Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Episode #79: Happy Birthday, Clark Kent!





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Clark Kent's birthday is accepted as June 18, according to http://supermanhomepage.com . How could Clark Kent and Superman have different birthdays if they are the same person? June 18 is the day Kal-El's rocket landed on Earth.

Stories featured in this episode are:

SUPERMAN, CHAMPION OF THE OPPRESSED (originally untitled), in SUPERMAN #1, 1939. This story was reprinted in SUPERMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE SEVENTIES, SUPERMAN ARCHIVES vol. I, SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD vol. I and SUPERMAN CHRONICLES vol. I.

THAT OLD CLASS OF SUPERBOY'S in SUPERMAN #46, May/June 1947. No reprint information was available.

THE ORIGIN OF SUPERMAN, in SUPERMAN #53, July/August 1948. It is reprinted in the trade paperbacks: SUPERMAN IN THE FORTIES and THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD.

JOR-EL'S LAST WILL, in WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #69, March/April 1954. No reprint information was available.

THE KEY TO FORT SUPERMAN, in ACTION COMICS #241, June 1958. This story is reprinted in THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW vol. I and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I.

HOW PERRY WHITE HIRED CLARK KENT, in SUPERMAN #133, November 1958. It is reprinted in SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I.

THE GIRL FROM SUPERMAN'S PAST, in SUPERMAN #129, May 1959. It is reprinted in THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW, vol. I and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I.

CLARK KENT'S COLLEGE DAYS, in SUPERMAN #125, November 1958. It was reprinted in THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVE vol. I and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol I.

THE ORIGIN OF SUPERMAN in SUPERMAN #146, July 1961 (not a reprint of the story by the same name in SUPERMAN #53). This story is reprinted in SUPERMAN IN THE SIXTIES and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. III.

THE MAN WHO BETRAYED SUPERMAN, in ACTION COMICS #297, February 1963. It is reprinted in SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. IV. 

SUPERMAN TAKES A WIFE, in ACTION COMICS #484, June 1978. This story is reprinted in SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES.

EDITOR OF THE STAR, in SUPERMAN FAMILY #196, July/August 1979. There is no reprint information about this story.

FROM OUT THE GREEN DAWN, in MAN OF STEEL #1, 1986. It is reprinted in MAN OF STEEL, SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD vol. I and SUPERMAN: THE WORLD OF KRYPTON.

MR. KENT GOES TO METROPOLIS, in WORLD OF METROPOLIS #3, October 1988. There is no reprint information available.

SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM, December 1996. This story is reprinted in SUPERMAN: THE WEDDING AND BEYOND.

SUPERMAN: BIRTHRIGHT, September 2003 - September 2004 is reprinted in the paperback and hardcover of the same name.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW (part I), in SUPERMAN #423, September 1986. This story is reprinted in SUPERMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW and DC UNIVERSE: THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE.
THE LAST DAYS OF MA AND PA KENT, in SUPERMAN #161, May, 1963. It is reprinted in SUPERMAN IN THE SIXTIES and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. IV.

SUPERMAN BREAKS LOOSE, in SUPERMAN #233, January 1971. This story is reprinted in SUPERMAN FROM THE THIRTIES TO THE SEVENTIES, SUPERMAN IN THE SEVENTIES, SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD vol. II and SUPERMAN: KRYPTONITE NEVERMORE.

Superman Fan Podcast can be found at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ , http://www.gcast.com/u/Billy_H80/http_supermanfanpodcast_gcast_com_rss_xml.xml , http://archive.org/ and most other podcast aggregaters. Send e-mail to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com . The podcast theme is Plans In Motion composed by Kevin MacLeod, part of the royalty free music library of http://incompetech.com/ .

My Pull List is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/ . Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com .

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Superman Fan Podcast and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Episode #78: A Julius Schwartz Birthday Surprise: SUPERMAN #411!

(L - R:) The original art to the cover of SUPERMAN 411, autographed by the DC staff as a birthday gift for Julius Schwartz and the printed version of the cover!



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DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz celebrated his 70th birthday in 1985. For a birthday surprise, writer Elliot S! Maggin proposed a surprise birthday issue of SUPERMAN, starring Julius Schwartz, to DC executive Paul Levitz. Maggin and artist Curt Swan created the story in advance so that it could be inserted into the production schedule in place of the middle issue of a Lex Luthor trilogy Schwartz was working on. That story would appear in the next issue, 412. The staff was able to pull off the surprise, with a few close calls. The issue appeared on June 13, 1985, with the cover date of September 1985. The story, THE LAST EARTH PRIME STORY, was written by Elliot S! Maggin, pencilled by Curt Swan, inked by Murphy Anderson, lettered by John Costanza and colored by Gene D'Angelo, with the tag: aided and abetted by Dick Giordano, Paul Levitz, Bob Rozakis.

Julius Schwartz described the story in his autobiography MAN OF TWO WORLDS: MY LIFE IN SCIENCE FICTION AND COMICS, written with Brian M. Thomsen and published by Harper Entertainment in 2000. The book may not be in print any more, so check your local library, used book store or internet vendor.

SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST can be found at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com , http://www.gcast.com/u/Billy_H80/http_supermanfanpodcast_gcast_com_rss_xml.xml , http://archive.org and most other podcast aggregaters. Send e-mail to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com . The podcast theme is Plans In Motion composed by Kevin MacLeod, part of the royalty free music library of http://incompetech.com .

MY PULL LIST is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com . Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com .

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics. The image from the cover of SUPERMAN #411 is used for educational purposes within the fair use provision of U. S. Code: Title 17, Sec. 107.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Episode #77: Happy Birthday, Neal Adams!




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Neal Adams was born on June 12, 1941 in New York City. He is most famous for his collaboration with Dennis O'Neil on GREEN LANTERN / GREEN ARROW and BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS. Adams has also long advocated better compensation and benefits for comic book professionals.

FANBOY RADIO episode #325 is an excellent interview with Neal Adams. It can be found at http://fanboyradio.com .

Other interesting links about Neal Adams:

http://www.nealadams.com/

http://www.mightycrusaders.net/continuity.htm

http://lambiek.net/artists/a/adams_n.htm

About Dina Gottliebova Babbitt:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/arts/design/09comi.html?_r=1/Babbitt_pages1-6.pdf

About Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali:
http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/4008/superman-greatest-opponet-muhammad-ali/

http://betting.betfair.com/sports/oddly-enough/the-5-most-ridiculous-appearances-by-sports-stars-080109.html

SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST can be found at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com/ , http://www.gcast.com/u/Billy_H80/http_supermanfanpodcast_gcast_com_rss_xml.xml , http://archive.org/ and most podcast aggregaters. Send e-mail to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com . The theme for this podcast is PLANS IN MOTION composed by Kevin MacLeod, part of the roylaty free music library of http://incompetech.com/ .

MY PULL LIST is my spoiler free comic review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com/ . Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com .

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics.

Thanks for listening to this episode of SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Episode #76: Happy Birthday, Wayne Boring!




Download Episode 76!

1950's Superman artist Wayne Boring was born in Minnesota on June 5, 1905 and died of a heart attack in February of 1987 in Pompano Beach, Florida. He drew Superman for comic books and a comic strip.

A Wayne Boring web site can be found at http://www.wayneboring.com . It has links to other web sites which contain more information and art samples of Wayne Boring.

There are three reprint volumes of the SUPERMAN DAILIES and one of the SUPERMAN SUNDAY CLASSICS.

Highlights from Wayne Boring's tenure on Superman comics are:

THE ORIGIN OF SUPERMAN from SUPERMAN #53, July/August 1948, the first story length origin of Superman published during his tenth anniversary. The story was written by Bill Finger and reprinted in SUPERMAN FROM THE 30'S TO THE 70'S, SUPERMAN IN THE FORTIES, and THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD.

Wayne Boring drew the cover for SUPERBOY #1, March/April 1949.

THE SUPER KEY TO FORT SUPERMAN in ACTION COMICS #241, June 1958. Jerry 
Coleman wrote this first story about the silver age Fortress of Solitude. It was reprinted in THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVE vol. I and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I. 

TITANO THE SUPER APE first appeared in SUPERMAN #127, February 1959, written by Otto Binder. This story was reprinted in SUPERMAN IN THE FIFTIES, SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF TOMORROW ARCHIVES vol. I and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I.

SUPERMAN'S OTHER LIFE appeared in SUPERMAN #132, October 1959, also written by Otto Binder. Batman and Robin program Superman's super computer to show Superman an "imaginary story" of what his life might have been like on Krypton, as a birthday present. It was reprinted in THE GREATEST SUPERMAN STORIES EVER TOLD, SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD vol. II and SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN vol. I

THE GIRL FROM SUPERMAN'S PAST in SUPERMAN #129, May 1959 was written by Bill Finger. This was the first appearance of mermaid Lori Lemaris.

SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST can be found at http://supermanfanpodcast.mypodcast.com , http://www.gcast.com/u/Billy_H80/http_supermanfanpodcast_gcast_com_rss_xml.xml
, http://archive.org and most podcast agregators. Expanded show notes can be found at http://supermanfanpodcast.blogspot.com . Send e-mail to supermanfanpodcast@gmail.com . The theme music is PLANS IN MOTION composed by Kevin MacLeod, part of the royalty free music library of http://incompetech.com .

MY PULL LIST is my spoiler free comic book review blog of the titles I read every week. It can be found at http://mypulllist.blogspot.com . Send e-mail about this blog to mypulllist@gmail.com .

Superman and all related characters are trademark and copyright DC Comics.

Thanks for listening to this episode of the SUPERMAN FAN PODCAST and, as always, thanks to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.