In this article we're going to briefly comment on one of the longest running comics in history, Superman.
With the not so recent popularity of the hit TV series "Smallville" having celebrated its 100th episode with the killing off of Jonathan Kent, one can't help but think about the entire Superman legacy, not just in comics but on TV and movies as well.
Superman started off as a comic hero. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1933. Jerry Siegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914 and was a big fan of science fiction. Shuster, who was born in 1914 in Toronto, Canada, moved to Cleveland where he met Siegel in school. The two became friends almost immediately and with similar interests, created the first Superman comic. Siegel was the writer with Shuster taking care of the artwork.
When they first submitted their idea for Superman there were no takers. Simply, nobody was interested in the idea. It wasn't until the two of them got a job working for DC Comics that they finally got the publisher to take a chance on the Superman character.
It is interesting to note that the Superboy character, on which Smallville is based, actually came later in 1945. Here we got to see how Clark Kent grew up into a man and ultimately lost his father, the last big event in his life before he moved to Metropolis and took on the role of Superman.
Because of failing eyesight, Shuster only drew the character of Superman through 1947. At that time he and Siegel left DC Comics to work on another comic book, Funnyman, which never really took off. But it didn't matter. Shuster's name was forever etched in comic book history. He eventually died of heart failure in 1992.
Siegel's story is an even sadder one. After leaving DC Comics in 1947, he was later told he could come back in the mid 1950's under the condition that he denied being one of the creators of Superman. He agreed and came back to work at DC where he produced more Superman comics from 1959 to 1965. However, most of his original stories of the time period which included the Lex Luther story and the Death of Superman remain uncredited to him.
Over the years the powers that be at DC Comics have seen fit to redefine Superman's powers and origin a number of times. There were periods of time where long time followers of the saga could no longer follow what was going on. The comic has become muddled and confusing with contradictions galore.
Gradually it became accepted by the public, reluctantly, that each decade of Superman was a different telling of the story with different origins and outcomes. This was an attempt to keep the character fresh and up to date with current technology. This is strongly evidenced by the Smallville series which is obviously taking place in modern times with all the current pop references in place. The comic book has also followed this course.
No doubt Superman will continue to evolve as the years go by. But as long as the character himself retains his basic concept of fighting for truth, justice and the American way, more likely than not, Superman will never die. Well, at least if he does he won't stay dead.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Toys
