It’s honestly not all that often anymore that I get lost in memories of my Dad. Sure, I talk about him a lot, mention him a good amount on this blog, but I really don’t just stop everything more than a couple times a year.
But today he would have turned 65. Instead, he didn’t get past 46.
Growing up, Dad and I were extremely close. We shared just about everything. He introduced me to the DC Animated Universe, and to Legos, and of course it’s his fault that I love video games.
He was always right there for me. He chased my bullies down the street when they chased me down the street and got my foot sliced open. He was my coach in softball for as long as he could. He encouraged me to write when I didn’t want to.
Dad and I were thick as thieves. And I credit him with why I still love DC, even though I’ve fallen for Marvel.
Dad discovered Batman: The Animated Series when I was still too young to be watching anything but Disney films. But he fell in love with it. He’d liked the comics, and thought the show was a great adaptation. By the time I turned four, we were spending afternoons after work and preschool watching an episode or two. I fell in love with Robin, though I also seemed to like the Joker (or so the family legend goes).
By the time I was six and we’d moved to Florida, Dad and I would spend every afternoon watching Batman and Superman: The Animated Series, though I didn’t like Superman all that much. I apparently used to say that he was too good. As an aside, I still think that most of the time, though the Arrowverse Superman is at least written a bit better, with more flaws (and more Tyler Hoechlin, but that’s an embarrassing conversation for another lifetime).
Every time a new show premiered, we’d make an afternoon of it. Dad would take off work early, I’d make microwave popcorn, and we’d camp out in the living room to watch the first episode as it aired. That’s how I remember being introduced to Static Shock and Justice League, and of course, my favorite being Batman Beyond.
Dad would also use our time watching DC shows to help me understand life lessons. A good example would be Static Shock. When I was little, I didn’t understand racism. I just thought people were people, color didn’t matter. Dad explained using the show about the history of racism in America. He also used one of the episodes to really drive home the point (when Virgil goes to spend the night at Richie’s house, only to discover that Richie’s father is racist and has come home early). Using the show helped explain what my teachers were tiptoeing around.
He did the same with Batman Beyond, of which we watched every episode together. He explained Terry’s backstory a bit more than the show did, explaining what Juvie was and why Terry’s turn at Batman was so significant.
I think that’s why Static and Batman Beyond are two of my favorite characters. Both have backstories that are full of good and bad, both have flaws that are prevalent, and both work hard to change their worlds for the better.
When my father got diagnosed with cancer, I started spending more time watching shows with him, more so than before. We’d watch Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker a lot, talking about the plot and characters and how it fits in with the rest of the series.
Dad’s favorite show became Justice League. He liked how all the character’s interacted, and how episodes would focus on different ones, but under an overarching theme. He would often say that he couldn’t wait to see what was coming next.
Unfortunately, he never saw the end of season one.
In October of 2002, the cancer got worse. He was hospitalized by the middle of the month. He’d just watched episodes 22 and 23 with me. We knew there was going to be a few more, but it didn’t matter. By Halloween, he was starting to lose touch with the world.
On November 9, 2002, as the finale of season one of Justice League was debuting on Cartoon Network, he passed away.
It would be months before I could even look at anything DC related. I’d shared so much of that world, that universe with Dad, that just hearing Batman’s voice, or the theme song to Static, or seeing the DVD case of Return of the Joker crushed me.
It took until June, I think. I was flipping channels, starting to feel like myself again. I came upon Justice League, right as they were beginning a marathon to lead into season two. And for the first time since Dad’s passing, I didn’t click away.
I watched every episode that summer, and continued on when school resumed. I found decent copies of Batman Beyond online and rewatched them. Went back and restarted Static Shock. I found my way back.
Of course, years have now passed since that summer. I’m more inclined to watch a Marvel film or four instead of the DCAU. My tastes have changed a lot since I was twelve.
But I was reminded of all those years when I came upon something I’d ordered last year, that I hadn’t displayed in my room yet. Back in October of 2019, Warner Bros released Batman Beyond on Blu-Ray. I ended up buying the Deluxe Limited Edition, which came with Return of the Joker and a metallic Funko Pop. I found it while I was cleaning for the holidays, behind my Amazon Avengers Team Up Funkos.
I haven’t opened the box, and I probably never will. But just seeing it reminded me of Dad and all the fun we used to have. For once I’m not feeling destroyed and crippled about being reminded of him. Instead, I sat and thought about all the good times we shared.
Since it’s the holidays, and it would have been his birthday, I wanted to go back down memory lane about my Dad, John. I hope you don’t mind that I did so, since this post has a different tone than normal. But I also hope you can see a little piece of me, hidden by this screen. My memories of my Dad are something that I treasure, especially since I only had 12 years with him in my life. But I want to honor his memory forever.
Until next time.
