SAN ANTONIO– Every election year in Texas, David Alcantar transforms from a mild-mannered artist into Superman.
At the age of 46, Alcantar doesn’t jump tall buildings. But in blue leggings, red shorts and a tight T-shirt with Superman’s emblem across the chest, Alcantar has become a fixture on Election Day in San Antonio, walking past polling places with a white “Vote!” flag in hopes of unleashing what he believes is everyone’s superpower: casting a vote.
“This desire for power and the kind of superheroic power is, I think, something that is universal and quite American,” Alcantar said. “It doesn’t matter how many push-ups we do, or sit-ups we do, or how much weight lifting we do – we will never have the kind of strength that Superman has.”
But he sees a silver lining. “The power we actually have is that of voting,” Alcantar said.
Getting people to the polls isn’t what originally drew him to the Man of Steel.
His ‘Superman Project’ initially began with a desire to explore the relationships between heroism and power. Shortly afterwards, Alcantar looked for ways to integrate voice themes into his work.
He already had the flag, which he had bought to display at his home. The Superman gear – actually training gear – was also within reach after previously tinkering with the idea of creating a workbook with illustrations. And it helped that Alcantar, with naturally thick black hair and a muscular build, had an advantage in conveying the look of his alter ego.
One day he went to vote early, and it clicked.
“After I came back from that, still racking my brains, I thought I could put on that whole uniform and carry this voting flag around and use its icon as a lever to encourage people to exercise their own power. he said.
His art involves more than running down the street. In the studio, Alcantar seeks to emphasize the power of voices through a wide range of media, including acrylic, canvas and digital design, to name a few.
This year, Alcantar said he sees people conflicted ahead of the November election.
“But if they don’t vote, that means someone else is essentially voting on their behalf,” Alcantar said.
As for the way Superman votes when he ducks into a voting booth, he avoids taking sides like it’s Kryptonite.
“Superman is a champion of all Americans,” Alcantar said. “So he is apolitical.”
