Meet Baby Barbarian’s Protagonist.
People have asked me: why make the focus of your story a boy?
The easy answer is I have two sons, and sons are what I understand.
There’s more to it than that, but to make sense I’m going to have to tell a story about elephants and rhinoceroses.
There was once a diminishing elephant population that, thankfully, increased in numbers owing to the hard work of researchers, government, and (of course) the elephants themselves.
Because of the artificial manner by which the population increased, there was a preponderance of young male (i.e. bull) elephants.
Inexplicably, as the the bulls matured, they started attacking and killing rhinoceroses. This was not natural.
Soon scientists realized that the bull elephants were being driven nuts by the usual things: horniness, hormones, and a need to sow their wild oats.
Without the guidance of their elder males, they were acting out.
The story ends, as I remember it, with concerned scientists airdropping* in older males to regulate.
*Not be confused with Operation Dumbo Drop.
My mother-in-law told me this story because she was using it as analogy to hammer home the fact that human boys also need strong healthy male role models.
What boys don’t need are old modes of manliness. For example:
- Asshole dads who suck it up — and demand their sons also suck it up
- Frigid fathers stuck in stoic mode.
- Sullen males mired in self-pity as gender roles change.
In short, the 21st century requires new narratives of maleness. Aspirations to dominate and conquer no longer serve us. Hyper-competitiveness and hyper-individualism have run their course.
I know I speak for a lot of men when I say these ideals of manhood never matched me.
It is not an exaggeration to say that toxic masculinity has landed our species in hot water.
Consider for a moment that the four countries with the worst response to COVID-19 have been run are are being run by strong-men or strong-men wannabes: Trump (gone and hopefully forgotten), Bosinaro (Brazil), Modi (India), Putin (Russia).
Building New Narratives
This is a long way of saying that my graphic novel, Baby Barbarian aspires to contribute to a new narrative of maleness.
What will Brom learn on his journeys? Not even we can answer the question entirely.
But one thing we know he won’t learn is that in order to succeed, you have to do it all on your. There are tasks that must be accomplished individually, but the journey should not be a solo one.
As the poet said:
No Man is an Island
(or woman or boy for that matter….)
So join us and follow Brom as he learns how to navigate the gonzo fantasy realities of life. You’ve got to admit it: He’s a real character.
