These days we all love our heroes. But while many people associate the idea with power of one sort or another, be it Wolverine or Hiro Nakamura, few people actually think about the meaning of the word. That’s why actor, funnyman and all round legend Nathan Fillion has teamed up with British artist Martin Firrell to create a new art concept challenging the perception of heroism and what it means to be called a hero in the 21st century.
"I believe it really is no exaggeration to say that our societies may well not survive unless we can provide men with new ideas about serving their communities without the use of force," states Martin Firrell's web creation. "The attempt to define a new kind of heroism is what this public art project is about… where kindness is seen as a greater expression of strength than cruelty."
Some content from the project is appearing on the net, while the rest will be staged in London. So if you want to see Fillion’s head on the side of a building, get yourself down there later in the year - more details to follow. You can find out more and see the first instalment here:
http://www.martinfirrell.com/hero.html
You may also be interested to know that there's an article in the Times today about Martin Firrell's philosophy, which also references the Doctor as a role-model for our age. Check it out here . And in issue 160 of SFX (on sale Wednesday 1 August) you'll find the long-awaited Nathan Fillion interview, featuring your questions.
This story compiled by Adam Mason for SFX.
