Much of the recent focus on Marvel has seen them as a corporate behemoth, crushing the innocent as they march across America in their golden boots. But a recent news story reported by the Huffington Post reminds that the people working for the company are still doing everything they can to support and entertain their fans, and help out wherever they can.
When 4-year old Anthony Smith, a young comic book fan with hearing impairment, was told by Doctors that he needed to wear a hearing aid, he refused. He didn’t want to feel like he stood out and was alone. So his mother, superheroic Christina D’Allesandro, sent an email to Marvel comics, asking if there were any examples of superheroes who also wore an aid – if she could find pictures showing her son that there was nothing unusual about wearing an aid, perhaps he’d change his mind about wearing one himself.
Not only did Marvel point her to a famous storyline where Hawkeye temporarily damaged his hearing (during his time with the West Coast Avengers, fact-fans); but editor Bill Rosemann decided to take Anthony as his inspiration to create a new superhero, called The Blue Ear.
Here’s a look at Blue Ear in action, as drawn by Nelson Ribeiro:
Bolstered by D’Allesandro’s email, a number of Marvel’s staff started to draw their own Blue Ear artwork, and sent it over to Anthony. And now he’s not only a superhero – but a superhero who hangs out with the Avengers, Anthony has now happily started wearing his hearing aid. After all, he’s got Hawkeye backing him up now, as drawn by Manny Mederos:
Now the only thing left is to bring him into Marvel continuity!
Okay, that’s extremely cool!
Love, love to read things like this. Great job to the creators here.
Kudos to Marvel for pulling an important letter out of the huge pile of mail they get and giving it some personal attention. Plus, a standing ovation to Nelson Ribeiro and Manny Mederos!
this is the kind of story that makes you say, “awww, that’s just so damn nice”. nothing but the highest praise for all those involved.
They really do need to bring him into continuity. He could be a friend who hangs out with Luke Cage’s kid (which would give it that Avengers tie from the pics).
I bet you guys that in 10 years, at the latest, hel be killed by deadpool. thats what happend to the other one-issue charas.
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