Marvel Comics and Iron Man Launch Campaign for Kiddos with Hearing Impairments!


What is cuter that a fluffy puppy, more inspiring than that one legged wrestler, and able to help numerous kids with a kind gesture? Marvel Comics! They’ve recently announced a new poster campaign for hearing impaired children and it’s one of the most heart warming projects I’ve ever seen from the House of Ideas.   A big step above the comic industry’s usual fare of shallow endorsements.

And let me tell you, I have seen some really baaaad cross-promotions from major comic companies. A few years ago The Justice League tried to sell me some power tools. Captain America once told me to buy a motorcycle (but I gotta admit, that First Avenger Harley was pretty sick). Hell, growing up, most of Marvel’s mighty pantheon tried to shove Hostess cakes down my throat.

Now, this most recent initiative started when young little kiddo, Anthony Smith, told his mom he would not wear his hearing aids anymore because “superheroes don’t have blue ears.” Marvel went above and beyond; researching old comics to find proof from the 80’s that Hawkeye, a major Avenger, actually had a hearing impairment himself. They then had artists Nelson Ribeiro and Manny Mederos create artwork that showed the four year old Anthony Smith as a magnificent superhero named Blue Ear. The press caught on, leading to many other parents of children with hearing impairments reaching out to Marvel.

The feels… they’re too much!

 

Marvel flew into action again with a new campaign. They joined forces with hearing-aid manufacturer, Phonak, and held an event on Tuesday at the Center for Hearing and Communication. In attendance were both the spectacular superhero Blue Ear himself along with his mother and the incredible Iron Man. At the event, kids received a one-page comic poster written by Christos Gage with art by Paco Medina. The comic told the story of a boy whose peers won’t play soccer with him because he has a hearing impairment. Iron Man shows up and informs them that he would not be the man he is today if not for his mechanical help.

Boooyaaaaah, just like the kids with the hearing impairments need support, Iron Man needs it too.

As a kid, comics gave me confidence. I grew up a skinny neurotic Jew boy who looked different and was picked on. Without my connection to my fellow mutants, the X-Men, I don’t know where I would be now.  That’s why I love Marvel, a company which has created an entire host of heroes afflicted by varying woes.  With these small gestures, Marvel probably boosted the confidence of a lot of kiddos and made them feel special. Let’s face it, parents can give their kids all the love in the world. They can tell them a million times how clever and special they are, but one bully can destroy that child’s confidence and self-worth in the blink of an eye. Knowing that a Marvel hero has been through hard times too can lift the child right back up. Now that is real.

Source: Robot 6