Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Webcomic Explores Life in a Superhero Retirement Home

Robert Menegus writes,

Getting old is tough for anyone. You lose your hair, parts you didn't even know you had start hurting, and sometimes you don't quite make it to the bathroom in time. For folks with superpowers, things can be a little more… dangerous. When supers lose control of their powers and start getting confused, people can get hurt. That's why at Emerald Acres Nursing Center for Superhumans a specialized staff of caretakers utilize state-of-the-art containment methods to keep superfolks, and those around them, happy and safe. Well, at least when things go according to plan.

While I wasn't aware when I began writing Emerald Acres, the inspiration for it must have come from my family's recent decision to move my great aunt and uncle into assisted living. They are two of the smartest people I've ever met, so seeing them go to a home had a big impact on me. Specifically my great uncle, who was an extraordinarily sharp physics teacher and is now suffering from dementia. To me, it doesn't feel all that different from a superhero who used to watch over the planet and keep everyone safe, but now needs people to watch over him. It made me wonder, too, what lives the rest of the residents have had. What stories could they tell? What triumphs and defeats did they experience?

One interesting thing about nursing communities is that they are just that, communities. Primarily self-contained communities that are mostly ignored by the rest of society until someone we know needs care. But these communities have the same traits as others outside. Residents have friends, inside jokes, gossip, drama and the like, all of which is supplemented by visitors and the staff who live in both these communities and the outside world. That duality is something I wanted to capture in the story, which follows a new Nursing Assistant, Sarah Peng, as she acclimates to the new environment.

Of course, what makes the fictional facility different from real nursing homes is that all the residents have superpowers. This is another level of challenge on top of the already challenging age-related issues. Not only that, but these are people who spent their lives fighting maniacal supervillains and hyperdimensional beings, which can do a number on one's psyche, and most residents have a duality of their own, that of their hero persona and their civilian life. Some have spent their lives pushing people away out of fear that their loved ones becoming targets, and now have problems opening up even though their caped crusading days are over. Other can't escape their past in different ways. Some still have enemies out there. Enemies who have been holding grudges for a long time…

The first three episodes of Emerald Acres are currently available for free as part of a contest by Webtoons. If you want us to make more, vote for us daily on our page until January 3rd. If we make it to the top twenty, our comic will go before a panel of judges who will select four winners to become ongoing series. If we don't win but receive enough support and enthusiasm, we will make more in some capacity.

Read and vote at the link below. Rate us and "heart" episodes to make us stand out to other voters!
http://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/emerald-acres/list?title_no=15426

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