Chytomo media
Every epoch, every community and every country needs a hero. Today, from the height of the modern mindset, it is hard to state how archaic society saw heroism. Because of exploitation of this notion and word even today it is not so easy to clearly articulate who a hero in a modern world is. We’d like to discuss why we have and always will need heroes, and how full-scale invasion influenced this. A comics series “Way to Victory” created by the company Art Nation Loyalty and studio The Will Production will help us.
The content is based on an article written by Tetyana Kalytenko for Chytomo, an online state-of-the-art media platform that specializes in the vibrant culture of reading and the constantly evolving landscape of book publishing in Ukraine and beyond.
How Can We Showcase the Heroism of Ukrainian Superheroes to the World?
The full-scale russian-Ukrainian war is a historical event whose impact is difficult to avoid for Ukrainians — almost impossible: neither at the front, nor in the rear area, nor while being temporarily displaced abroad.
Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainians have been waiting for the support of the world, the support of the same Avengers or Justice League, but quickly realized that they are the Justice League. The realities of modern warfare have shown that a hero is not a single chosen character who confronts in both internal and external conflicts. It is not a superman who appears in the sky in a moment of anxiety or real danger.
These are everyday heroes - ordinary Ukrainians who rise to the occasion without hesitation or preparation. They courageously go to work, enjoy dinners with their families, and cherish time spent together each day.
How Can We Showcase the Heroism of Ukrainian Superheroes to the World?
There was a time when at ComicCons from year to year discussions about what a Ukrainian superhero should be like popped up, and the answer came out on its own in critical times. Ukrainian superhero is a witch of Konotop, an ordinary tractor driver, impossible to catch, fearless and immortal cyber-warrior from Kherson city, military men, spirit of Kyiv with no name, an embodiment of the brave pilots.
Actually, the collections of comics “Way to Victory. Courage” and “Way to Victory. Freedom” capture, in fact, contemporary Ukrainians who have become mythological heroes over time. Thanks to Art Nation Loyalty company comics have become more than published editions — a basis of a fundraising campaign of “Aurora” multimarket chain. Income from sold copies via fundraising platform UNITED24 is aimed at buying spy drones RQ-35 Heidrun. Mark Hamill, star of “Star Wars” is an ambassador of this fundraising, and he underlines that the real heroes are not fictional characters but real people who are in need of real help.
The question of what a Ukrainian superhero should look like is no longer relevant because we know the answer. The Ukrainian superhero has many faces and names, and their main goal is to defend the freedom of Ukraine.
Of course, there is a great prospect of transformation from the individual to the universal, as in the case of the Ghost of Kyiv, which is a collective image of Ukrainian brave pilots. Absolutely obvious is the fact that it is too early to talk about a clearly defined phenomenon — it takes time to comprehend and rethink the events that are happening every day.
However, it is now clear that the hero protects us not only on the physical but also on the mental level, he keeps us from the mayhem of history by turning bloody everyday life into something eternal — a myth that will carry the knowledge of brave men and women over the centuries.
To read the full article, follow this link:
https://chytomo.com/en/way-to-victory-why-do-we-need-our-own-heroics/