The Very First Death of Superman

Comic book confessional: Although I consider myself reasonably well read and diversified in regard to classic superhero comics, my bright memories of youth tend to favor DC Comics, and most notably Superman.  In my tween years especially, I was a Superman aficionado, haunting yard sales and flea markets for old comic books that featured the Man of Steel.  Among the most coveted of prizes found on those expeditions were DC's specially branded Imaginary Stories, and Superman tended to be the star of the lion's share of those particular tales.

One of the very best Imaginary Stories, and a classic Superman story in and of itself, is The Death of Superman, originally published in Superman #149 from November 1961.  The story, written by Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Curt Swan was an emotionally charged and rather serious affair, and not the usual kiddie fare that then Superman editor Mort Weisinger typically had his talent produce.

In the tale, a seemingly reformed Lex Luthor discovers a cure for cancer and a very forgiving and all too trusting Superman lets his guard down with ultimately fatal results.  The villainous Luthor betrays the Man of Steel and slowly poisons him to death with kryptonite radiation, and takes sadistic pleasure in forcing Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White to view the execution firsthand.  Supergirl quickly emerges from hiding (she was Superman's secret weapon for a short time before being presented to the public) and brings Luthor to justice before a Kyrptonian court in the bottled city of Kandor.  Luthor is exiled forever to the Phantom Zone and Supergirl assumes her late cousin's mantle as earth's protector.

Although filled with the usual simplistic dialog and exaggerated melodrama that characterized the Superman comics of that era, The Death of Superman had moments of atypical intensity that could prove disturbing to both children and adults alike.  Superman's death scene is stretched over twelve panels, his agony prolonged through tortured kryptonite exposure while a gleefully sadistic Lex Luthor chews scenery with his boastful taunting and gloating.  A subsequent panel that shows a shocked Lois Lane kneeling over Superman's now cape-enshrouded head and torso is unsettling to say the least.

Unlike most comic book canon where the death of a central character is almost always a laughably transparent plot device that simply leads to resurrection, Imaginary Stories, and the degree of permanence they could impart, allowed for some weightier and more serious storytelling.  The Death of Superman is perhaps the best early example of such a dynamic and it certainly laid the groundwork for such future concepts as Marvel's What If? series and DC's own Elseworlds line.

Life with Archie at the New York World's Fair

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair was indeed a popular destination, so much so that it even captured the imaginations of cartoon and comic book creators of that time period.   In an earlier post here at Boom-Pop! we showcased the adventures of the Flintstones at the Fair, both in four color format and also on their television program.  Another popular contingent of comics characters visited the Fair as well; Archie, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Jughead made their way to Flushing Meadows in Life with Archie #31, published in the fall of 1964, just as the fair was winding down its first six-month season.

In "Rough, Tough--But Fair Enough," Archie and the gang win a trip to the Fair when Archie is chosen as "the symbol of American youth" in a contest sponsored by the First National Bank of Riverdale.  Veteran Archie artist Bob White then quickly transports the group to the Fair by way of a spectacular splash page that highlights the Swiss Sky Ride with numerous fair landmarks in the background.

White faithfully recreated the Fair in clean crisp renderings, minimizing details yet capturing the architectural flair of its many buildings and attractions.  The story prominently features the AMF Monorail across a number of panels.  But the centerpiece of the adventure is a crazy, pratfall-filled chase involving the Fair's unique cabs or "Escorters" as they were more popularly known.  It's up to Archie and Reggie to save the day when the girls are abducted by a speed-crazed Escorter driver.

Released simultaneously with Life with Archie #31 was issue #9 of She's Josie, another Archie Comics publication, which was also set at the Fair.  Josie and her friends (in their pre-Pussycats days) set out to win a trip to Flushing Meadows by collecting cereal box tops.  When their efforts fall through, wealthy Alexander Cabot finances their trip.  Artist Dan DeCarlo prominently featured numerous landmarks across the story, among them the U.S. Royal Tire ferris wheel and Sinclair's Dinoland.  DeCarlo also made use of the Escorters as well.  Both White and DeCarlo acknowledged the crossover nature of the two stories; Josie and Alex can be seen riding the Monorail in the Life with Archie story, while Archie makes a quick one-panel cameo in She's Josie.

Still 10¢

Apologies for the lack of content here these past few weeks.  As always, real world obligations trump online hobbies.  Hopefully we'll get back on track over the next week or so.

I've been rediscovering of late my love of comics from the so-called Silver Age era.  Here's an advertisement for DC Comics that reminds us just what a dime would buy in those days.

Sincerely, Superman

This very cool war-era Superman postcard dates from 1944 and is currently up for auction at Hakes.

Fair-Going Flintstones

Though Walt Disney has quite famous connections to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, rival cartoon makers Hanna-Barbera also made their presence felt by way of their then very popular Flintstones characters. The stone-age family was featured in an Official World's Fair Comic Souvenir titled The Flintstones at the New York World's Fair. The stories in the book featured cameo appearances by other Hanna-Barbera cartoon stars including the Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound. The stories took place throughout the fairgrounds at Flushing Meadows and many of the Fair's more famous landmarks were highlighted:

The U.S. Royal tire-themed ferris wheel.

The Tower of the Four Winds sculpture at the Pepsi-Cola pavilion.
The pavilion also played host to the Disney-created it's a small world attraction.

And appropriately enough, Sinclair's Dinoland.

The Fair was also featured in episode of The Flintstones television program that aired during the show's fifth season. Originally broadcast on January 15, 1965, the episode "Time Machine" preceded the Fair's 1965 season. In the episode, Fred, Wilma, Betty and Barney attend the Bedrock World's Fair where they discover, appropriately and amusingly, an empty Hall of Science. The building's only occupant, an eccentric bespectacled inventor sends the two couples into the future by way of his newly invented time machine. After a series of adventures through time, the four end up at the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

Travels with Dennis: Hawaii

Among my lost childhood treasures that I have spent my recent adult years attempting to retrieve are Dennis the Menace comic books. Non-superhero comics have in the last few decades diminished to the point of near extinction, and while Dennis the Menace still enjoys a successful career on newspaper funny pages around the world, his four color adventures exist now mainly as collectibles and, at least for me, very happy memories.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, Dennis the Menace became quite the world traveler. His journeys around the globe were chronicled in a series of giant 25¢ comic books that proved so popular, many were reprinted multiple times over the next two decades. One of the best and most significant of these comics was Dennis the Menace in Hawaii, originally published during the summer of 1958.

The romance of Hawaii had become a staple of post-war American popular culture, and with statehood looming, Dennis-creator Hank Ketcham decided to send his pint-sized headliner across the Pacific. Ketcham visited the islands in 1956, and the following year sent writer Fred Toole and artist Al Wiseman on a research junket with the aim of producing a giant 100-page comic book featuring Dennis and his parents on a Hawaiian vacation. Toole and Wiseman had been producing the Dennis the Menace comic books since 1953. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, in an article entitled "Dennis the Menace to Try Isle Imping," revealed that Ketcham surprised the pair with round trip tickets. It went on to report that both men and their respective wives were staying at the Hawaiian Village resort, just one of many island locations that would ultimately appear in their finished story.

In an era when comic book talent was rarely given any visible credit, Toole and Wiseman were featured in photographs on the book's inside front cover and a message from the publisher stated, "This book is the result of a special trip to the Hawaiian Islands by artist Al Wiseman and writer Fred Toole. Their on-the-spot sketches, photos and notes enabled them to draw and write this book as could only be done by people who had actually visited the islands."

Wiseman has long been held in high regard by comics aficionados and his work on the Dennis the Menace books is especially well respected. His talent can be seen throughout the Hawaii comic in his spartan but still very effective renderings of the sights of the islands. His art displays a remarkable attention to detail; in one instance he reproduces the menu from the famed Queen's Surf Luau.

Perhaps most memorable about the book is the sequence in which Dennis and his parents visit Peal Harbor. In an unusual move for a comic book, Toole and Wiseman related the events of December 7, 1941 via printed text and an accompanying detailed map-illustration. The sequence ends with a surprisingly emotional moment at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial.

Dennis the Menace in Hawaii was reprinted a number of times subsequent to its initial publication. An abridged edition was released in 1969.