THE OCEAN OF IMAGINATION

Where Legends Walk is a new Kickstarter anthology from the fine folks at Oddity Prodigy Productions. The subject running through all the short stories in the collection is one just about everyone reading this post loves: superheroes. I was asked to write an introduction to the book and you can read it below. But, before you do, why not hop on over to Kickstarter and support this worthy project.

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Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive!

 

I must have been four or five years old when I first laid eyes on the last son of Krypton.

 

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane!

 

There he was, in glorious black and white on my TV screen, standing against a cosmic backdrop of planets and stars, arms akimbo, cape blowing in the breeze. Every inch a hero. No, not just a hero: a superhero.

 

It’s Superman! 

 

I don’t think I’d discovered comic books at that age, but I’d already been mesmerized by the Sunday comics sections of the New York Daily News. (It’s as if there’s a chemical in the brain, unique to those of us who love comics, and the first time we see that magical combination of words and pictures, the chemical drops, floods our consciousness, and we’re hooked on this glorious art form for life.) I’m sure it wasn’t long before I realized that the guy on television, so perfectly portrayed by George Reeves, also existed in comic books.

 

Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Green Lantern. The Justice League. Then, later, the Marvel heroes: Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor, and the rest. I loved them. Hell, I loved all comic books—from Casper and Sad Sack to Archie Andrews and Richie Rich—but the superheroes were something special and they touched my young soul in a unique and profound way.

 

And still do.

 

But why?

 

I’ve asked myself that question many times over the years. There are some who dismiss superhero stories as childish power fantasies, a way for readers to imagine themselves as something they’re not, to project their psyches into the bodies of these spandex-wearing, overmuscled guardians of humanity and, for a moment at least, smash through their personal struggles, their psychological wounds and traumas, with a simple punch. There’s truth in that—a little power fantasy goes a long way—but I think there’s something more at work here, something deeper.

 

Years ago, when I was in India visiting the Tomb-Shrine of the spiritual master Avatar Meher Baba, I had a dream, more like a vision, during which I was shown my true height and power, as both an individual on this earth and a spiritual being in this universe. I quickly realized this extraordinary experience wasn’t unique to me; that we’re all more powerful than we’ve dreamed; that every man and woman has, within them, a divinity, a cosmic heritage, as tall and broad as Creation. A heritage that’s masked, suffocated, by our belief that we’re small, limited, and alone. In essence, we’re all, each and every one of us, Superman, but we’re trapped in the false belief that we’re weak, bumbling Clark Kent—and our life’s work is to throw away the glasses, put on the super-suit, and become the inner hero we’ve been all along. These colorful characters embody our highest selves. Represent our decency, our compassion, our ability to transcend our imagined limitations and do genuine good in the world. They remind us that, in the end, we are the superheroes.

I believe we’ve collectively conjured the superhero pantheon into existence because we need them, birthing them from the universal unconscious to remind us of who we truly are. And I believe that the energy behind these symbols of our highest selves has existed as long as humankind; that we, as a race, have continually dreamed these beings into form in different times, different cultures, under a thousand different names. And we will continue to do it as long as they’re needed. (Of course, there’s always the possibility that they’ve dreamed us, but that’s another essay for another time.)

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Have I reached too far, gone too deep down the philosophical rabbit hole? Then how’s this? Superhero stories, at their best, are fun. Everything is colorful, larger than life, on a grand scale: big emotions, big actions, big risks, big stakes. Most important: they’re fueled by a seemingly-unlimited ocean of pure imagination. 

 

The book you’re holding in your hands has emerged from the depths of that ocean of imagination. Within it, you’ll find tales written by people who adore superheroes and the strange worlds they inhabit, and who invite you to journey with them through those worlds. And if, along the way, you encounter the hidden truth of your own soul? 

All the better.

 

©copyright 2025 J.M. DeMatteis