Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of Superman Page #2

But as much as he resonated

with the public, so did his alter ego...

. . .the timid reporter, Clark Kent.

It's not the Ubermensch (German translation of Superman).

It's not the Germanic idea of the

Superman, the superior man of Nietzsche.

This is the greatness

of the meek, the miId.

Superman estabIished

the idea of somebody. . .

. . .who seems to be a meek, ordinary,

average person. . .

. . .and is really a superhero.

And it was a formula that virtually every

superhero owes a debt to even today.

In January, 1939...

...Superman made the leap from comic

book to newspaper comic strip.

And soon 20 million Americans

thrilled to his adventures every day.

That summer, DC took an even bolder

marketing strategy with the character...

...by featuring their superhero

in his very own comic book.

Superman became so popular

that they said:

''Why don't we create a comic book

just about that character?''

Which back then was very unusual.

Superman #1 one sold more

than a million copies.

And by the end of the year,

the Man of Steel was everywhere.

He was at the New York world's Fair

played by actor Ray Middleton.

And he was at

the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade...

. . .impersonated by a balloon.

Now seen as a symbol of hope

to a struggling nation...

...Superman was bigger

and more powerful...

... than even his creators

could have imagined.

Look, up in the sky.

It's a bird,

it's a plane, it's Superman.

On February 12, 1940...

. . .The Adventures of Superman debuted

on radio stations across America.

Yes, it's Superman.

Today, as we begin

the Man of Steel's new adventure. . .

. . .a cunning trap is being set

for the girI reporter, Lois Lane.

Within a year an estimated 20 million

listeners were tuning in.

Now, for the first time,

comic-book fans could hear...

... what a Superman story sounded like.

We didn't have television

but, boy. . .

I mean you know you'd stare at that Atwater Kent (radio),

or that little dial, and you were there.

I mean, it's the theater of the mind.

Hey! that roof's

gonna fall in a second!

I'II just wrap my cape

around these two like this--

Here comes that roof.

The dual role of Superman and Clark Kent

was played by Clayton Bud Collyer...

. . . who would perform the characters

in over 2,000 programs.

He got the concept of doing

clark up in sort of his tenor voice:

''This looks like a job for Superman. ''

This is a job for Superman.

The radio-show writers

added plot devices...

... that became part

of the DC universe.

Superman didnn't just leap

over buildings, he flew.

Up, up and away.

The writers also changed the name

of the Daily Star to the Daily planet. . .

...and the name of editor

George Taylor to perry White.

-Mr. White, I'd like to thank you.

-Let it go, Kent.

You get a story

and you get a job.

They made copy boy and cub

reporter Jimmy Olsen a key member...

...of Superman's supporting cast.

And get this, Miss Lane, Mr. White

gave me all the buried treasure.

It comes to almost 1 0,000 dollars.

And it was on radio

that Kryptonite was introduced...

...as the only substance powerful enough

to harm the Man of Steel.

Superman discovered to his horror

that if he approached. . .

. . .within a distance of 1 0 feet

of the strange green glowing meteor. . .

. . .he lost all his strength.

The 1940 radio show also fueled interest

in a shower of Superman merchandise...

... that exploded onto the marketplace.

There are probably only

two characters on the planet. . .

...that you could peg its popuIarity

to its merchandising.

And that's Mickey Mouse

and Superman.

More precious than a Superman toy

was membership...

...in the Superman of America Club

founded in 1939.

You had to keep

sending in coupons. . .

. . .cut from Action Comics

untiI you got this patch.

You see it says Action Comics.

This is from the very first year.

And there were very, very few sampIes

of this particuIar patch known.

As Americans questioned

whether to get involved...

...in the escalating world war overseas,

Superman became...

. . .even more of a symbol of moral

goodness and social responsibility.

In later years, the radio show even took

on the controversial topic of racism...

...by having Superman fight

the Ku Klux Klan.

We're a great secret society

pIedged to purify America.

One race, one religion, one color.

I don't get it. America's got

aII kinds of religions and colors.

Superman's appeal

transcended nationality.

After all, in many ways, Superman

was the ultimate American immigrant.

Irish kids, Hungarian kids, German kids,

Italian kids, back kids, Jewish kids. . .

. . .were connecting to Superman.

Superman became every kid's fantasy.

I came to America at about 8 1/2 years

of age. I wasn't born here.

I was born in Israeli.

Superman was the great longing

of these immigrants to fit into society. . .

. . .and to aspire to greatness.

Up in the sky. Look.

-It's a bird.

-It's a plane.

It's Superman.

Just three years after

his debut in the comics...

...Superman also became

a movie star.

In 1941, the Fleischer Studios...

...famous for their Popeye

and Betty Boop cartoons...

...produced the first of 17

animated theatrical shorts.

I don't believe it. He isn't human.

For the first time ever,

audiences could now see Superman fly.

Once again, Bud Collyer provided

the voice of the Man of Steel.

This is a job for Superman.

While radio actress Joan Alexander

played feisty girl reporter Lois Lane.

What have you done with the jewels?

You I read about it

in tomorrow's paper.

Lois was one of the really strong female

characters where she would go out. . .

. . .and do whatever to get at the truth,

and nothing stopped her.

-city editor.

-Look, chief, the panic's on.

The thing's gone haywire.

Using a process called "Rotoscoping"...

...in which live-action models

were traced one frame at a time...

... the Superman cartoons set

a new standard for excellence...

...and were even rewarded

with an Oscar nomination.

But as moviegoers thrilled

to Superman's animated adventures...

...a deadly force was preparing

to attack America.

And not even the Man of Steel

could stop it.

December 7th, 1941

A date which wail live in infamy.

With the United States' entry

into World War II...

...comic-book villainy gave way to a

real-life battle between good and evil.

As American men and women

left their families to fight overseas...

...DC Comics struggled

to find a way for Superman...

... to provide moral support

for the Allies.

There were some cool covers.

The story almost never touched

on the war.

In Superman stories where he

saves the world's problem. . .

. . .the problem's still there

the next morning.

It was a wise choice.

Sending Superman overseas. . .

. . .could wipe out the Nazi menace

in an afternoon.

But it was viewed as disrespectful

to the honest, genuine effort. . .

...that was being made

over there by the Allies. . .

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