Superman and Media: Tracing the History of Modern Media by Following the Man of Steel
In the 1930’s, a new form of print media developed. Taking the visual elements of newspaper comic strips and the cheap production of pulp fiction novels, the comic book was born. Though they originally featured humorous content (hence the term comic book), in the late thirties, comics began focusing more on the teen market, appealing especially to young boys with tales of action and adventure.
In June of 1938, in issue number one of ‘Action Comics’, the character Superman was introduced. He was, in essence, the first superhero; colorfully costumed, endowed with superhuman powers, and living a normal life from day to day by use of a secret identity, Superman set the formula that all superheroes would follow. The character was an instant hit, and the next year, Superman performed a feat that no comic book character had ever done before – he became the star of a title bearing his name. In 1941, Superman moved into a daily newspaper comic strip, which ran continuously for twenty-seven years, ending in 1966. Later, it would run again, from 1977 to 1983.
In 1942, Superman entered the world of novels with George F. Lowther’s novel The Adventures of Superman. Reprints of the first Superman novel are still being sold today. This first book was a novelization of the Superman story as told in the comics. Since then, numerous such novelizations have been written, sometimes following the comic book storylines, other times retelling the story from a different perspective with creative liberties taken by the authors. Major Superman novels include Superman: Last Son of Krypton (published in 1978), The Death and Life of Superman (1993), and Kingdom Come (1999).
The continued popularity of Superman in the world of comic books led to many Superman titles. Over the years, he has been the focus of many titles, including Action Comics, Superman, The Adventures of Superman, Superman: Man of Steel, and others. He was consistently featured in two separate ‘team-up’ titles; World’s Finest, which paired him with Batman and DC Comics Presents which would pair him with a different superhero every issue. Characters Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and Supergirl all had their own spin-offs, which each featured Superman on a regular (if not weekly) basis. After twenty years, these spin-offs were consolidated into Superman Family in 1974, which continued the heavy involvement of Superman in every storyline.
Beyond the world of comics, Superman has continued to find his way into print. With an illustrious career in the world of film, Superman has been reviewed by many publications, in many incarnations. In 1988, he graced the cover of Time magazine in celebration of his 50th birthday. DC Comics has released numerous references and encyclopedias detailing the ‘universe’ of their comic books, and no such reference would be complete without at least a passing mention of the Man of Steel. The academic world has also seen the influence of Superman, with books focusing on theoretical physics of superpowers, treatises on the theological symbology of comics, the importance of Jungian Archetypes, or simply examinations of popular culture.
In 1986, in an effort to clean up fifty years of continuity and interrelated yet contradictory storylines, DC Comics had a major event occur, through which they revamped every character and story in the DC Universe. It was called The Crisis on Infinite Earths. Over the years, as writers had explored different stories and ideas, the concept emerged that there were multiple universes, each with it’s own Superman, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, etc. in Crisis, this ‘Multi-verse’ was ultimately destroyed, leaving one earth and one universe, and giving writers a clean slate to start from with each character. This event marks a major change in the Superman character, his back story and his characteristics. As such, when discussing Superman history, one must always consider whether one refers to Pre-Crisis or Post-Crisis events.
In 1993, another epochal event occurred in the world of Superman comics. After several issues of battle against an mysterious monster called Doomsday, Superman saves Metropolis and kills the monster, but does so at the cost of his own life. The ‘Death of Superman’ storyline received an incredible level of media exposure, including articles in such magazines as People and Newsweek. Newspapers ran obituaries for Superman and wrote editorials speculating as to whether or not America’s favorite hero would return. DC Comics sent out hundreds of black arm bands for fans to wear in mourning, and several celebrities did so, including Jay Leno on the Tonight Show. The ‘Death of Superman’ also sparked a renewed interest in Superman and generated more sales than any other comic book in history, before or since. Seven months later, Superman did return, and is still alive and well in the present.
Today, Superman continues to carry a handful of comic book titles, comic related reference books and coffee table books of Superman themed artwork. With one popular Superman themed television show in its fifth season and a new movie being released next summer, Superman will continue to hold a special place of permanence in print for a very long time.
Radio and Music
In 1940, during the same years that an unprecedented two titles focused on Superman in the comic book world, he was also making history by being featured in two separate forms of media. Starting in September of 1940, The Adventures of Superman was broadcast three nights a week. Wishing to maintain the illusion that Superman might really exist, Bud Collier voiced the classic superhero and his foppish alter ego for nearly a decade (Later, he would continue his role as the voice of Superman in the 1960’s animated cartoon). The popularity of this show was unexpectedly high, and after only ten weeks on the air, it had set ratings records for both its timeslot and target demographic. This success was not short-lived, either. The Adventures of Superman would be on the air, three times a week, for eleven years. After more than 2,000 episodes, it went off the air in 1951 only to make way for The Adventures of Superman – a live action version of the show, which took Superman to the new medium of television that was speedily replacing the radio as the center of entertainment in the home.
This was not the end of the road for Superman in radio, however. In Australia, a version of TAS ran for several years, following the same format. In the early 1990’s a British miniseries told the story of Superman’s death and return. Today, as radio itself gives way to newer forms of audio based distribution, Superman can be heard weekly in a fan made program called Radio KAL, a weekly Podcast featuring reviews of current comics, updates on production of Superman Returns and updates regarding the show Smallville.
Even when Superman’s adventures are not being told, he still can be heard on the airways. Since 1938, hundereds of songs have been written referencing Superman. In the seventies, we were told by Jim Croce that “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape”. Superman has been sung about by artists ranging from David Bowie to Eminem, B.B. King to the Monkees; from the Eurythmics to Billy Idol. The soundtrack to the 1978 film featured a score by the illustrious John Williams and is one of the best selling movie soundtracks of all time. It also marked Superman’s presence not only in pop music, but in symphonic and orchestral music as well. The Superman theme song is still widely recognized, even though the movie was released more than a quarter century ago. Even in recent years, songs by Five for Fighting, Goldfinger, Eminem and Three Doors Down have kept Superman not only in the pop music scene, but in the top forty charts. Though a creation of print media, Superman has done well for himself in the realm of radio and music.
Film and Television and Performance Arts
Perhaps Superman is most widely recognized, not as a fixture of the comic book world, but as a pop culture character in film and television. With his colorful costume and super powered heroics, Superman has always had immense visual appeal. From the early years, the screen has been a home for Krypton’s Last Son. It all began in 1941, the year after Superman flew onto the airwaves in radio. Max Fleischer’s production company is also well known for the original ‘Popeye’ cartoons of the same era. Originally Fleischer Productions, they became Famous Productions after being acquired by Paramount Pictures.
Between 1941 and 1943, Max and Dave Fleischer oversaw the creation of 17 cartoon serials for show in movie theaters nation wide. These serials cost more half a million dollars for all 17, but this expense can be seen in the incredible animation of the serials themselves. They exhibit exquisite fluidity, sharp attention to realism and detail and established in the minds of Americans the elements of Superman that are best known today. Catch phrases such as “Look, up in the sky!” and “Faster than a speeding bullet” were both first found in the Fleischer cartoons. The importance of these cartoons in bringing Superman into the mainstream national consciousness cannot be over rated.
While the Superman radio show continued strong, there was a gap of several years before Superman again graced the screen. In 1948 and 1950 two more short movie serials were made, this time done in live action. For the first time ever, audiences saw Superman as a man, played by Kirk Alyn. Shot in black and white, these shorts followed Superman as he battled villains and saved the day. They also feature the first clear instance of Superman and Clark Kent as the same man. Though only two such serials were filmed, they set the stage for the next appearance on the screen, this time on television.
In 1951, the Superman radio show ended its eleven year run. That same year, George Reeves donned the blue suit and red cape for The Adventures of Superman. This live action TV show took elements from the radio show, the Fleischer cartoons, the Kirk Alyn serials and of course the comic books and combined them. A perfect example of this is in the opening credits which shot for shot mimic the introductory credits of the Fleischer serials, and both utilize the same audio track, which originally was used on the radio show. The Adventures of Superman followed the adventures of not only Superman, but Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. Though some minor casting changes were made after the first year, the series continued on for six years, putting out a total of 104 episodes. A number of these episodes were also later pieced together into “movies” which were released to moderate success.
Though neither television or film were involved, it should be noted that in 1966, Superman was brought in live action to audiences in an entirely new way. It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, No It’s Superman was Superman’s one and only foray into the world of Broadway. A musical send up, it wasn’t well received by audiences and was closed the same year it opened.
That same year, after a nine year absence, Superman returned to the small screen, again as a cartoon. Though it changed titles twice, The New Adventures of Superman(which later became The Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure and The Batman-Superman Hour) stayed on the air until 1969. The shows featured short episodes clustered together, usually each one being between five and ten minutes long. It featured the vocal talents of Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander and Jackson Beck – three original voice actors from the 40’s radio show. Though it was very popular, in was finally cancelled after 34 episodes, partly because of protests from parents groups which claimed that its content was too violent for children.
Despite these protests, Superman found a new home on television in the early seventies. Hanna – Barbera (the same company that brought us such classics as the Flintstones, the Jetsons and Scooby-Doo) eagerly took the opportunity to make a Superman cartoon. Basing the series on the Justice League of America from DC Comics, they created a kids show called Super Friends which not only featured Superman, but other DC heroes, such as Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman. The show ran under various titles until 1986. Its popularity led to a Super Friends comic title that ran from 1976 to 1981.
While Super Friends enjoyed success, the next major move for Superman occurred in 1978, with the release of Superman: The Movie. This film featured several big name actors, including Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando as well as starring relative newcomer Christopher Reeve. Trained at Juilliard, Reeve was a talented actor, who approached the dual roles of Clark Kent and Superman as just that – two separate yet related roles. His use of mannerisms, postural changes and different tones of voice clearly distinguished Superman from Clark Kent, and made the character of Clark kent something more substantial than a pair of glasses. Superman: The Movie also included distinctive music by John Williams. It was the visual effects, however, that truly starred in the film. Utilizing the most elaborate and advanced effects available, Superman was a visual marvel. It uses a myriad of effects techniques, from the use of green screen technology to rotoscoping, miniatures and stop motion photography to elaborate wire work. This technical marvel of a film wowed audiences and brought Superman to new fans worldwide. The film did so well that it was followed up by three sequels and is one of the most successful film franchises in Hollywood history.
In 1988 two different Superman shows were launched. The first was a short lived animated series produced by Ruby-Spears Enterprises. A half hour Saturday morning cartoon, it ended that same year. The second show marked the television return of Superman to the realm of live action. Superboy featured a younger Superman, one who was only a teenager, but otherwise was very much Superman. He flew, wore the cape and boots and fought super-powered villains. Though most of the cast changed after the first season, Superboy was on the air for four seasons, producing a total of 100 episodes.
In 1993, a different sort of Superman show came to television. Lois and Clark: the New Adventures of Superman focused less on Superman, and more on Clark Kent and his relationship with Lois Lane. Over the four year course of the show, Lois and Clark developed a romantic relationship which culminated in their marriage. The show’s success was so great that DC Comics, having long planned on a Lois and Clark marriage, postponed the comic book wedding to coincide with the one on the show. One move to facilitate this postponement was the ‘Death of Superman’, which resulted in the highest comic book sales in history. Ano9ther effect of this show was an explosion of fan activity, facilitated by the internet, which will be examined later.
The success of Lois and Clark helped get another show off the ground in 1996. Superman: The Animated Series followed after the pattern of the multiple Emmy award winning Batman series, and featured a distinctive look and slick production. Like many of its animated predecessors, it was fairly successful, but had to change its name. In its three years on the air, it was known first as Superman: The Animated Series and then was the first half of The New Superman/Batman Adventures. In its three seasons, it also collected six “Annie Awards”, the nickname of the International Animated Film Society Awards.
In 2001, producers Al Gough and Miles Millar brought television audiences an entirely new perspective on Superman with the show Smallville. With its home on Warner Brothers’ network, the WB, it specifically catered to a teenaged audience by focusing on the high school years of Clark Kent, long before becoming Superman. Currently in its fifth season, Smallville has done exceptionally well against larger networks, and is one of the most popular shows in primetime. Its unique perspective on the development of a superhero also contributed greatly to the production of Batman Begins, a hit movie about another DC Comics icon, Batman. Currently setting network records in ratings and with another Superman film due out next summer, Smallville looks to be around at least two more years and maybe longer.
In 2005 another Superman related title came out, this time aimed at younger children. Krypto the Superdog is an animated series loosely based on a character from the comics of the fifties and sixties in which Superboy had a dog from his home planet of Krypton, which he named Krypto. Though it was a dog, it had all of his Super powers, and could communicate with Superman telepathically. Krypto disappeared from the comics Post-Crisis, and Krypto of this show is essentially just Superman as a dog. He’s not Superman’s pet, but he does regularly team up with Batdog, much as Superman teams up with Batman.
Recently, Superman came again to film with the movie Superman Returns. Directed by Bryan Singer of X-Men fame, it features some heavy acting talent with Kate Bosworth, James Marsden and Kevin Spacey, but features an unknown in the part of Superman. Like Superman: The Movie, it will be utilizing some of the most advanced special effects available, including CGI, four axis wire suspension, advanced green screen technology and a myriad of other technological marvels. Due out in June of 2006, it promises to be an incredible movie.
Technology and the Internet
In the early 90’s, several events occurred at similar times. In the world of technology, the Internet was just beginning to become a widespread phenomenon, accessible to many. On television, the show Lois and Clark was gaining popularity. Also, in the comics, the Death of Superman had Superman’s media presence at an all time high. It should come as no surprise then that with the rapid expansion of the internet can a veritable explosion of Superman related content on the web. Superman websites popped up, Lois and Clark fan-sites sprang into existence. The new medium of chatting and message boards quickly became a haven for thousands of Superman fans.
More than a decade later, many of the major sites from the early 90’s are still enjoying a healthy existence; Lois and Clark fans still have their sites, others converted to become Smallville fan-sites. General Superman sites are thriving as new television shows and an upcoming movie help boost the popularity of Superman. Recently, the growth of web based logs, known as blogs, has led to the development of several Superman themed blogs. Bryan Singer, to keep devoted fans abreast of the new film’s progress has a regular video blog, part of the newest trend, called vlogging. Discussed earlier, the Superman Homepage has a weekly podcast, called Radio KAL, a prerecorded radio-style show, available for download to an MP3 player.
Superman has a strong presence in other areas of technology as well. In 1979, following the popularity of Superman: The Movie, DC Comics teamed with Atari and entered the arcade world with Superman: The Pinball Game. In the early 80’s, Atari came forward with the earliest Superman video game. Though its graphics certainly leave something to be desired, it established a foothold in the electronic gaming world. Since then, at least one Superman game has been featured on every major gaming console – Commodore 64, Atari, Nintendo NES and Game-Boy, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, PlayStation2, X-Box and Game Cube. Set for release with the upcoming film is another batch of games for the brand new systems, the X-Box 360, PlayStation Revolution and the new Nintendo system.
Over the course of this paper, I have explored the history of 20th Century media by examining the history of Superman in media. We have looked at his presence in print media, from the beginning of comic books to academic treatises. We have listened to Superman as he took to the airwaves during the heyday of radio, and even now is featured weekly in podcasting, the future of audio based media. We have followed Superman through more than fifty total years on television, both in animation and live action. We have looked at Superman’s presence during the development of mainstream internet and his involvement in the latest media trends, from podcasting to vlogging to special effects. Truly, Superman shows us just how extensive media is, how widely it reaches. It allows us to see how deeply ingrained into our culture such media can become, and how it can spur on greater progress. The history of the Man of Steel is the history of media in our age.
