by G. Jack Urso
 |
| Dale Pople as Superhero (from Portrait of a
Superhero). |
In 2014, I wrote
a research paper, Beyond the Dome:
A Critical Analysis of Logan’s Run, comparing elements of the
novels, film, and TV series, and posted it to this blog. I’m a bit of a sci-fi fan
and have written numerous articles on a variety of books, films, and TV series
as an exercise in writing reviews. Almost from the start, the article took off,
gaining thousands of individual page views and remained among the top ten blog
posts every week for almost six years.
Dale Pople was
one of those who stopped by to read the article. He was a HUGE Logan’s Run fan who ran a tribute site.
I joined and we exchanged thoughts on the film and promoting it, lobbying Mego
to release a Logan’s Run line of
figures, video making (we used the same software), etc. A big, bald-headed,
gregarious guy, Pople had a smile that lit up a room. He actually was a
superhero — dressed up in costume and hit the streets looking to help those in
need. Active on social media, he gave encouragement to his fellow fans and took
the time to connect with many on a personal level, as much as social media
allows.
On July 18,
2020, Dale Pople took his own life.
Briefly a
pro-wrestler whose persona was named “Superhero,” Pople’s career was cut early
by an injury. A navy vet, he also completed police academy training, though he
never served. In 1998, Pople took to the streets as the costumed superhero
named — Superhero! An early member of the Real-Life Superhero community (RLSH),
Pople put on the costume and walked the streets looking for people to help, and
he did. A short award-winning documentary, Portrait
of a Superhero: A Documentary Film (2018), revealed his troubled childhood
and detailed his adventures as “He helps the homeless, provides charity to sick
and disadvantaged children, aids stranded motorists, and patrols the streets to
prevent crime.”
I found the
documentary inspiring and considered asking Pople if I could get a glossy 8 x
10 autographed photo to hang on the wall next to the ones I had of William
Shatner, Adam West, and Burt Ward, who I met at the New York Comic Con, but
never got around to it. There’s always time I thought.
In 2018, Pople hung
up his tights when he turned 50. As he reported to the Tampa Bay Times, Sep. 24, 2018, despite his 6-ft, 220 lb frame, bad
knees, hernia surgeries, and shoulder injuries were affecting him. "I
don't care how good of shape you are in," he is quoted. "You are not
going to break up a fight between 21-year-old kids at 50.”
Nevertheless, he
remained a superhero to many. Pople had most recently worked as a salesman and
a personal trainer. He had a 25-year career in broadcasting in various
technical positions, including about 18 years at one cable network, which seems
to have come to an end in 2018, according to his LinkedIn profile. On July 15,
2020, Pople announced he and his wife decided to get divorced, a situation he
describes as having been "thrust" upon him. He then adds, "the
other decision I made is a choice," without saying what that was. In retrospect,
it is likely he had already made up his mind about ending his life. Two careers
coming to a close in the same year, followed by the end of his marriage, must
have been one hit too many.
Tony Armer,
director of Portrait of a Superhero
(see video, below), confirmed Pople’s suicide and reported that he “struggled
with depression for most of his life.” We’d all be lying if we say we didn’t
experience dark hours of desperation ourselves.
Pople‘s last
post on July 18 is a short video of him wearing the red shirt from his Superhero
costume. The description says: “Check please. To quote Herman Goering when he
was caught, ‘I can’t complain I had a good run.’” In the video itself, Pople is
reflective and quotes George Reeves, the 1950s TV Superman, who said ‘Welcome
to the bottom of the barrel boys, but don’t worry, I got the check.’” It is
worth noting that both Göering and Reeves committed suicide. Pople muses, “There
was a time when I really wasn't too comfortable being Superhero,” but concludes,
“He was all I was really good at being anyway.” He gives a nervous, ironic
laugh; his face is flushed, and the smile tight. Nevertheless, the video
strikes an optimist note at the end as he points to the camera and gives his
Superhero character motto, “You know what to do!” — To encourage us all to do
the right thing.
One commentator
on the video asked if Pople was doing ok, and he responded, “Better than Ever.”
Pople took his life later the same day. It has been said that those who give so
much for others often have little left for themselves. Maybe that was the case
with Pople, but who knows? The loss of his broadcasting career, the end of his
superhero career, the dissolution of his marriage, and the social isolation of living
in Florida during a pandemic must have been a very difficult time. I can only
imagine though.
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| Dale Pople’s comments on my Logan’s Run post. |
One day, after nearly
six years of my article on Logan’s Run
being on my blog’s weekly top ten posts, it suddenly dropped off the list.
The date was
July 18. The day Dale Pople ended his journey on this planet.
I wish I asked
him for that autograph.
_______________________________________________________
Here is the full
15-minute documentary about Dale Pople on YouTube:
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