In the image below, you will find a cover from Tatsuo Yoshida’s 1959-1960 Superman Manga. While not properly in print, just from the cover we can see something very interesting regarding how Superman is seen in Japan. Particularly, his name.
The Katakana on the left, スーパーマン, is Superman said phonetically. So it would be read as Sūpāman. Katakana is used mostly for foriegn words, even though that’s just how the language works, I feel that it makes Superman feel more otherwordly. I do love that they still took the style of Superman’s classic typography and applied it to the katakana.
Pulp magazines are directly responsible for the content of American superhero comics. Pulp magazines, named for the cheap pulp paper, contained collections of stories relating to the mystery, noir and science fiction genres (Wright.2001:3). Primary examples would be The Shadow (Gibson.1931-1949) by Walter B. Gibson and John Carter of Mars (Burroughs.1912) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Celebrated authors, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie published in these pulp magazines. Unlike later comics, pulps were considered a legitimate form of literature, with many young adults and teenagers reading them and gaining inspiration for future works. The Shadow became inspiration for the character of Batman (Weldon.2016) as well as John Carter of Mars inspiring elements of the Superman mythos (Weldon.2013).
Cover and first page for February 1912 issue of All-Story Magazine, the pulp magazine in which John Carter of Mars debuted
The figures above depict the cover of All-Story Magazine, and the first page of John Carter’s debut. From this, we see the beginning of the comic book and the comic strip format. The image on the upper half of the right page sets the tone for the story, appearing similarly to a comic strip with the same size and format. Using Cohn’s terminology, this appears as a ‘whole row’.
The success of pulp magazines proved to newspaper publishers that short stories, some accompanied by illustrations, were a viable avenue for an audience, but above all, an avenue for profit. This led to syndicated comic strips being produced for newspapers. The idea was that a newspaper company would buy the rights to a series of strips at a price and run them in their newspapers at a profit by printing them in syndication. The longer a strip was I syndication, the more money it would make. The creation of the American comic book industry has roots in this decision. Early comic strips printed in newspapers lines up with McLuhan’s discussion of comics needing to be looked at after print (McLuhan.1964:178). In the book Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture (Wright.2001), Bradford Wright discusses the origin of the medium, and documents the transition from newspaper printed comic strips, to a format in line with 21st century comic books.
The first Peanuts newspaper strip, debuting in October of 1950 (Schulz.1950)
Looking at newspaper comic strips, the above image shows the first Peanuts strip from October of 1950 (Schulz.1950). Despite its publication in 1950, the format stays the same. A long ‘strip’ containing panels, set out similarly to Cohn’s description of a ‘whole row’. We can see similarities between the Peanuts strip and the illustrated image at the top right of the All-Story Magazine page. A complete ‘whole row’ in the case of the John Carter illustration, and a ‘whole row’ made up of four equal panels in the case of the Peanuts strip.
In 1933, Harry Wildenberg and Maxwell Gains, employees at Eastern Color, realised that the standard seven-by-nine-inch printing plates used to print the Sunday comic strip pages, could also be used to print two reduced comic pages side by side on a magazine sized page. This would then be folded in half and bound together as a book full of comic strips. Gains and Wildenberg proposed to Eastern Color that they test out their theory by printing 10,000 copies of Funnies on Parade. A magazine made up of many comic strips the company owned. These were sold to Proctor and Gamble to use as promotional material. The theory was successful, leading to Eastern Color trying a larger print run. This time reprinting Mutt and Jeff and Palooka syndicated comic strips, and selling them to youth orientated companies, including Kinney Shoes and Canada Dry (Wright.2001:3).
Wright discusses how the comic book owes its content to the pulp magazines, such as how The Shadow and John Carter were partial inspirations for the characters of Batman and Superman. This implies that the American comic book is an amalgamation of the content from pulp magazines and the presentation of newspaper comic strips. Eastern Color’s target audience for this initial print was children, setting the tone for how comics would be perceived. Notably, Eastern Color used comic strips they already owned and were in syndication, the initial comic books contained no new material.
During the Great Depression (1929 – 1939), Newspapers played a key role in informing the public and swaying public opinion. Due to their prominence, having a comic strip published in a major newspaper meant that a large portion of the population would see your work. This made newspaper comic strips a desired carer for artists wanting to make money. For Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, becoming newspaper comic strip creators was their only goal (Tyre.2012:23).
Both Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were born in 1914, and to Jewish parents with Joe Shuster being born to Polish Jewish immigrants (Dooley & Engle.1987:19-20). Both boys would have been aware of the Anti-Semitic overtones present with America. By the 1930s, 60% of the voting American public had low regard for the Jewish, ‘labelling them “greedy”, “dishonest”, and “pushy”’ (Jaher.2009:230). Michael Siegel, the father of Jerry Siegel, was attacked in his store in 1932 which led to his death, an event that shook Jerry Siegel, and can be considered an attack fuelled by Anti-Semitism and the desperation of the Depression (Ricca.2013:6-9). With the death of Siegel’s father, and the poverty Shuster’s family experienced, creating a comic strip that could make money was the goal.
Two page spread of The Reign of the Superman, 1933 (Siegel & Shuster.1933)
Siegel and Shuster’s first incarnation of Superman came in the form of Reign of the Superman (Siegel & Shuster.1933), a short storyinspired by Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Nietzche.1885) and the concept of the “Ubermensch[1]”. The Superman shown here is a test subject who is given telepathic powers by a mad scientist. With the newfound power, the man becomes intoxicated and seeks to rule the world. At the end of the story, the man discovers the powers are temporary and can not recreate the formula after killing the mad scientist. The man returns to poverty and is forgotten by history (Siegel & Shuster.1933).
Notably, this evil Superman was published in the same year that Adolf Hitler opened the first Jewish/Anti-Nazi Concentration Camps and became dictator of Germany. The Superman seen in Reign mirrors the Ubermensch that Nietzsche spoke of, and Hitler aimed for, but a twisted and corrupted one much like how the rest of the world would see Hitler. A figure that gained great power, sought to take over the world and failed. Siegel and Shuster decided to rethink this initial short story and turn it into a comic strip, now with their Superman reworked into a hero (Ricca.2013:94-95). The inspiration for architecture seen within Reign of the Superman, 1927s Metropolis (Lang.1927)would once again inspire this new Superman, this time by lending its name to Superman’s city. This new hero would have a secret identity that allowed him to blend in with the rest of the world (Ricca.2013:99-101), would dress in clothing reminiscent of a circus strongman to signify his significant strength (Brownie & Graydon.2016:11-15), comes from another world much like John Carter, and would act as a champion for the oppressed during the Depression (Thomas.2015:11). The title ‘Champion of the Oppressed’ would appear on the first page of this new comic strip (Siegel & Shuster.1938:1) signifying how Siegel and Shuster wanted their character to be seen.
Pages from Action Comics #1 showing the first appearance of Superman (Siegel & Shuster.1938:11-12).
Siegel and Shuster pitched the comic strip for Superman to multiple companies, including National publications (now known as DC Comics[1]). In 1935 Major Malcom Wheeler Nicholson, a key figure in comic book history for shaping the company that would become DC Comics (Hajidu.2008:19), expressed interest in Siegel and Shuster’s pitch. The Major, in a letter dated October 4th, 1935, suggested that the comic strip would work better in the new comic book format and offered to pay for the strip. Siegel and Shuster turned down this offer, stating that they were ‘holding out for a newspaper strip’ (Ricca.2013:145-146), considering it the more profitable avenue due to the built-in audience.
In January of 1938, Siegel and Shuster agreed to let their comic strip be published as a comic book after failing to get an offer for their original comic strip. The comic strips were cut into pieces and pasted as 13 comic book pages (Voloj & Campi.2018:83). We can see for the example pages from Action Comics #1 (Siegel & Shuster.1938:11-12), that the very first example of American superhero comics was not an active attempt to make the most of a new storytelling format, but instead a compromise an adaptation to a new medium. This is most evident by how the panels line up in rows in the same manner as both the John Carter of Mars and Peanuts examples.
Notably, Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicolson’s offer was made in 1935, while Action Comics #1 was not published until 1938. There was time to restructure their work to make full use of the page, but instead decided to continue with the same format across 13 pages. This decision sets the precedent for what would come after in superhero comics. The state of the world had also shifted between 1935 and 1938, Hitler became Fuhrer of Germany, the Reichstag building in Berlin was set on fire. The Nuremburg Laws were passed in Germany limiting the rights of Jewish people, and U.S. President Roosevelt wrote to Hitler asking for peace. While war had not broken out yet, news from Europe was still making it to American citizens, and war seemed inevitable. Siegel and Shuster chose not to re-write their comic strip, instead leaving the issue keeping Superman as the ‘Champion of the Oppressed’.
In Superman’s debut issue, Siegel and Shuster made it clear that Superman was there to help those affected by the Great Depression. In the first story, Superman proves the innocence of a woman who is about to be executed (Siegel & Shuster.1938:3-4), stops a wife beater (Siegel & Shuster.1938:5-6), and saves Lois Lane from kidnappers (Siegel & Shuster.1938:7-10). Two quotes from this first issue cements Superman as a protector. When confronting the wife beater, Superman states ‘You’re not fighting a woman, now!’ (Siegel & Shuster.1938:5). Later when saving Lois Lane, and speaking to her for the first time, he says ‘You needn’t be afraid of me. I won’t harm you’ (Siegel & Shuster.1938:10). These two instances show Superman as an enemy to those that abuse others, and kind-hearted to those that suffer at their hands. A true champion of the oppressed during the Depression.
[1] Both DC Comics and Marvel Comics have been known by several names throughout their history, with DX being known by the names, National Comics, National Periodical Publications, Superman-DC, and finally settling on DC Comics in 1977, named for Detective Comics. Marvel had previously been known as Timely Comics while still owned by Martin Goodman, before settling on Marvel Comics in the early 1960s (Howe.2012).
[1] Ubermensch being a German word meaning Superman, Overman, Uberman or Superhuman. A superior human being.
Finished reading all of the James Tynion IV and Ram V’s Justice League Dark last night. Damn good series, I wish it was still getting full issues, it’s been relegated to the back pages of Justice League. I wasn’t sure what to think of Wonder Woman leading the team, but early on it’s made clear that she doesn’t really know the magical world. She becomes a great point of view character, even if she does have her overpowered moments.
The core team of Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Swamp Thing, Man-Bat and Detective Chimp is a team I wouldn’t expect to love. Especially since their back up is John Constantine, Doctor Fate and even an Animal Man appearance. I did not expect to love this team as much as I did, especially Detective Chimp. Bobo is now the wielder of the Sword of Night after the death of Nightmaster in Dark Nights Metal. There is this whole few issues where Bobo confronts his guilt over that responsibility. The main overarching story is that thanks to Dark Nights Metal and No Justice, magic is becoming unstable, and this is because the god Hecate, and her dark half The Upside-Down-Man are at war for control of magic.
I’m glad it wasn’t just a six issue arc, and genuinely spanned over 28 issues plus the Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark: The Witching Hour cross over. I haven’t read any of Shadow Pact, and only a handful of issues for the New 52 JLD, but I do recommend this run. It also seems necessary to know what happened to Alec Holland in the new Swamp Thing series.
I love comics. I love watching movies, and when I get the time, I love playing games. However, I love comics enough to have made it a key part of my life. I am studying for my doctorate in comics and time (a handy guide to how long it is taking is on the right!) and the big problem that comes from this, is I like and use physical books in my research. This means that I do end up spending a fair amount of money on comics. I have friends and mentors with larger collections then I. Collections that have obviously spent more on, but it is something that comes with time.
I made some notes earlier of areas in comics I want to research more. This meant making a list of books I need to/want to read, whether they are available, and when they will be available if they are out of print. One or two I did preorder since they come out around my birthday, but it dawned on me just how much I could spend if I bought everything I needed for various research projects. Currently, I’m looking at:
DC Who’s Who Omnibus
Sandman Vol. 5 – 9
Superman Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1, 2 and 4.
Batman Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1, 3 and 4.
Hellblazer Vol. 3 onwards
That is just to name a few, and it is not cheap. I am keeping track of everything, but damn this is an expensive profession. It is a profession I am proud to be a part of, and my goal in life is to make some form of impact on the media. Either as a researcher or even as a consultant. I want to teach about comics, I want to work with comics, and I want to keep going forward. But if that Superman by Tomasi and Gleason omnibus wants to drop in price a little or just show up at my door, that would be great.
It’s been a hell of a few months, enjoyable, but hectic. But since all my marking is finally finished, I can once again focus more on my own studying, not to mention sitting and reading comics properly.
When it comes to marking season, I tend to feel incredibly guilty stopping to read a book, when I know that is time I could spend reading students essays and writing feedback. Yes, I know, I’m bad at giving myself a break. How I see it is that the students tried their best and wrote these papers, so I should dedicate a good amount of my time to reading them, and giving them the feedback they deserve. Even if it’s sometimes difficult to express how it could be improved without just calling them and walking them it step by step. But the marking is now all done, and I can breath just a little.
My plans for the summer are to focus as hard as I can on my doctorate, you’ll possibly notice that there is now a counter on my page with the days since I started my doctorate. I want to keep that number as low as I can. But you can’t write about comics, if you don’t read more of them.
Friends and brilliant creators have been making some stunning work, some of while have finally inspired me to pick up some neglected books. The fantastic Owen Likes Comics recently put out his video on Batman Universe. While I find Bendis hit or miss, he has encouraged me to check it out, because it does seem like a lot of fun.
The ever lovely Comic Drake has demonstrated his passion for Invincible many times over, but with the new television series (which I still haven’t seen), he may have finally convinced me to read it.
Once again Scott Niswander puts my research skills to shame, and actually gets me curious about Marvel (!). I know, shocker.
It’s amazing seeing so many friends make incredible content, and it really inspires me to take my own work further. I may not be as creative as them, or as good with words, but they remind me just why I love comics, and their work certainly kept me company while I was marking away on all-nighters.
My latest avenue for research with my thesis has been attempting to explain the evolution of DC Comics between the Golden, Silver and Bronze age. I task I am enjoying. But I think this means that a lot of my summer this year will be spent going through all three of these ages, highlighting key moments, and expanding this section of my thesis.
If anything, it’s an excuse to read some Bronze Age Swamp Thing.
Mikayla J. Laird 