Quote Of The Day: Laura Siegel Larson on Warner Bros. and DC Comics

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,

“Fighting for what’s right has not been easy. No one would want to endure what Warner Bros. and DC Comics has put my family, the Shusters and my attorney through. And that’s exactly what their executives and lawyers want. By filing frivolous lawsuits against my family, the Shuster family and our lawyer, by publicly revealing my private communications, by driving up litigation costs and refusing to negotiate fairly, these companies think that other creators will be afraid to stand up to them, and that lawyers will think twice before taking on their cases.”

-- Laura Siegel Larson
[The daughter of Superman’s co-creator Jerry Siegel in an open letter discussing her case against Warner Bros. and DC Comics]

Be sure to check out our other notable quotes!

[Artwork: Action Comics #1, © DC Comics]

Read More | Laura Siegel Larson

Weekend Reading: Superman, Archie, Talbot, Niles & Scrooge

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, DC Comics,

Is this a superhero-free weekend at the movies? X-Men First Class was last week, next week is Green Lantern. Are we mask-free for a few days?

No, because the powers in Hollywood have decided there can be no nerd gap in the relatively short summer season and have given us Super 8.

Go see it right now, and then come back and click some links:

Superman: If you’re at all interested in the new DC reboot coming up, legal eagle Jeff Trexler at Comics Beat has a fascinating post about the wrangling that’s gone on between the Superman creators and DC’s corporate parent over the years and how it’s affected publishing decisions.

Superman II: And Daniel Best at 20th Century Danny Boy unearths a great selection of early correspondence between various DC Comics people and Jerry Siegel. It’s great reading.

Superman III: Comedy writer Ken Levine (M*A*S*H; Almost Perfect; Volunteers) weighs in on the new Superman.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Superman, Archie, Talbot, Niles & Scrooge

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: Funnyman

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics, Independent,

After many years of struggle, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster hit the comic book jackpot with their creation Superman, only to see it slip away from their control and for DC Comics to keep not just the rights but almost all the money as well. One of the many dark chapters in the building of the comics industry – businesses profiting by taking away the rights of creators.

Frustrated by their attempts to negotiate with DC, and out of work when DC dumped them for complaining (and filing suit), they did what creators do: created another property where they were determined to get a better deal for themselves.

The project was Funnyman, a red-headed TV comedian who fought crime. Unfortunately, the self-titled comic book, for Vince Sullivan’s Magazine Enterprises, lasted just 6 issues in 1948 and a companion newspaper strip defined the term short-lived.

Click to continue reading Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: Funnyman

Read More | Feral House

Warner Bros Freezes Superman

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Movies, DC Comics,

Despite the fact that JJ freaking Abrams is practically handing himself on a plate to Warner Bros. for the next Superman movie, the film giant is putting the Man of Steel on hold.

Sources are saying that the studio has halted any production with the character because of a legal dispute concerning co-creator Jerry Siegel’s heirs. Well, there’s also the fact that Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns didn’t fare as well at the box office as the execs were hoping.

With everyone and their mother (Kevin Smith, the Wachowski brothers, Mark Millar, and McG are all rumored to have thrown their hats into the ring) vying for the coveted script and directing positions, it’s considerably understandable as to why Warner Bros. needs some time to process what they’ll do with the franchise.

I say that while still feeling impatient at the same time—solve the legal problems (as if they don’t have enough money) and pick someone already! Well, as long as it isn’t McG; I fear seeing anyone from The O.C. or Charlie’s Angels casted as Lois.

Read More | io9

Arie Kaplan: From Krakow to Krypton

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Interviews,

In the world of comics, Arie Kaplan has written for MAD Magazine, Tales From The Crypt (Papercutz), Cartoon Network Action Pack (DC Comics) and Speed Racer (IDW). For TV, he’s also written for MTV, Cartoon Network and PBS Kids. His book, Masters Of The Comic Book Universe Revealed! is still available from Chicago Review Press. His latest book From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books is an oral history that tracks how Jews created the modern comic book industry. It was published in 2008 by The Jewish Publication Society.

TOM MASON: How did the book From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books come about?

ARIE KAPLAN: Around 2001 or 2002, I was approached by one of my freelance writing clients, Reform Judaism Magazine, with an offer to write a series of articles on the history of Jews in comics. The editors of Reform Judaism figured that I’d be a good fit for this assignment since I’d been writing for MAD Magazine for a couple of years. And they were right. I immersed myself in research, and worked very hard on the series, which was called “Kings of Comics,” and which came out in 2002-2003 (Reform Judaism is a quarterly).

TOM: How was that received?

Click to continue reading Arie Kaplan: From Krakow to Krypton

Q&A: Marc Tyler Nobleman on Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster and Bill Finger

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Interviews,

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…a children’s book about Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman. Marc Tyler Nobleman published his first book in 1996 and is the author of over 70 children’s books, including the recent Boys of Steel, the story of how Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster came to create Superman back in the 1930s. It’s the behind-the-scenes story of their struggle to create the Man of Steel and to get it published, all while never letting go of their dream. Best of all, Marc uses Siegel and Shuster’s own words, culled from interviews with both creators in fanzines, magazines and newspapers.

Published by Knopf, “Boys of Steel” just won the prestigious Kirkus Reviews “Best Children’s Book” Award for 2008. In addition to “Boys of Steel,” Marc’s current book is “What’s The Difference?” a whimsical reference for teens and adults that explains the distinctions between things we often confuse, such as geek/nerd, alligator/crocodile, vanilla/French vanilla, democracy/republic, and rap/hip-hop.

TOM: First off, how big a comics fan are you?

Click to continue reading Q&A: Marc Tyler Nobleman on Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster and Bill Finger