It is never too late to begin the foundation of a dream. This is the lesson that I received from Luis Gonzalez-Poma yesterday when I interviewed him for our new podcast Disability Comic Con Network (where we discuss pop culture and disabilities).
Luis is a self-advocate and creator of a new comic book series called Whirl Wheel based on a character he developed over a decade ago. Whirl Wheel's civilian name is Alec Gutierrez, and he was born with spina bifida making him paralyzed from the knees down and use a wheelchair. Alec was in an accident at a medical facility and that is how he gained his powers. His special abilities are super speed and super strength. He has a companion who is also a wheelchair user and very techy like Oracle. She has her own special equipment developed by Whirl Wheel making them the perfect crime fighting duo.
Luis found the need to create a comic book character that he could relate to sharing commonalities with beloved comic book heroes. Like Whirl Wheel, Luis was born with spina bifida and paralyzed from the knees down in addition to being Latino. To make his dream of bringing his Latino descent wheelchair bound superhero to life, Luis invested in a team to assist with illustration and script writing. He said that having a disposable income gave him the opportunity to make his vision a reality and to date he has experienced enthusiasm about Whirl Wheel.
Luis at Fairfax, Virginia comic convention as a vendor for the first time. In previous years Luis went as an attendee.
Our conversation dived deeper into the cosplay community and obstacles that Luis has had to overcome while being an active cosplayer. We touched on cosplaying characters known to not have a disability.
Just because I am disabled doesn't mean I can't cosplay a certain character. If I want to do a disabled/wheelchair user Superman - why can't I? If I want to do a wheelchair user Batman - why not?
Luis goes on to explain that Bane broke Batman's back in the comics and in the movies. He can use this as an example if he wants to be Batman in his wheelchair saying he is recovering from the injury. Luis goes on to say it is about navigating the story the best way you can and with the introduction of the multiverse changing the physicality of the character is more acceptable than ever.
Our conversation also took a turn in the real world of living with a disability. Luis informed me that his father works in construction and has been a huge advocate of ensuring that buildings are ADA accessible. Sometimes Luis gets invited by his dad to evaluate the building to be certain it is acceptable. We talked about other improvements such as movie theatre doors and restrooms in general. Luis said he must laugh sometimes because some of the handicap restroom stall doors open inward when it is more convenient to open outward.
Overall, the conversation with Luis was very enlightening with so much more to unpack. Listen to the full interview by visiting our podcast and let us know your thoughts.
Disability Comic Con Network host Alisa (Coffee the Cosplayer) talked with self-advocate and comic book creator Luis Gonzalez-Poma about his creating a comic book Whirl Wheel, cosplay, and being a cosplayer with a disability. You can find out more about Luis by following his social media accounts.
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