Leo's Hero Story
Today's Hero Story is from the amazing Leo Camacho. He's a cosplayer, media personality, model and all around awesome guy. We first met Leo at San Diego Comic-Con 2016 at a fashion event and he's been a great support to us- he is our hero! Check out his hero story and what makes him tick.
Who were you childhood heroes, fictional and in real life and why?
As a kid, I was a vacuum for pop culture. My heroes were all over the board, but most of them were animated. Spider-Man, Ninja Turtles, He-Man, and Disney's Robin Hood were my templates. I wanted to be them. I wanted to fight crime with style. Use my situation to help others. Spider-Man was so cool and dynamic but he struggled with himself and yet he still learned humility and placed others first. TMNT were given an unfair shake, but they devoted themselves to a purpose, and to eachother. Robin Hood always placed the interests of the many before himself and he did it was grace and charm. He-Man.... well, He-Man was a weird cartoon but he had an awesome green war tiger. I always wanted to be amongst these heroes who fought for the people who couldn't fight for themselves. I also always wanted to be a buff guy with a sword who rode an armored tiger.
In your opinion, who do you think is the most important hero in pop culture today and why?
Today's world is filled with the concept of heroes, especially with media pumping out content and super hero films every 5 seconds. So who stands out amongst them? I would have to say that, to me, the most important hero in Pop-Culture today is.. well it's three heroes, actually. Finn, Poe, and Rey, from the new Star Wars movie. They are allowing under represented and marginalized groups of people to take center stage in the single biggest influence to pop culture of all time. A woman, black man, and Latino are the primary characters in a genre defining story revolving around them in a way that draws absolutely no attention to any of those features. This means so much to so many people (myself included), and is being showcased the potentially the largest audience in the world! It goes without saying these heroes are changing our perception of what a hero is, and shaping the future of many aspiring and creative minds.
How has our modern era of heroes inspired or influenced you?
Heroes in media have taught me so much. The most important lesson i've learned though, as cliche as it sounds, is from Spider-Man. The original line is often misquoted so I'll say it clearly here: "With great power MUST ALSO come great responsibility." Although it seems like a nuance, the "must also" is critical to me. It means that responsibility is not inherent in capability. You must hold yourself to a higher standard. You must put the greater good before a personal decision, simply because you can. That is what pushes me towards being a better person. Hopefully, by "fighting the good fight" I will ultimately be the best version of myself.
Make sure to follow Leo's adventures on Twitterand Instagram!
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