Not Your Average Superhero

BRISTOL, Tenn. – He’s a deadbeat superhero with a capital D – literally.

The deadbeat, a Dad, wears the D on his chest, embroidered in navy on his yellow spandex costume, which he continues to wear despite being semi-retired.

“I guess it’s a superhero comic, sure, but it’s more about a superhero and his daughter, who is estranged,” said Jeremy Massie, The Deadbeat’s creator and author of the upcoming graphic novel set to be in stores May 27. “He gets drunk on Yoo-Hoo, is down on his luck, an older fellow, kinda retired, who has failed at being a superhero.”

You’d think Massie’s comic was at least somewhat autobiographical, but it’s not. The Wise, Va., 29-year-old has “pretty cool parents, very supportive,” he said. “After all, they sent me to that expensive school.”

Massie is a local author of comic books whose first graphic novel, “The Deadbeat,” is being published by Alterna Comics at the end of the month, he said. He majored in comics at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., and now, after writing more than 50 unpublished comics since his first at age 12, he’s promoting his first professionally published graphic novel.

On Saturday afternoon, Massie, along with his character The Deadbeat, a person one can only presume is a friend of Massie’s dressed as the character he created, made an appearance for Free Comic Book day at Mountain Empire Comics off State Street in downtown Bristol.

“I find if you take a 7-foot-tall man dressed in canary yellow tights with you, people tend to take notice,” Massie said.

The deadbeat jumped in, “It’s very strange to be created by such a flawed god,” he joked. “Fortunately, he’s very well-read.”

Free Comic Book Day is an annual event in which certain comics are given away free at stores across the country in an effort to build a larger comic-book readership, or at least to hook some kids on the art form, Massie said.

As a local author, Massie spent the day giving away “episodes” of his upcoming graphic novel at comic stores in the region, spending the afternoon behind a table set up in the State Street store.

The Deadbeat, who accompanied Massie, stayed in character throughout the afternoon, delighting customers with a quick wit and convincing certitude.
“Am I deadbeat?” he repeated the question posed. “It’s a matter of perspective.”

Massie’s first comic was hand-written and he had only the one copy, so he rented it to kids at school for 50 cents a pop – lunch money, he said.

Since then, he’s been published in various anthologies and collections, but the May 27 release will be his first graphic novel, he said.

“I draw every night, it’s like a habit,” he said. “I just like the whole thing. I’m sure my first was some rip off from ‘X-Men’ or something, there was probably some nudity, yeah, boobs – hey, I was 12.”

By day, Massie is a graphic artist at the Coalfield Progress in Wise, Va., where he grew up and now lives with his wife, he said.

Someday, however, his dream is to create comics for pay – as a day job.

“I just want to keep drawing comics,” he said. “I want to do it for my day job.”

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