Sarah Mills: There are always things for which we should be grateful
Sarah Mills says that even in tough times, we all have things we should be grateful for over the Thanksgiving weekend.
A Regina boy’s dream of becoming a comic book superhero has caught the attention of the people working to carry on Stan Lee’s legacy.
Tony Dubois, who has cerebral palsy, is competing in the first-ever Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition, hoping to turn his love of superheroes into a starring role in his own comic book.
Read more:
- Kids at Regina General Hospital meet superheroes during fundraiser
- Saskatoon neighbour gifts 7-year-old superhero cape for saving her home from fire
- ‘You’re my superhero,’ Sask. author Wes Funk remembered by friends and family
And his journey has impressed Chaz Rainey, managing director of the Stan Lee Foundation.
“He seems to be doing pretty well, doesn’t he?” Rainey said in an interview with 980 CJME.
“I love the idea, too. I was reading a little bit about him and how they’re mobilizing the local community to support him and everything. It sounds wonderful.”
While Rainey isn’t picking favourites, he says the response to the competition has been bigger than expected.
He said he was told more than 85,000 children entered, although he hasn’t independently verified that number.
“I’m shocked that it’s got this kind of geographic reach,” he said.
The competition is open to children between five and 17 in Canada, excluding Quebec, and the United States.
Children advance through rounds of public voting, with the eventual winner receiving $25,000, four VIP passes to the 2027 L.A. Comic Con and a starring role in a special-edition Stan Lee Universe comic book.
Tony Dubois, left, and his father, John Dubois, pose for a photo inside a bus filled with bags of food. Tony has received support from across Regina during his run in Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition. (John Dubois/Submitted)
A superhero in the making
For Tony, the opportunity began with his dad, John Dubois, finding the competition while scrolling through Facebook.
“We just entered on a whim, like we didn’t even think we had a shot or anything like that,” John said.
But Tony quickly began climbing the rankings, helped by support from his family, school and people across Regina.
“It’s been amazing to see the support that he’s gathered,” John said. “A lot of people are voting. A lot of people care.”
Tony, a student at Seven Stones Community School, has spent much of his childhood surrounded by superheroes.
He grew up watching Spider-Man cartoons, reading comics and collecting superhero toys. His all-time favourite is Batman.
If he wins, Tony hopes his own superhero will have the ability to slow down time, use telekinesis, and have super intelligence.
Asked what it would mean to appear in his own comic book, Tony didn’t need many words.
“I’m just gonna say this in three words: wild, unexpected and amazing.”
Continuing Stan Lee’s legacy
For Rainey, the competition is about much more than finding the next comic book superhero.
He believes it reflects the values Stan Lee promoted through his characters and storytelling.
“This idea of also sort of celebrating the specialness of kids and their own sort of courage and overcoming adversity and giving back to their community, these are all things that Stan cared about deeply,” Rainey said.
“You see it in his writing, you see it in his characters, and I think this is a reflection of that.”
Rainey believes Lee, who died in 2018, would have embraced the idea.
“I think he would really love this,” he said.
The Stan Lee Foundation is a charitable beneficiary of the competition, which is administered by fundraising company Colossal.
Rainey said the money raised could help the foundation expand its work promoting literacy and storytelling.
One initiative in development would use comic books to help children between six and eight learn to read.
“We’re trying to launch a pilot program that will use comic books to improve literacy in ages six to eight,” he said.
The foundation is also exploring a mentorship program that would connect aspiring writers with experienced screenwriters, novelists and graphic novelists.
Rainey said the competition could help provide the resources needed to make those plans a reality.
“We’re really hopeful and optimistic that this is going to give us the platform we need to really do something special for Stan’s legacy and do something that he would have really cared about.”
A collection of superhero toys belonging to Regina’s Tony Dubois, who is competing for a chance to appear in a Stan Lee Universe comic book. (John Dubois/Submitted)
A dream worth chasing
Rainey said he initially had questions about how the winning child’s comic would come together.
But he has confidence in the people working on it, including Stan Lee Foundation director Bob Sabouni, who previously worked at Marvel.
“I think if I was a kid and I was able to see myself in a comic, I’d be super excited,” Rainey said.
For Tony, there’s also the possibility of attending Comic-Con with his family.
John is already imagining what they might wear.
“I think you’d make a great Batman, and I’d make a great Robin,” he told his son.
But before any costumes or comic-book appearances, Tony still has to make it through the competition.
People can cast one free vote every 24 hours through Tony’s profile at TheSuperKid.org. Adults can also donate to earn additional votes.
The grand-prize winner is expected to be announced in December.
For now, Tony is enjoying an opportunity he never expected.
“It’s insane that I can even do this because this is not an everyday opportunity,” he said. “I don’t know what to say other than this is just amazing. I can’t stop smiling.”
Read more:
