ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Superheros answer the call for justice. During the coronavirus pandemic, they also answer your children’s questions.
The pandemic shutdown almost all traditional entertainment venues, putting many comedians and actors out of work. Mike Doyle, a Chicago-based entrepreneur, and a few of his friends from the comedy troupe Second City came up with an idea for “Superhero Calls,” a way for kids to video chat with their favorite hero.
“It gives the comedians a creative outlet, something fun for them to do and also a way for them to make a little bit of extra cash … and a way to provide something fun for parents to set up for their kids who may be going stir crazy stuck at home,” Doyle said.
Ryan Quigley, a five-year-old in his superhero stage who lives in Arnold, was recently able to chat with Iron Man, also known as comedian Bobby Sullivan, during one of these Zoom video calls. Dressed as Batman, Quigley showed off his superhero boxing moves and made plans to meet Iron Man in space by rocket ship to fight supervillain Thanos.
“It was a good way to get off the COVID-19 hamster wheel for a couple of minutes,” said Rob Quigley, Ryan’s father.
Comedians’ improv skills come in handy while talking to children, who often fire off a wild array and silly stream of questions. Performers are able to stay in character and field any request thrown at them, like inviting Hulk over for dinner.
Characters include Iron Man, Batman, Hulk and Elsa from Frozen. Calls are $20 for 10 minutes made at https://www.superherocalls.com/. Parents are asked to text the performers ahead of time sharing information about their child so the calls are more personalized.
When the idea first got off the ground, schools had just shut down. Now that most summer camps are also closed to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, the calls aim to bring joy to kids during an otherwise bleak time, Doyle said.
Kathryn Quigley, Ryan’s mother, said Ryan would jockey for attention while she helped his other siblings with online schoolwork.
“This was a little diversion for everyone, especially for him, as something special for him to do when everyone else had other stuff for teachers or friends,” she said.
Superhero Calls, though based in Chicago, can chat with children across the country. Recently, the newfound company did free calls with kindergarten classes on their last day at school and kids at the La Rabida Children’s Hospital.
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