Condoman: The Australian superhero created to promote condom use
Desperation makes people do insane things, like Australia‘s very own Condoman, which, admittedly, is nothing short of absolutely hilarious as a concept.
Picture the scene. A young, nubile couple in the throes of young love disappear off to a quiet place for some alone time. There’s just one issue: they’ve left all their protection back at home. However, they’re young, they’re beautiful, and absurdly horny. What’s one night’s risk when you’ll never die?! Just as they’re about to seal the deal, a muscular Aboriginal Australian man in a black, red and yellow leotard jumps out of a nearby tree with a large box of condoms to hand, spouting his iconic catchphrase, “Don’t be shame, be game!”
This is not the cheese dreams of Stan Lee after his first sex education class, but an actual, real-life campaign mascot created in Australia in 1987. Condoman was the brainchild of Gracelyn Smallwood, a trained nurse specialising in midwifery and psychiatric care from Queensland, Australia. She was the recipient of a $5000 grant to create an HIV/AIDS awareness program aimed at indigenous Australian communities.
After putting together a braintrust and interviewing Aboriginal elders for feedback, Smallwood teamed up with graphic designer Ingrid Hoffman and created the first incarnation of Condoman. The design came from taking an image of the comic strip character The Phantom, darkening his skin and changing his costume colours to those of the Australian Aboriginal flag. The campaign was a massive hit, and in 1991, Smallwood directed a live-action advert featuring a popular Aussie Rules football player dressed up in a Condoman costume sewn by Smallwood’s mother.
The story is incredible. Especially when you look into the reboot in 2009 that saw Condoman team up with a female sidekick called Lubelicious. However, the real-life story behind all this is a lot darker than the japes would have you assume.
Why was Condoman necessary?
After all, this was a promotional campaign focused on spreading awareness about HIV and AIDS from the late 1980s. The lightness of tone was covering up many truly horrific things. Not only were any attempts to stem the pandemic coming far later than they should, but Aboriginal Australian communities were found to be even more at risk than most.
Indigenous Australians have disproportionately poor health outcomes when compared with the rest of the country’s population, and given that most awareness and outreach programs regarding the illness were targeting white, urban markets, Smallwood, an Aboriginal Australian of Biri descent herself, was inspired to create Condoman because she knew that if she didn’t, no one else would, and the illness would be left to devastate her own community.
So yes, Condoman is incredibly silly, but it’s the result of someone pushed to the point of desperation. Of trying absolutely anything for the sake of saving lives. It does have a happy ending, though, because while we can laugh at the concept today, Condoman worked. HIV infections among the Australian indigenous community declined after the campaign began, and have historically been no worse among that community than any other Australian community. Considering how at risk they are, that’s miraculous.
So here’s to you, Gracelyn Smallwood, and to your creation, the mighty Condoman. Fighting one of the best fights you can possibly fight and winning. A genuine inspiration to us all.
Lubelicious though, seriously?!