Who Wants to Interview a Superhero? #1: Major Victory
 

As part of the ERIICA Project's research studying fan behavior, faculty and student researchers conducted a year-long series of interviews with comics professionals and fans at conventions like Comic-Con 2007, Wizard World-Texas, Wonder-Con, and Comic-Con 2008. As we sort through the interviews along with the hundreds of surveys we collected, we'll report on excerpts from some of these interviews, publishing them through the ezine.

One of the first people our interviewers spoke with was Chris Watters from San Francisco, California, who achieved greater recognition as Major Victory while competing in the first season of Stan Lee's series Who Wants to Be a Superhero? Even though Chris didn't win the competition, he still gets to be a superhero, making appearances at conventions like Wizard World.

We are endlessly grateful to Chris, as we are to everyone whom we interviewed over the last year. Overall, our year's experiences proved to be very informative, and we had a lot of fun along the way.

And now I'll turn the page over to intrepid interviewer Justin Poole.
 

Over the past year, I have had the privilege to interview a multitude of celebrities and professionals from comic, movie, and television industries about fan behavior and their experiences with fans.

At Wizard World Dallas 2007 I was allowed to speak with an extremely funny individual, Major Victory. Major Victory was a contestant in the first season of Who Wants to Be A Superhero? Though Feedback was the final contestant of the first season of Who Wants to Be A Superhero?, after this interview I believe Major Victory was the one who truly came away from the show a winner, and most definitely not a wiener.

Immediately after I give Major Victory the microphone, he begins to serenade me.

Major Victory: Thanks for the memories. This is the time…(he begins to hum the rest of the tune).

JP: Umm, I just started recording

MV: What? Sorry, Hey, thanks for coming out. Where you from? (He pauses as if he is waiting for someone in an unknown audience to respond.) No? Oh ok, where are we?

At this moment I already am having trouble keeping a straight face.

MV: Basically, they come over and start talking about their dog. Its weird because, you know, you’d think them being my fans, they would talk about me. But, they end up talking about their dog. Pretty shocking.

JP: Over the course of time that you have been going to conventions, what have you seen change with fan behavior?

MV: Well, It doesn’t really change. There are two different types of fans that come to comic conventions: the people who dress up, and the people who don’t dress up. I prefer the person who dresses up so I don’t feel so damned ashamed of myself. (Grins and laughs.) Uh. Hello. Is this thing on (taps the microphone)

JP: When do you find yourself acting or feeling like a fan?

MV: I guess when I’m combing my hair. I love my hair. (Looks over to his wife, Mrs. Victory.) You thought that was funny.

She merely smiles and shakes her head no.

MV: Right on.

JP: What would you like to see the fans do more of?

MV: More massages. I love being touched. I do.

Mrs. Victory punches him in the arm.

Mrs. V: You love being touched? (Punches him in the arm again and laughs.)

MV: Not hit. Touched.

She strokes his arm.

MV: Ow. That hurt.

She kisses his arm as he looks away as if he is going to cry.

JP: Have you experienced rude fans, and how have you dealt with them?

MV: Usually, getting back to the dog, they kind of…SIT! (mimics training a dog to sit) I’m like the dog wisperer, but like the fan whisperer. SIT! They get a little..SIT! You know the little thing on their neck. You know. (looks again at his wife) No? That’s what I do. I ask them to quit spitting on me. That’s a big one. Please put your clothes back on. Please get off that. PLEASE, stop that. Those kind of things like that. They work really well.

Mrs. V: I don’t know if you had enough coffee this morning.

MV: I had lots of coffee.

Mrs. V: Maybe you had too much.

MV: Basically, looking at a fan right in the eyes and just pleading with them. Please. GET OFF!! Yeah. All rright.

JP: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your experience with fans or fan behavior?

MV: Basically. Love my fans. They’re cool. They’re funny. They’re unique. They…they love Major Victory. Which is really cool, I don’t understand it. It’s a nice feeling. (turns to his wife) Honey, you're one of my biggest fans.

Mrs. V: Yes. Yes, I am.

MV: I have a lot of success with my fans. I’d just like to leave you with this. Be a winner, not a wiener.