buying things for homeless people.

At home, Mike “KnightOwl” Johnson is a firefighter and emergency medical technician from Ohio.

This towering 26-year-old in a bright yellow jersey with an owl logo and a black head scarf said he became a superhero as another way to make a visible difference in the world.

“I think anyone who looks around will fastly realize there’s something seriously wrong with the direction that people are going in,” said Johnson.

“We try to reverse a little of that, and ease pain and suffering anyway possible.”

Toutou and Dave Marsden from nearby Walpole, Massachusetts were in town for a Sunday sightseeing tour. They dropped into a mask-making workshop with their two children.

“I think it’s great,” said Toutou, 34. “I think we should have everyday superheroes. I think it’s great that people are out there helping out.”

In their effort to do good, the superhero community may skirt the lines of safety.

Lazaros said he and other superheroes confront drug dealers, armed only with a camera.

On the “Superheroes Anonymous” blog, writers describe how to construct a practical crime-fighting costume — including a bullet proof vest.

It also suggests strategies to win over the local authorities, suggesting, for example, that on Halloween you pay an initial visit in costume to the local Wal-Mart. Repeat often thereafter so people get used to a superhero presence.

Dressed in a burgundy and orange jumpsuit and white-framed sunglasses, New Bedford local David “Civitron” Civatarese, 28, said despite their odd appearance, superheroes have simple, altruistic motives.

“I’m sure not many people are going to take Civitron himself very seriously,” said Civatarese.

“But once I start talking about the things that we’re doing, whether that’s helping out the homeless, helping out families in need, or just cleaning up the streets, they start to think about how can they help out whether they want to put on a costume or not.”

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAGw2e6LKfNag93q3ZPt3mzQusIA

Please join me as I take a stand for HIV/AIDS activism. On October 11th, more than 10,000 of us will come together in Pioneer Courthouse Square with the goal of raising $325,000 for services provided by Cascade AIDS Project to prevent new HIV infections, care for people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS, educate communities to eliminate stigma and shame and advocate for immediate action in combating the pandemic.

I’m writing to you today to ask for your support as I walk the 5k (3.1 mi) route and raise much needed funds for HIV and AIDS prevention, services and advocacy in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Your donation will help Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) continue their important work in our community:

Please help me reach my goal of $100 by making a donation today; any amount helps! Make checks payable to Cascade AIDS Project, or donate to me online at
http://cap.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=307185&lis=1&kntae307185=22D30FDFBE1E412E97A7C91EE6E19F56&supId=270980189
Or join my team at
http://cap.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=307185&lis=1&kntae307185=6291EBE822594D50B25A6E58F68A2FAC&supId=0&team=3544402&cj=Y
Your donation will make a difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely

-Zetaman

Sadly, in life, all things come to an end. Everything we build and work for will eventually end. This was a lesson I learned this past weekend, when I had the opportunity to participate in Superheroes Anonymous 3. The incredible men and women that I met there are working everyday to improve their lives and strive to make a difference. It is heartbreaking to know that one day it will be over.
Maybe the RLSH idea will evolve and grow, or maybe it will phase out. I really cannot say. But is living this sort of lifestyle worth it? The ridicule we all face, the frustration and the day-to-day struggle to find a balance and give our all… is it worth it?
Why comics? Surely the RLSH community can find a different more established form of organization or style in which we all can work within. The RLSH is just a step above comic costume players and those who dress as animals and engage themselves in social situations. Why not stop this silliness of pretending to be superheroes and only making small changes in their cities? And in one-hundred years, no one will remember the food drives or the charities or the fight breakups anyone did anyway. Is there any point to what we are doing? Yes, most definitely.
An individual online posted a You Tube video stating that what we are doing is out of selfish arrogance and that we need to glorify God in what we do or else we will fail. Within my belief system, I agree with most of this. However, those who I am associated with do not always share my beliefs. How else can I work with my fellow RLSH if we do not share some common ground in which we can associate with? Why not comic books would be a better question. I believe anyone who has read comic books cannot deny that it is really an art form. Men and women use iconic characters to relay social values and parables in which we the reader are able to learn from. Ideas are communicated through sequence pictures and text. Some of them are for entertainment and some are for the delivery of though provoking concepts. But again, comics are an art form. And this art form has inspired people to want to make a difference. These people want to use what has inspired them to continue on in life and “pay back” their love and solace they found in the funny books to make a difference. Is that wrong? Other people do the same exact thing. But we have created another name for it as religion. Not that RLSH is a religion in itself, but people have gathered a set of values based on an art form medium. What would it matter if it is Batman or Buddha? Spiderman or Zeus? They are, in fact, trying to make a positive difference in their lives as well as those around them. People may not see them as heroes, but you cannot deny the fact that trying to live a positive lifestyle by taking all opportunities to help those around them is not that far fetched and bizarre.
So why do people emulate comic book superheroes when the end result will not achieve true change in the world? The RLSH community is an individualist idea. It is a dedication to improve oneself. It is 100% true that any one person’s efforts will not yield significant results. However, does that mean that people should not try as a group to make a difference? Should people give up and settle into a life of anonymity and obscurity? I believe the answer should be no. I also believe everyone should strive to take as much out of life as possible. We only have one live to live. We only get once chance to do something that in all likelihood will fail. It is important to oneself to take advantage and direct our own lives. We need to seize the day. Every one of us cannot settle in life. We have to strive to always learn and always to change. We have to improve ourselves. The other choice is to allow our spirits and lives to be dictated by unending work and companies whose only interest is to generate revenue for their benefit. This behavior keeps us from learning and growing, and instead keeps us stagnant in personal value systems that degrade with time and make us senile.
Why the costumes? Another individual wrote a statement that active costume players using trademark fictional characters to emulate is as valid as people who associate themselves with the RLSH community. I believe this to be a false statement. The single main point of the RLSH is self expression with original ideas. True, we are basing certain value systems on comic books, but we are also creating our own. We are inventing ourselves to be living icons of our own value system. Each RLSH is their own culture unto themselves. They create a unique symbol which has meaning to them alone. The RLSH individual is deciding for themselves their own culture. They are creating there own avatar. Following set values and social dressings of established fictional characters removed the individualists’ aspect of the RLSH culture. Individuals who dress as comic book characters to perform acts of altruisms are bound by society’s standards of belief about said fictional character. A RLSH who created their own character are only bounded by society to do well. For this reason, it is critical for a RLSH to work and maintain their own unique persona, because it is their personal and no one else’s.
This past Labor Day weekend, I met incredible individuals who want to change their worlds. They are stepping outside society’s collective standards that are ingrained into us when we are children. We are taught not to make waves, and not to stand out. Society teaches us that true achievement in life is based on belongings and social status, rather than embracing life and realizing true worth and wealth within ourselves and others. We allow hours of our time and our hard work to be seized by corporations who care not about people, but for their own gathering of riches. There is a small minority of people who are willing to use what they have, to live and to do what they can to live a rich and fulfilled life. In the end, it is not up to society to dictate how we live our lives. It is up to us to do that.
The wonderful people I met this past weekend will grow old very fast. I am growing older and older at an alarming rate. It is my hope that those friendships that I am forging will continue for a very long time, that the ideals and passion of making each of our lives an adventure will sustain for a number of years. I want to look back at my life and know that even though I did something incredibility bizarre and unique, I did something with my life nonetheless. I also want to look back and remember fondly those men and women who are passionate about changing the world, and be honored to know them. I would have never known who they were otherwise. When I don the costume and set forth to make a difference in my city and in my life, I am joined with them. It is also my sincere hope that the RLSH community will strive beyond my years so that many young men and women will be empowered to do something with their lives rather than to fade into obscurity. Hopefully they, as well as those who I call my friends, will be remembered rather than to have never been known. I believe that this is the point of the RLSH community: to socialize with other people who share similar goals and beliefs. It is a subculture I have learned to be proud of and represent.

-ZM

To make a donation, please visit the Great Lakes Heroes Guild donation page at: http://firstgiving.com/razorhawk

Message from Razorhawk:

Pledge to make a difference

I am participating in the Briggs & Al’s Run & Walk for Children’s Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 because I want to make a difference in the life of a child. Please help me reach my pledge raising goal by making a tax-deductable donation today. Your support will help Children’s continue to provide the top-notch care kids deserve. Briggs & Al’s Run & Walk for Children’s Hospital is the oldest run & walk in the state of Wisconsin and one of the largest combined 8K events in the United States. Because of outstanding community support, corporate sponsorships and active pledge raising, the event has raised more than $10.3 million over the past 30 years.

Children’s is growing up

Pledges raised this year will benefit our west tower addition. As one of the nation’s busiest pediatric hospitals, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is growing faster than expected. Children’s needed additional beds and clinic space to continue to provide the best care for kids. The12-story tower opened in March 2009 and includes 60 new private rooms, with space for additional rooms in the future. It also allowed us to convert ALL patient rooms to private spaces. In planning the tower, Children’s recognized the need to make each room warm, comfortable and welcoming. The new patient rooms have many features designed to make each family’s stay as easy as possible.

Superheroes Anonymous is a collaborative of costumed activists dedicated to inspiring the superhero in all people, through community outreach, education and creative altruism. Superheroes Anonymous is also the title of an independent film project spanning over three years. The film documents the evolution of the organization and the real-life superhero phenomenon overall. It is filmed, directed and produced by Ben Goldman and Chaim “Life” Lazaros, who originally conceived the concept of the annual conference of Superheroes Anonymous. For more information, please visit www.superheroesanonymous.com

The third annual conference of Superheroes Anonymous will be hosted in New Bedford, MA on Labor Day weekend, September 5-7 and will feature volunteer missions, workshops, a beach cleanup and a public food-drive event. These events are free and open to the public. All real-life superheroes and costumed activists are welcome to attend. However, due to space restriction, some events require pre-registration.

Guests should arrive by Friday night, September 4 or early Saturday morning to experience the full event. The following is a tentative description of the events, which are definitely happening. The details are subject to change. A summary of the schedule and a map of locations may be found at www.secretcity.org

The weekend will begin at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5 with a morning workout, hosted by martial artist Dark Guardian. This is an exercise event. Please dress comfortably and bring plenty of water. This will take place near the west entrance of Ft. Taber/Ft. Rodman, with a beautiful view of the cove. This entrance is located at the end of West Rodney French Blvd in the city’s south end. Signs will be posted at the entrance. Following, this workout, we will break for breakfast and prepare for a long day of missions and workshops. We will arrange a common meeting location to meet at and hopefully, be able to provide transportation to the following missions.

At 11:00 p.m., we will meet at Rebelo’s Kenpo Karate, at 88 Hatch Street in the North End of the city, for a series of workshops and seminars conducted by other real-life superheroes. Dark Guardian will conduct a workshop on self-defense and mixed martial arts. Night Owl will present a CPR and First Aid class. Following this instruction, Senior Instructor Joseph P. Rebelo II will present a lesson on self-defense, close quarters combat and disarming an opponent. Visit his website for more information about the wide variety of lessons available at www.kenpojoe.com

Throughout the day, we will be working with local chapters of the American Red Cross, Horizons for Homeless Children and a group that sends care packages to troops overseas. Exact details of these missions will be announced, soon.

At 4:00 p.m. we will break and prepare for dinner and the official meeting of Superheroes Anonymous. The meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Cork Wine and Tapas Bar at 90 Front Street in Downtown New Bedford. Due to limited seating, this event requires pre-registration. Please RSVP to civitron@superheroesanonymous.com. Check out the restaurant’s website at www.corkwineandtapas.com for information about their menu.

Sunday, 8:00 a.m., 9/6 we will meet for a morning run, behind the Lawler Branch Library at Buttonwood Park Zoo at 745 Rockdale Ave. in the west end of New Bedford. This is an exercise event. Appropriate attire is required. Please wear sneakers and drink plenty of water. Following the run, we will break for breakfast and prepare for the event of the day.

From 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Superheroes Anonymous will host a community food-drive event, featuring live music, martial arts demonstrations, information tables for other organizations, such as the American Red Cross, Horizons for Homeless Children, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the New Bedford Police Department. Superheroes Anonymous will have a table offering information about the organization, while offering capes, masks and goodie-bags for kids. This event will take place at the Bristol Building on Purchase Street (Near the Green Bean) in Downtown, New Bedford.

After this large event, we should be able to take the afternoon off to mingle with other heroes and tour this beautiful city. Additionally, there will be some international press joining us this year and this will be a good time to sit down and speak with them, personally. This is not mandatory. Please, specify if you do not wish to participate.

Monday morning, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. we will gather at Hazelwood Park at W. Rodney French Blvd. for a guerilla style beach cleanup from Dudley Street to S. Rodney French Blvd. From there, the conference will officially end.

I hope this answers many of your questions. Feel free to contact Civitron directly at civitron@superheroesanonymous.com for more information. Be sure to check out www.superheroesanonymous.com for more information about Superheroes Anonymous and the film by the same name.

-Civitron