Comic relief for patients of superhero doc
Star Wars fan turns fantasy into practice
● Durban doctor Mags Moodley’s patients get more than diagnosis and treatment. They get a dose of action figures, an injection of Star Wars philosophy and a panacea of fantasy to lift their spirits.
Moodley owns close to 8,000 comics and about 1,200 action figures. The general practitioner has been to Comic Con exhibitions in New York, Mumbai and London about 15 times. Most of his treasured action figures — including the vinyl Luke Skywalker signed by Star Wars creator George Lucas — are stored at home. Hundreds of others are displayed in his consulting room.
“When new patients enter the room, their eyes open. Their mouths open. Some of them are in awe. It is unreal that there is an entire world out there that is fascinated with these things. If a new patient comes in, I ask them which is their favourite and we go off on a tangent about it, and the consultation becomes easier,” said Moodley.
Moodley began his collection 28 years ago with his big hero, Batman. “As I grew up and learned more about other comic heroes from the comic universe, Batman stood out because he didn’t have a superpower. But he was still able to fight evil. Also, being human, he had a dark side to him. He was a hero and an anti-hero. He became more real.”
Moodley’s wife, Peris, and daughter, Sanushka, 33, support his love for Star Wars.
“I became a fan when I watched the first movie. I must have watched it more than 27 times,” said Moodley.
But he’s more than a fan. “Star Wars gives us a message about the way we live life, how we treat others and the fight between good and evil. The central point about Star Wars is how you manage your life. Anger will lead to suffering. Suffering will lead to hate. Hate will lead to the dark side. This is actually a universal saying by all people who believe in being good.”
Using Star Wars as an analogy, he said that in the last 10 years, “when our young democracy was being threatened”, if we had stopped believing in a democracy, it would die. Yet civil society went up against state capture and corruption. Moodley admits he is a geek. “Geeks have taken over the world. The owners of Amazon, Microsoft and Apple are so-called geeks. And they control the world. And we geeks always knew the day would come when brains would outwit brawn.”
Comic Con Africa spokesperson Clair Wright said geeks were everywhere.
“There is no longer a standard geek. Geeks are people who love to connect over their passions, and they do so without boundaries as the world is now so closely connected. Geeks still love Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, Harry Potter and Pokemon, but with more platforms to connect and engage with each other they need no longer feel alone.
“With the popularity of the latest Marvel and DC films introducing legions of new fans to the genre, geeks are entering the mainstream. Having a hobby or passion has always been cool, and the mainstream is starting to realise that these are wholesome, fun and inspiring pastimes to enjoy with friends. The element of fantasy so often found in geek culture is massively appealing to us all because it offers us the opportunity to imagine, create, and dream.”