What do you create when you combine real medical doctors and sci-fi/comic fanboys? You get the team from Broadcast Thought, a group of three physicians specializing in forensic, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry who provide expert consultation to the media and entertainment industries. These psychiatrist are both medical professionals and fans of film, TV, comics, and other popular media. They brought attendees of WonderCon 2011 a fascinating conversation with their presentation “Transcending Trauma: From the Birth of Batman to the Rise of the Red Hood.”
Almost all heroes and villains are created due to some type of traumatic event in their life, but the key question is why do some lean towards “hero” while others join the ranks of “villain”? New psychiatric analyses exploring the effects of traumatic experience on characters’ paths to heroism or villainy were analyzed. The team of physicians, H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D., founders of Broadcast Thought, applied modern psychiatric knowledge and new insight to characters such as Batman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Hulk, Red Hood, and more. They explored how these classic characters became the heroes or the villains we have grown to love or fear, asking questions such as: What drove Batman to become a hero? Was Robin destined to become the Red Hood? How is insanity defined medically and legally as applied to Joker? And they offered insight into the diagnosis of PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The discussion and analysis was detailed, educational and hugely entertaining, bringing a scientific backdrop to aspects of pop culture. More info on this team is available on their website: www.BroadcastThought.com