As the old saying goes "always be yourself...unless you can be Batman...always be Batman."
Kevin Smith just happens to know Batman, so he's closer to the source material when he has his flights of personal fancy.
Smith is the host of the mega-popular podcast Fatman On Batman. He also happens to be one of the most respected and appreciated film directors in Hollywood, he's got his own fan base as an actor (You know the recurring character Silent Bob? Yeah. He's Silent Bob.), and he is a close personal friend of Ben Affleck who is the most recent inhabitant of the Batman part in the blockbuster film franchise.
On the podcast, Smith goes deep into his comicbook fandom, a part of his life that has been depicted numerous time in the movies he's made. At Northern FanCon two years ago his most frequent collaboration partner Jason Mewes told stories about he and Smith bonding over comic books in their younger days, and as they grew more and more famous for films like Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma, Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl, they saw no reason to simmer that down. In fact, they ramped it up, proud of their geek status. The dead giveaway was Smith's TV series entitled Comic Book Men. Some believe Smith, Mewes and his pals were partly responsible for the wave of chic-geek acceptance that has spawned the likes of The Big Bang Theory, the eruption of Marvel and DC characters on screens of all sizes, a new layer of Star Trek success and so on.
Anyone with questions about that can ask Smith directly. Fatman On Batman will record a podcast episode live in Prince George, where Smith will also be one of the featured special guests at Northern FanCon.
The podcast, for those who have not yet heard it, delves into the deep well of history on the Batman character. The talk goes to the comic books, the original television series with Adam West, all the animated TV branches, and of course all the blockbuster movies. But as much as it's about Batman, it is also about modern times and western culture. Smith has access to some of Hollywood's most interesting people who have guested on the show, and he has a boyish curiosity that goes after his topics with journalistic zeal. His on-air guests have included people like Mark Hamill, Chris Daughtry, even Stan Lee himself.
The additional depth of the Fatman On Batman show is Smith's position on the Wayne Foundation. He's the vice-president of this advocacy organization named after Batman's alter ego. It is a charity that stands up for kids who have been sexually exploited, victimized by sex trafficking, or otherwise sexually abused.
When the podcast is recorded on the floor of CN Centre during this year's Northern FanCon event, this work to help children and reduce crimes against children will be front and centre. Special guest host Marc Bernardin will also be alongside Smith for this once in a lifetime event.
Northern FanCon happens May 11-13. Full information is available on the event's Facebook page or at www.fancon.ca.
