Comments on: Archie as Superman

By: Sol

Sol — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 01:29:09 +0000

Superman was an established part of American mythology – whether or not he was being splashed around on TV or the movies or what have you. Superman used to be referenced frequently in everyday life in a way that today, our new generation drowned in Internet-driven pop culture, apparently, can’t quite understand.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:06:04 +0000

Summer 1960… that was just about a year after the death of George Reeves, and the “Superman is Dead” newspaper headlines were probably just beginning to fade from the public mind. I’ll suggest that this was meant as a tribute to him.

Or else, since DC was starting to bring back superheroes successfully (the new Flash got his own magazine and Supergirl and Green Lantern debuted in ’59, and the Justice League in ’60), maybe this was meant to attract superhero readers to Archie, by inserting a familiar name.

By: Gregg W

Gregg W — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:29:10 +0000

My best guess for the writer is Frank Doyle, but its definitely Dan DeCarlo on the art. Not close to DC at all. I wonder if “The Adventures of Superman” was in syndication at the time…

By: Johanna

Johanna — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:09:17 +0000

I don’t know — they didn’t use credits. Good question.

By: David Oakes

David Oakes — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:32:24 +0000

Inventory sounds like the best guess, especially using the shows “disguised as a mild-mannered reporter” phrasing.

But I wouldn’t discount inbreeding as well. Who were the Writer/Artist, and how close were they to DC at the time?