Would There Be Comics Today Without Superman in Action Comics Issue 1?

[@ericjohnson9623]

My favorite early Superman story is in Action Comics #4 where Superman learns some gangsters are gonna fix a college football game so Superman drugs and kidnaps the quarterback, impersonates the guy, and then uses his powers during the game so the gangsters lose their money.

[@56postoffice]

Whoa, Supes drugs and kidnaps someone!!?

[@marcbaker3947]

It’s crazy to think that to a degree, every other superhero character past and present, is in some way a variation, a spin on, or a deconstruction of Superman

[@rybread7818]

I love each and every video you guys put out, and have worked to collect all of your individual artistic endeavors. You've made a huge fan out of me. I do have to say, that I looove it when Tom Scioli is in the mix... as the kids would say, it just hits different, lol. Keep killing it guys, and thanks!

[@usedbymyusername]

Those giant text boxes with lots of empty space remind me of the caption frames from silent films.

[@Gootie29]

I read a reprint of this story as a kid and couldn't get past how different Superman looks. No boots, the S shield is weird and he didn't really fly. Seeing it now in a more academic light it's much more interesting

[@TheRadman107]

Action Comics no.1, We cannot mistake it's pedigree and the comic's relevance in history.

[@bronzevillecomics2581]

Always appreciate the content, great stuff. Superman is the granddaddy of them all, but you can tell this story was kind of Frankensteined together, like "who's Clark?" is right.

[@nezumi6554]

If you read the Daily Newspaper Strips that came out a little later, it seems like those are closer to Siegel and Shuster's original vision. Originally they wanted it to be a newspaper strip, and not only does it flow more naturally, it has a lot more detail than the version in Action Comics #1. For example, it introduces Jor-EL and Lara (called Jor-L and Lora) who wouldn't appear in the comic books for years beyond brief allusions. It also shows how Clark was hired by the Daily Star, and a lot of the scenes from Action Comics #1 like Superman carrying around the guy on the telephone polls and smashing the car are recontextualized in a far more coherent story.

[@pjbrown4736]

There is no mainstream comic book industry thriving without Superman. There are no superheroes without Superman. The character transcends even our pop cultural safe space and is universal.

[@squinkque]

I'd like to agree w/Scioli's point that this is what people think of when they think of Superheroes but I think Jim Rugg is probably more correct - most people think of the movies when they think of Superheroes now.

[@MrSamfonseca]

Both Tom and Jim brought good points at the end, I think - I can see lots of fathers telling their kids "you know, these heroes, all came from comic books" - which immediately put the image of a hero comic book in the minds of their children.

[@mattprather3140]

I like the old Superman stories. Best to parse them out and not consume them in mass. Just a little too similar to one another for that. Thanks guys.

[@russworks2882]

Superheroes were a tremendous innovation, but certainly comics outside the US thrived with little superhero material. What works is the visual appeal, especially with the cruder art of the era; the colorful costumes coupled with the circus-like feats of strength and acrobatics excited the senses of kid readers. But a lot of comics has variations on the same appeal. Carl Barks did wonderful human stories with great action, but it's more interesting to look at because he put his humans in duck suits. The distorted cartoon style was inherent to newspaper strips from their inception. A documentary or illustrative style of drawing came into popularity along the way, and was still subservient to the more bizarre, stylized approach for quite a while. Here's another question: would the American superhero have thrived in this early era without World War II?

[@johnburwood6692]

Comic book industry in the US might have turned out better without super hero comics. I think they held it back more than helping it evolve as a story telling medium.

[@ThatJohnKillion1970]

Outside of the pulp books and the occasional newspaper reprint, I don't think comic books would make it out of the 40s in one piece.

[@56postoffice]

Action Comics #1 is a gamechanger. But it'strange when one of Superman's first cases is..........domestic abuse.

[@elijahcollier8348]

I've always wondered if they got the Superman origin idea from the story of Moses. I've never heard anyone point our the similarities

[@willadkins1354]

I think on Superman’s Wikipedia page it cites people going into all the religious comparisons.

[@MRaadesign]

You guys need to check out the history of comics distribution from back then. Then you will have the answer you seek.

[@windblockcustomsnobull8197]

Respect the man, the man of steel😃😃👍😉

[@cookieDaXapper]

....he's right you know, one simply CANNOT partake of the "comicbook-manga-superhero film" etc. and NOT have Action Comics num1 in its DNA. This is the prototype for the genera, everything that comes after are the children, grandchildren, cousins of this type of storytelling. PEACE family of the Pen, or should I say inkwell?