Garfield Logan, Beast Boy, has always been oddball to me. Don’t take me wrong – I love oddballs. Most of the time oddballs are the first to stand up for what is right or what they think is right. I like to consider myself an oddball. I like my quirkiness. It’s taken me a long time to learn to stand up for myself. I talk often about “suiting up and showing up” but who or what am I doing this for? I suit up and show up for myself. To quote RuPaul, "If you can't love yourself how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?" If you can stand up for yourself how are you going to stand up for anybody else?

Stand Up for Yourself

“No matter how challenging or difficult or painful life gets, you have to stand on your own two feet sometime. You have to believe in yourself. ‘Cuz if you don’t…Who will?” - Beast Boy *

Garfield Logan the funny little green-skinned kid that can turn into any animal he wishes has always been a bit misunderstood. Infected with the disease “Sakutia” from a bite by a green monkey. Garfield’s parents, famous scientists, Mark and Marie Logan created a cure for their son, which left him with green skin, and a super ability. Upon the death of his parents, Garfield was adopted by Rita Farr and the Doom Patrol. After the members of Doom Patrol were killed by the Brotherhood of Evil, and a failed attempt at movie stardom, Garfield join the Teen Titans as “Changeling” (he is now going by Beast Boy again). Does Garfield live a sad depressing life? No! He looks forward to each new day and each new adventure because life is not being green and having a strange ability – Garfield Logan knows who he is and enjoys not being “normal.” Beast Boy is true to himself.

“To thine own self be true.” These famous words by Shakespeare are used very often but what do these words mean? One aspect of these words means to take a good long look at life. Find just what makes each of us, find out who we are, facing the dark side and the bright. We are who we are good and bad. Deal with it and move forward. Just like Beast Boy’s words, no matter how difficult, painful or challenging a day may be at the end of that day who will we face – ourselves. If we can not be there, standing up for our needs who will? Before we can stand up for someone else we have to stand up for ourselves.

Beast Boy
First Appearance: As Beast Boy, Doom Patrol #99, November 1965

Second Appearance: As Changeling, DC Comics Presents #26, 1980

Creators: Arnold Drake (writer), bob Brown (art)

* “Beast War!” Beast Boy #4, 2000