#192: Becoming Batman

Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness podcast. Someone said that comic book superheroes is modernity's version of the great Greek myths. Just as the ancient Greeks used the stories of Achilles or Odysseus or Hercules as guides on how to live their lives, many modern individuals who grew up on superhero stories have found inspiration in them on how to live a heroic life, even if they're just regular Joe Blows. My guest today on the podcast is a documentarian who has created films about real-life people who have been inspired by comic book heroes to do good in their own lives. His name is Brett Culp and he's the director of one film called Legends of the Knight, which looks at how the Batman legend has transformed people's lives, as well as the forthcoming documentary called Look to the Sky.
In today's podcast, Brett and I discuss why Batman is such an enduring superhero and how he's inspired a millionaire to dress up like Batman and visit kids in the hospital and a child psychologist to start using comic books to teach troubled children about skills like resilience and courage. We also discuss Brett's unique way of showing these films so that he can raise money for charity. If you love comic books, you're going to love this podcast. Even if you're not a big fan of comic books, you're going to enjoy it. It's a really uplifting story. Be sure to check out the show notes for links to resources mentioned during the show. You can find them at aom.is/culp. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, please consider giving us a review on iTunes or Stitcher. Brett Culp, welcome to the show.