Normalman

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The cover to normalman issue #10. From left to right: Sophisticated Lady, normalman, and Captain Everything.

normalman is a limited series of American comic books created by Jim Valentino. It began in November, 1983 as a four page story in Cerebus #56 and #57 before being launched as a full color 12 issue series (January, 1984- December, 1985) which was published by Aardvark-Vanaheim before moving to Denis Loubet's Renegade Press. The story of normalman would conclude in normalman 3D Annual #1.

Fearing the Planet Arnold would explode, normalman's father sends his infant son on a rocketship to escape the planet's destruction. Twenty years later and fully grown, normalman crash-lands on the planet Levram, where everybody has super powers ... except for normalman himself. Being the only person on the whole planet with no powers makes him a celebrity. Hilarity Ensues.

The series spoofed many comic book companies per issue, including DC, Marvel, EC and Harvey, as well as doing parodies of The Spirit, Elf Quest, Asterix, Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz. The series was first collected in trade paperback by Slave Labor Graphics. Recently^[when?], a new trade paperback which included several followups was published by Image Comics. Both trades are in black and white.

Do not confuse with Muggles or Badass Normal, nor with the Italian comic book (later adapted to a radio show and eventually to a Live Action TV show) superhero spoof of the same name.

Tropes used in Normalman include:

• The Adjectival Superhero
• Captain Ersatz: A distinct majority of the characters. Captain Everything, for instance, combines elements of Superman and Captain Marvel.
• Crossover: with Cerebus, Journey by William Messner-Loebs, Tales of the Beanworld, and Megaton Man (the latter also featuring appearances by everyone from Madman to Bone to Groo the Wanderer to Flaming Carrot)
• The Ditz: Captain Everything
• Drugs Are Bad: Subverted by Mon-mon, whose superpower is area-effect ganja breath.
• The End of the World as We Know It: The reason normalman's father sends him into space is to escape the destruction of his homeworld, Arnold. Subverted in that he was mistaken, and was promptly shot by his enraged wife.
• Everyone Is a Super: Levram
• Eyepatch of Power: Sgt. Fluffy. (It even changes its position on his face.)
• Fun with Acronyms: S.C.H.M.U.C.K.- which stands for "Nothing-In-Particular".
• Functional Addict: Mon-mon, who gets high off his own power, but he subverts the "ticking time bomb" aspect of the trope as he's never anything but the most relaxed and reasonable person normalman knows.
• Guile Hero: normalman himself, naturally.
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: Captain Everything can actually give the Crimson Chin a run for his money!
• Only Sane Man: normalman, of course.
• Parody: Oh, so many. The Justice League of Society, the Legion of Superfluous Heroes, the Unnecessary A-Men, the Tight Teens... and then there are the individual parodies...
• Real Men Wear Pink: Sgt. Fluffy is a fur-faced, heart-poundin', front-facin', meat-and-potatoes patriot who wears Wizard of Oz-style red sequined pumps.
• Ridiculously Average Guy: normalman, so average his name doesn't get to be capitalized. Until the series' end, where we learn that his real name is Norm-L.
• Rouge Angles of Satin: Unfortunately, there's a whole heaping bunch of obvious spelling and grammatical errors.
• Sdrawkcab Name: Levram.
• Shout-Out: Lots.
  • Sgt. Fluffy's ruby slippers don't just look like the ones from The Wizard of Oz...
• Something Person: So many inhabitants of Levram.
• Stripperiffic: The Countess of Monte Crisco.
  • Don't forget Nasty Girl.
• There Was a Door: Not many of the inhabitants of Levram use doors. Especially not Captain Everything.
• Un-Sorcerer: Well, duh.
• World of Badass: The planet Levram, where everyone has super powers - except for norm.