Interview - Thor the Barbarian

In my RPG article I introduced you to Thor the Barbarian. Thor is quite an interesting individual. In addition to his social services work, he is a Hellenic pagan. The Hellenic pagans are people who are carrying the torch of worshipping the ancient Greek gods in a fashion more or less consistent with ancient practices.

To that end and to inspire others along the Heroic Path, Thor founded an organization called Hercues Invictus. Recently we had a discussion about the Heroic Path and Hercules Invictus.

Brontosproximo: What inspired Hercules Invictus?

Thor: When I was a small child I used to watch Sword & Sandal epics with my dad on our black & white TV. My favorites were the Hercules movies, the Sons of Hercules TV series and the Hercules cartoon. Being Greek and raised on adventurous tales of ancient times, I identified strongly with my mythic ancestor and wanted to be just like him: a muscle man and hero.

It took over four decades for my chidhood dream to be realized

Brontosproximo: Why four decades?

Thor: It hadn't occurred to me to found an organization.

Initially my desire went no further than being Herculean myself. I focused on strength building and finding a way to fight the timeless monsters that plagued mankind. The arenas I chose were primarily the social services and education. I felt that by applying my energies in these fields I could do the most good.

To experience the world more mythically I started exploring the paranormal and fringe subcultures. These remain hobbies of mine to this day.

Brontosproximo: Does 'being heroic' imply being superior to other people?

Thor: Absolutely not.

Hercules, though the mighty son of Zeus, was no stranger to the human condition. According to the myths he struggled with mortality and made many mistakes - as do we all. However, his shortcomings never prevented him from accomplishing great deeds that were of lasting benefit to mankind. He left us a powerful legacy and a legend that has endured throughout the millenia.

The message that we could contribute something of value to society despite our many shortcomings is what resonated with me the most. The Heroic Path is about personal development AND community service. Do your best and try to help others.

Brontosproximo: Obviously the concept evolved...

Thor: Yes, it did.

I started exploring the legendary aspects of the Herculean life by producing entertainments. Guerilla street theater led to mostly improvised performances at sci-fi and horror conventions. Eventually this led to a UHF/cable TV show 'Thor the Barbarian' which aired for three years. Then there was a documentary and appearances on NJN and the History Channel.

As time progressed, my heroic entertainment merged with my career in the social services and education. NJN dubbed me the Motivational Barbarian and the Human Services Superhero.

Brontosproximo: And this led to Hercules Invictus?

Thor: We cooperated on several projects, most notably a computer center and an internship program. We also generated a lot of multimedia: a pilot Age of Heroes TV episode, a comic strip and several e-radio shows including The Power of Legend.

A move to Pennsylvania - far away from the action in all my arenas, a one-shot Special RPG Event in our local library and the formation of a Yahoo group in 2006 celebrating Hercules in his many cultural guises actually led to the creation of Hercules Invictus. It arose, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the Age of Heroes initiatives.

An organization dedicated to heroic achievement would certainly be able to make more of a difference than one individual or a mere handful of individuals.

Hercules Invictus incorporated as a non-profit 501(c) organization in the state of Pennsylvania in 2007. Our goal in 2008 is to be a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization and to grant charters beyond the borders of our home state.

Brontosproximo: We know about your Mythic Literacy Initiatives. Will Hercules Invictus be tackling any other challenges in the near future?

Thor: Most certainly. In 2008 we have commited to championing physical fitness. As an organization we have joined the President's Challenge and are encouraging others to participate in this worthwhile endeavor as well. This was our first step. Our second step is offering workshops on the Hercules Technique in our local area throughout the year and partnering with or assisting others who are promoting fitness. We have commited to helping our local environmental agency with their Woodsman competition at the county fair and are dialoguing with our local YMCA. We also have several fitness related programs we'll be running at the Hawley Public Library.

By 2009 we plan on dedicating more time and energy toward raising environmental awareness and helping out with environmental issues.

Providing solid services as individuals and as an organization in these three areas will be our primary focus as the first decade of this millenium comes to a close.

For more information on Thor the Barbarian and Hercules Invictus: http://www.thorthebarbarian.com