Stuntboy, in the Meantime

Superheroes are the most significant motif in Stuntboy, in the Meantime, supporting the theme of Understanding and Experiencing Anxiety. Stuntboy is a superhero alter ego that Portico created for himself and keeps secret. Stuntboy’s main superhero task is to keep all the other heroes safe by performing amazing stunts like kickflips, jumps, and rolls, each of which Stuntboy gives a unique name. Reflecting on the day he met Zola, Portico realizes that Stuntboy was within him long before he got the official title. Portico stepped in when Zola was being bullied by Herbert, and they became friends immediately. Zola and Portico bonded over their love of Super Space Warriors, a cartoon that features two sibling heroes, Mater and Pater, who are in constant conflict with one another. Zola and Portico each created their own superhero identity, but Portico’s is the one that the narrative features as he slowly comes to unite his superhero self, Stuntboy, with his real self, Portico.

Portico sees everyone in his life as a hero, each with their own special ability, like his father’s waste-collecting skills and his mother’s precision with hair-trimming scissors. He feels obligated to help all of the “heroes” in his life and regularly attempts to intervene in his parents’ arguments.