Safe Speed Forums

The campaign for genuine road safety
It is currently Sat May 16, 2026 01:24

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 01:08 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 02:17
Posts: 7357
Location: Highlands
Ktar here
Ktar wrote:
MESA, Ariz. -- A Valley cartoonist hopes to impress people at the big Comic-Con convention in San Diego this weekend with his comic books based on Arizona politics.

Russ Kazmierczak Jr. grew up in Arizona and has been drawing comics since 2001.

When he moved back to Arizona from California last year, he wondered what he would draw about.

"That was the peak of the Senate Bill 1070 controversy," he remembers. "California, where i had just moved from, was protesting Arizona. All of my friends were asking, `Why are you moving back there?` Gun ownership laws were big in the news at the time. Governor Brewer and Sheriff Arpaio were always in the news. That stuff was happening right around the time I moved back here and I thought, `This is already almost a comic book. I need only put superheroes in these situations for them to be fantastic to read."

Kazmierczak created "Amazing Arizona Comics," with a super hero born right out of the photo radar controversy.

"Speed Cameron" is a living speed camera.

Kazmierczak explained how he came to be: "Speed Cameron, like many other comic book superheroes, was just a normal young person. He was speeding down the freeway one night during a monsoon. And lightning struck him and a speed camera as it flashed him at the same time. So, in the world of comic books, comic book science, he instantly becomes one with the speed camera and has the powers of super speed, just as the speed camera does to capture people who are speeding down the freeway."

Speed Cameron soon caught someone's attention.

"Sheriff Joe -- recognizing his power and newfound sense of responsibility -- recruits him as a secret super deputy. And that's his origin as a super hero."

Sheriff Joe Arpaio isn't the only politician that Speed Cameron helps.

There's Gov. Jan Brewer, after her struggle with a long awkward silence in a big gubernatorial debate.

In Kazmierczak's comic books, it happened because Speed Cameron actually froze everything, took Brewer into the future and warned her that her next words could cause civil war.

"So he warns her of that. Be careful what you say next, because this is what could happen. And, in the background of my crude drawings, we see the Chase Building has crumbled and the Dial building has crumpled, so she's overlooking the decrepid Phoenix skyline and realizing, `Okay, I really need to think about this and make my actions and passions more incrementally, as opposed to just dropping a bomb in a debate to win an election."

Then, Kamierczak quoted Brewer as saying in the debate, "We did what was right for Arizona. I will tell you that I have really did the best that anyone could do."

At which time, in the comic book, we were saved.

There are other Arizona-themed characters in Kazmierczak's books: "June Monsoon, she's a living monsoon. Dust Devil has control over the earth and can move dust and create little storms."

Kazmierczak hopes the Comic-Con convention will lead to more national exposure for his books.

"A lot of people have asked if I think that's even possible since the comic is so specific, about Arizona. But, because Arizona has attained national acclaim as a hub of political advancement or controversy and some pop culture, i don't think it's out of the question."

And if his books don't become a national phenom.

"I don't have any lofty dreams of a video game spinoff or its own movie. All of that stuff's awesome, but I really love the comic book medium and what it represents and its rich history. So my goal is to just publish a great comic book that pays for itself and ideally spins a small profit so I can keep it up as a passion and, yeah, maybe make a career out of it one day."

_________________
Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 13:17 
Offline
Friend of Safe Speed
Friend of Safe Speed
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:16
Posts: 7986
Location: Moved to London
Speed Cameron wouldn't last long against Captain Gatso :D

_________________
Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 2 posts ] 

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You can post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
[ Time : 0.027s | 10 Queries | GZIP : Off ]