by G. Jack Urso
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Dale Pople as Superhero (from Portrait of a
Superhero). |
In 2014, I wrote a research paper
on Logan’s Run, 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 10 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-wining 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.
One day, after nearly six years
of my article on Logan’s Run being on
my blog’s weekly Top 10, 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.
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Here is the full
15-minute documentary about Dale Pople on YouTube:
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