CONTEST/HIGH CONCEPT CHALLENGE: High Concept Challenge #10: The Immigrant Experience

[Dave Van Domelen]

In article <huooa6$nbb$1 at usenet-its.stanford.edu>,
Jamas Enright  <thad at eyrie.org> wrote:
>On Tue, 8 Jun 2010, Dave Van Domelen wrote:
>
>>     Comics have plenty of examples, going back to Superman or even beyond,
>> of superheroes who are exiles, refugees or foundlings...unwilling
>> immigrants.  But there are far fewer examples of superheroes or supervillains
>> who intentionally uproot themselves and leave their homes behind.  It's that
>> sort of immigrant-on-purpose who should be the focus of a HCC10 story.
>
>You mention Superman... but when he moved from Smallville to Metropolis,
>was he a willing immigrant then?
>
>And how far is the willing/unwilling line blurred? "Hero espcaping his
>past" is a good motivation, but is that unwilling? Or is it that the hero
>could have stayed there, with bad associations, but instead chose to move
>make the hero willing?

     If in doubt about the boundary, just make sure the story itself is
*about* the voluntary move, about the choice that was made (even if it was a
choice between bad and worse).  So, for instance, a Superman story that fits
the Challenge might be about his first day in Metropolis, feeling small
despite his great power.  A hero escaping their past might have a story about
finally finding a positive reason to be where they are rather than simply
fleeing.  

     In other words, a story about how one embraces a new home, in a
super-powered context.  Just avoid the obvious exiled/stranded/can't-go-home
angle.  Even the guy fleeing his past could go back to his old home, if he's
willing to accept the consequences.

     Dave Van Domelen, also thinks Jamas should write for some of these.  And
so should you.  Write for these, that is.