The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 62

6 TN SUNDAY Twinmmi AUGUST 28. 1990 Comic book heroes fight for God Svirrk (Defers iMPLEIEHOMEOR urn QE REMODELING SERVICES? WeBrineOver35Years Of QuaKtyWorknianshq)To Every Job itii'ssSf "Ll Silpis mi aiiii mmmmmmmmm mm wmkjLmsM imsssMpittesspA- wmm llllp liiL, Illy III if 'flM I Wiii; Historic Home Home Additions Total Commercial Residential Renowztioru Repair 8 Renovation of Homes and Businesses Damaged By Fire or Natural Causes (E0ttteaci0r0 BUttDINGONAQUAUTYTRAOITION SINCE 1954 Locally Owned Unfimitti License Fully Bonded For an estimate, call David Hood at 383-9070. HMBHA. St 4MM I STEPfUNlERFID Gannett Sews Service "Samson, David, Moses, Aaron, Michael and Gabriel. We are on a mission from God.

We must stop the forces that are in this world today. Christ is our leader. Together, we shall be called the Supreme Disciples." The Supreme Disciples arent among the cast of characters found on Saturday morning cartoons. The familiar biblical figures are the stars of a different kind of show, in which they appear as high-tech su-perheroes fighting for truth, Justice and the biblical way in a new Christian comic book created by four Rochester, N.Y., men. Recently, the Alliance Comic Book Group released its self-published first issue.

The book's creators Jason and Tyrone Anderson, Darnell Strozier and James D. Watkins see it as a hip way to preach the gospel to today's youth. "Kids like comic books, so it's a quick way to learn about God," says Strozier, 21. The idea for the bimonthly comic book was a revelation from God, according to Watkins, the publication's 22-year-old editor and founder. It came to him late last year while he was writing a play for the chaplain of the U.S.

Air Force base in Eg-lin, where he was stationed. He jotted down the idea and filed it away. After returning to Rochester last spring, Watkins pitched the concept to his current collaborators, who, like himself, are members of Emmanuel Temple Church in Rochester. "I was happy to do it," Strozier says. Strozier and the others had developed a similar idea before Watkins approached them.

Soon they began working on the book, juggling jobs and other responsibilities to make their dream a reality Watkins works at Xerox Corp. and Strozier at a city recreation center. Tyrone Anderson, 18, recently graduated from high school; his 14-year-old brother, Jason, has a paper route. What they came up with is a product that uses Christian themes to tackle modern problems. The comic book, which sells for 70 MM The Supreme Disciples, from left, Jason Anderson, James Watkins and Tyrone Anderson, aren't found on Saturday morning cartoons, but they star in a different kind of show, in which they appear as hightech superheroes fighting for truth, justice and the biblical way in a new Christian comic book.

Alliance Group considers today's sexual mores, which includes teen-aged pregnancy. Despite a positive reaction toward their initial efforts, Watkins says the group seeks to deliver a more artistically and narratively polished second issue. They sold all 40 premiere copies at their church and plan to print another 40. For Watkins, the book is part of a larger game plan to put the spotlight on God and the Bible. The Alliance Group is part of his Phoenix Productions, through which he eventually hopes to open a movie studio, arts theater and Christian theme park in Rochester.

"This is only the start" tines, peddle drugs to youth as part of a diabolical plot to destroy them and achieve world domination. But the Supreme Disciples put a stop to that by using spiritual powers and hightech weaponry. The creators acknowledge that the first issue made heavy use of violence that some readers might find objectionable. But that was necessary, they say, to give the characters credibility and because force, not reason, is more effective with the "evil ones." Says Strozier. "If we make our heroes wimpy, people will think that there is nothing to the problem." So what's up for discussion in the second issue? A modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah story about what the cents, features updated biblical figures in storylines set in this century.

The action takes place in what the creators call the eighth dimension, where things aren't always what they seem. The superhero cast of characters are Samson, archangels Gabriel and Michael, and Moses, David, Aaron and John, who battle against the evil serpent pharoah, Philistines, Goliath, Delilah and Saul. Though rudimentary in design, the 17-page first issue, produced for slightly more than $100, took on a tough subject drugs. In an adaptation of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, the serpent heads an illegal drug ring. His foot soldiers, also known as the Philis You can feel good about putting things off 1 i it 11 1 I shampoo.

But there's a cure. Burns' prescription is to do something you like every day. He maintains that enjoyment is energizing and it provides the fuel you need to tackle the next task. He also recommends taking a more objective look at whatever challenge is staring you in the face. Break up big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones.

At the same time make sure you recognize WHY you're tackling something. If it's because you THINK someone else expects It think again before you saddle yourself with it. And don't berate yourself before you even begia Negative mental messages are energy draining. The bottom line is, wherever you're going, it's a whole lot easier if you're enjoying the trip. the stack of books waiting on the dining room table.

Later, college term papers were classic examples of procrastination. There's a practical little book out now that's getting applause from a lot of folks, "Feeling Good The New Mood Therapy." Dr. David Burns wrote it with a chapter devoted to procrastination. Burns said procrastinators tend to be product-oriented rather than process-oriented. He claims that process-oriented people are the happiest and the healthiest mainly because they are more focused on their personal growth and mastery in each situation not at all like the product-oriented person who is more concerned about how someone else will react to what they do or say.

PAULA MASSA ANDERSON Cox Sews Service GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. My kitchen chairs finally got painted. We bought them two years ago with the Intention of refinishing them, and I wondered when I'd get around to doing it When I finally dug out the paint it only took one Satur- -day morning get it done. Just another case study of that sweetheart of American syndromes procrastination. I struggled with it as early as third grade.

No matter how I planned it it was always Sunday night before I cracked a book to do any homework due on Monday. The lethargy would usually hit about the time "Lassie" came bounding across the TV screen. It was only then that I would begin to think about People who do a thorough job of flossing are obviously process-oriented. They're among that select few who religiously follow the instructions of the dental hygienist and devote aood five minutes to a thorough plaque scraping. Product-oriented people, on the other hand, are more likely to do a few token scrapes with the floss just to make sure there's no food lodged between their teeth.

Burns believes zeroing in on the process instead of the product can remove all those debilitating "shoulds" from our own mental dialogues because "shoulds" are usually tied to what we think someone else expects. "Shoulds" only make us feel guilty and nervous, he said. And they zap energy. 5 USE NO MCOMMf NO RIVERGATE 859-3479 HICKORY HOLLOW 731-1188 1M0, JCPwnwy Compmy, Inc. BtLON HAIRCARE PROOUCT8 mie zooa taste Disabilities Act assists in bringing barriers down at putmgeoim tow Dikes: t-75Sv M.

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Sizes 6 To 12 Slim, Narrow, Medium, Wide there is only one central elevator for the entire airport," she said. "When you come back (from a trip), your bags are on another level and you have to use the one elevator. Then you go down to the level where you It's quite a hassle." The Metro Nashville Airport Authority does provide some special services to the wheelchair-bound, visually-impaired or hearing-impaired customers, according to Martha Bradley, manager of the Airport Authority communications department. All the airlines serving the city request that wheelchairs be checked as baggage, but they supply special wheelchairs that fit the narrow aisles of planes. The airlines also will assist the disabled from the boarding gate to their seat The airport has specially-designed telephones to assist the hearing-impaired and provides assistance to the visually-impaired as well.

All services must be requested in advance. The Metropolitan Transit Authority recently purchased 1 3 wheelchair lift-equipped buses, to be in service in about eight months, said Meaghan Wright director of marketing. "Since the ADA was passed, any bus purchased from now on must be handicapped- accessible," Wright said. Currently the city's special tran-sporation services provide vans equipped to transport the disabled. A person has to apply for the service, and once application Is accepted, must make at least a 24-hour reservation for the service.

The service transports people to work, doctor's appointments, shopping, and so forth. However, the existing services are not enough, Kier said. In her seminars, Kier teaches travel personnel to be more sensitive to the needs of the disabled. "I had an airline ticketer say to me, 'I've always been afraid of doing something wrong'," Kier said. "We're a tourism city and state.

We've got to get everybody in the city trained to Nashville resident Jane Evans remembers the lack of control and outright fear she felt on a recent cruise while being wheeled around by one of the ship's personnel. "They were taking me down a gangplank. I don't even want to think about it" Evans said. Kier finished the story for her "They grabbed the wheelchair and tilted it backward and started taking her down the gangplank without even giving her warning," Kier said. "But they thought they were being helpful." Just traveling around your own city can be a hassle if you have a disability, said Ewell.

Not because of the limits of your disability, but the limited amount of services available to get you where you want to go. "The (city) buses are not equipped, and if you want special transportation you have to call far in advance," said Ewell. "So just to go to a movie, if I wanted transportation today, I'd have to call a taxi." Ewell drives a specially-equipped van, but through her work as an advocate for the disabled she has encountered many of the obstacles to travel they face dally. Some obstacles exist even for those who do have their own transportation, Evans said. "People don't provide enough parking spaces, and they are never wide enough." Sometimes getting to the destination Is only half the battle.

For example, Evans can get around on her own with a walker, but must use a wheelchair for such chores as grocery shopping. Her chair, however is too wide to fit through the doors of her neighborhood grocer. Even though Ewell can drive herself to the airport, getting from the parking area to the baggage area, then to her seat on the plane, is an exercise in patience. "As far as the airport is concerned, I dont know who designed it but ALL OUR COATS AND JACKETS ABE AMERICAN MINK MADE IN THE SAVE 50 -75 DURING OUR MILLION DOLLAR ANNIVERSARY SALE COME SEE OUR EXCITING NEW COLLECTION AND CELEBRATE FALL V0 EARLY WITH SENSATIONAL VALUES DURING OUR ANNIVERSARY FUR SPECTACULAR Black, Navy and Taupe 74" UttlxKnm Dli A SAMPLING OF WHAT YOU'LL FIND: NATURAL MINK JACKETS NATURAL MINK STROLLER COMPARE AT $3,400 $1,099 COMPARE AT UflOO $1,299 since 1933 3900HillsboroRd. SAT.

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