Superhero sergeant: Reservist uses comic book to raise funds for wounded warriors

  • Published
  • By Capt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Dover Air Force Base, Del. --  The superhero filled stories of the X-Men, Fantastic Four and New Teen Titans were some of his favorites as a child.

Now 38, Master Sgt. Eric Sellers still loves comic books and is using that enthusiasm to benefit the nation's real-world heroes, wounded warriors.

The 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron laboratory services NCO in charge assisted in the production of the comic, Pacesetter: The George Perez Magazine, which highlights the American comic book writer and illustrator and the 30th Anniversary of The New Teen Titans. Proceeds from the sale of the comic go to the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization designed to help injured servicemembers.

"This is my way to give back to those who sacrificed the most," said the 512th Airlift Wing reservist, who owns thousands of comic books and is an avid fan of George Perez, the illustrator of Wonder Woman and the Avengers. "It was a way for me to use my passion for comics to benefit a cause close to my heart and help real heroes who have sacrificed so much for freedom."

According to the Wounded Warriors Project website, more than 40,000 servicemembers have been injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's also estimated that more than 300,000 suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. WWP works to assist these wounded men and women through their programs and services.

Sergeant Sellers has been associated with the Pacesetter for eight years and became involved with the project, because he started asking if anything was going to be done for the 30th Anniversary of the New Teen Titans.

"It was a comic that influenced a generation," said the reservist who entered the Air Force in 1991 and transferred to the Air Force Reserve in 1998.

The Teen Titans was originally created in 1964, but the comic became a huge success in the 1980's when Mr. Perez and writer Marv Wolfman revamped the series, relaunching it as the New Teen Titans, said Sergeant Sellers. The comic features characters such as Robin, Kid Flash, Cyborg, Changeling, Wonder Girl, Starfire and Raven.

"It's a series that was well written, well drawn, with great characters and great story lines that are still prevalent today," said Sergeant Sellers. "I didn't see anything being done to highlight the New Teen Titans 30th Anniversary, so I approached the Pacesetter publisher Tony Lorenz and volunteered to put something together."

Not only did Sergeant Sellers line-up most of the material for the issue, but he financed the up-front printing cost of the issue, said Mr. Lorenz. Sergeant Sellers invested nearly $3,000 in the project. The anniversary issue cost $10 and can be purchased in comic book stores and online at www.lulu.com.

"The only thing Eric asked of me was to donate all proceeds to the Wounded Warrior Project," said Mr. Lorenz.

"As kids, we all want to be heroes," said Sergeant Sellers, whose father, an active-duty chief master sergeant with 30 years of service, was one of his biggest heroes. "Wherever I went in the world, whether it was when I was with my parents or when I was on active duty, I could always find comic books. These stories always made me want to be the good guy and fight in justice."

Maybe that's why he chose law enforcement as a career for more than 20 years and retired from the Pennsylvania State Police.

As a police officer, he caught his fair share of bad guys. While this crime fighter may not be able to create force fields or generate flames at will, he is a real-world superhero doing his part to honor the real-life heroes who sacrificed life and limb for the pursuit of freedom.