Scanning Around With Gene: Boy Heroes

Everybody wants to be a hero. As a boy I certainly did and often imagined myself innocently riding my bike when sudden tragedy called on me to save the day. My time never came and I have no idea how I would have actually reacted, but I like to think I was ready, despite absolutely no training.
My Boy Scout friends, on the other hand, presumably did receive some basic emergency training and so had a slightly higher standard to live by. But keeping a calm head in the midst of chaos or drama is no easy task for anyone, so even the Boy Scouts give special recognition to those scouts who demonstrate heroism in the face of adversity. Today’s images are from a comic strip that appeared in the Boy Scout publication Boy’s Life, which featured a true case study of heroic scouts in action every month. Click on any image for a larger version.



Tragedy, we learn, strikes in many ways. Sometimes a tragic event literally starts with a bang: a car crash, plane crash, or gun blast.



Other times tragedy sneaks up on you: a missing child, unexplained behavior, or a little girl playing on railroad tracks.



But soon it’s clear that quick action is called for.






And then the moment of truth—the actual rescue or intervention.




It’s hard to say what many of us would do in similar situations. These days, most people would probably pull out their cell phones and call 911, which might actually be the best thing. But these boys took action and saved the day.




Then comes a tremendous sense of relief as we realize the young man was successful in his efforts.



Go to page 2 for more.


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Gene Gable has spent a lifetime in publishing, editing and the graphic arts and is currently a technology consultant and writer. He has spoken at events around the world and has written extensively on graphic design, intellectual-property rights, and publishing production in books and for magazines such as Print, U&lc, ID, Macworld, Graphic Exchange, AGI, and The Seybold Report. Gene's interest in graphic design history and letterpress printing resulted in his popular columns "Heavy Metal Madness" and "Scanning Around with Gene" here on CreativePro.com.
  • Anonymous says:

    Fab, as always.
    Thanks Gene for such inspirational moments.
    “Let’s check the pond”!!

  • Terri Stone says:

    My favorite quote is, “Suddenly he heard the horn of an approaching train roaring down the track!”

    Terri Stone
    Editor in Chief, CreativePro.com

  • Anonymous says:

    I think it’s a mixed legacy–long on charisma and fantasy and perhaps a little short on thoughtful citizenship. But I can still remember my fourth grade teacher reading our class a short story he had written, probably as part of an English degree; it turned precisely the situation of an older kid shoving a younger one out of the path of a speeding car.

  • Anonymous says:

    Love that cartoon serie. Thank you for the remimber I completely forgot about it
    Seb

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