I Spent 5 Months Creating 10 Photos

Photographer Duke Shoman has taken the idea of the private lives of our heroes and has created the breathtaking and poignant SUbPAR HEROES, a ten-piece art collection, which portrays some of the most well known fictional heroes in very human situations.

“Superheroes are the most untouchable characters in our modern mythology, we esteem them to be impervious to any kind of hardships due to their supernatural abilities allowing them to bypass situations that the common man is forced to deal with, but what if we were allowed to pull off their masks, and witness them in their daily human lives, complete with the same struggles millions of people deal with every day?”

“One can never know what personal issues someone may be battling with, whether rich, poor, powerful, celebrity, or blue collar worker. We all have our demons and every human experiences pain indiscriminately.”

“As a fan of the various comic series, I always revered these fantastic characters as always having an answer to whatever obstacle stood in their way, but when the answers weren’t as easy as ‘Get the bad guy’ and they had the additive of human flaw and susceptibility, what would happen? With this in mind I chose characters based on their given superhero abilities and allowable vulnerabilities and chose their hardships based on things their gifts couldn’t alleviate. What if characters resembling that of Spiderman, the wisecracking happy kid to the casual observer, actually suffered from depression that eventually lead to his suicide? On the other hand, a character resembling an icon such as Wonder Woman, the most powerful female figure in our society, was the ideal personage to model for domestic abuse. No matter how strong a woman may appear in the outside world, there are countless women that struggle with abusive spouses behind closed doors.”

Shoman not only creates his imagery, but he also uses himself in this projects. In the SUbPAR HEROES series he portrays four of the ten characters and stands in as an extra in another. The rest of the characters were professional acquaintances and friends that were willing to follow him on his wild, and possibly controversial, artistic vision.

“The images, aside from being fun, vibrant, and engaging at first glance, hold the deeper minded audience on each image with subtle creative accents that depict the deeper darker underlying storylines. As a photographer, I’ve always thought it a victory if I was able to keep someone engaged on an image for an entire minute; it’s not an easy mission to accomplish. Although the characters are the first thing that is seen, they are merely eye candy to facilitate the greater message and idea incorporated in each scenario. The characters are only tools.”

“The idea is always the most important component of any photography creation. Being able to transpose a mass collection of thoughts, sentiments, feelings, and emotions in a single image is a wildly difficult and beautiful thing that I feel fortunate enough to be able to do for all my viewers. I hope this series finds you well, not only as an artistic expression, but also for those who are struggling with any of these issues. Know that you aren’t alone and even the strongest and most resilient of us have cracks, and falter from time to time.

Please enjoy these SUbPAR HEROES.

More info: dukeshoman.com | Instagram | Facebook

Anyone that relies on technology for their day to day life or, much worse, their living knows the devastation that results from their workstation suffering an irreparable accident. Spilling your morning coffee is also a terrible tragedy in its own right.

Being responsible for your own wellbeing is tough enough, but assuring the bellies of your little ones remain filled, their backs clothed, and still grow up to be contributing members of society is enough to make one want to retreat to the woods for a simpler life.

Sometimes it doesn't matter how much strength or ability you possess. There are times in life that you have to roll up your sleeves and simply deal with problems the same way every man must.

Between the hours of 8am-10am only on Monday unless its the third Monday of the month before the winter solstice Wednesday is Thursday unless its Friday all other times Sunday is a holiday 2 hour parking all other times before 2pm with exception of “DISTRICT NO 13 PERMITS” and written consent from traffic commissioner unless previously authorized fornication under consent of the king is displayed on type “N” plates, BLUE, come back in june if towed.

We tend to look at others with adoration at their strength, beauty, or other enviable qualities in comparison to own and say "I wish I..." but one never knows the true story of what even the strongest woman may have to struggle with behind closed doors. 

Sadly, many brilliant minds and amazing talents have a seemingly unending battle with finances and perpetual debt that never seems to abate.  Genius doesn’t necessitate a secure
financial existence. It is a true tragedy when wild talent is forced to push a mop or unload pallets at the shipping/receiving docks.

She may be hardened and unbreakable in her presentation to the world, but there is a story behind how she built her defenses.

The stresses of life are dealt with differently from person to person.  The pressures of responsibility can sometimes be daunting and offer no easy solution for coping, sometimes we yield to the seemingly easier method of dealing with our issues.

Although loved ones may offer support and best wishes, the afflicted go through their daily routine with a tortured mind and constant reminders seeped in shame of a life that they alone must face.

Not every signal of an unhappy spirit is translated in an obvious way.  That quick smart mouthed kid who always seemed so
happy without a care in the world may need more help than you know.