Headroom

While Headroom may not be the first place one might think to look for the late, great Pope John Paul II, it should really come as no surprise that news involving this most far-reaching pontiff would wind up in a place like this.

What follows is completely true. It has been in production for over a year, and is being produced as a tribute for all that Pope John Paul II did in his life.

This is not meant to be offensive.

Now that that little advisory is out of the way, I'd like to introduce "Incredible Popeman," a Colombian comic book about to launch its first issue.

Yahoo! News describes the premise of the Incredible Popeman" as: "Pope John Paul II is being reborn in a Colombian comic book as a superhero battling evil with an anti-Devil cape and special chastity pants."

"Incredible Popeman" artist Rodolfo Leon, himself a nonpracticing Catholic, has been putting all his talents to use over the last year.

Leon is working very hard on turning John Paul II into a comic-book hero--but, as Leon himself admits: "The Pope was a real-life super hero, of flesh and blood."

While worried that the public may be offended due to John Paul II's recent passing, Leon says it has been well received so far.

Aside from being sold in the dominantly Catholic Colombia, "Incredible Popeman" also will be immediately available in John Paul II's native Poland--and will perhaps later be sold in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where publishers have shown interest in the project.

Along with the comic book, Rodolfo Leon also has plans for a line of "Popeman" action figures.

Now there's tribute, then there's exploitation--and with action figures, Leon would find himself walking a fine line between the two.

RYAN BROSMER is a junior at Chancellor High School.