Prince Street News: Kryptonitpicking!

As proud as I am of being in any issue of Michael Eury's BACK ISSUE! Magazine, I take particular joy in being allowed to participate in #62, spotlighting Superman (my favorite fictional character in any medium) in the Bronze Age (my favorite era of comic books). It was the Superman comics of the 1970s that inspired me more than anything, and not just to draw and create; The nobility of the Last Son of Krypton was highlighted in that era's comic books in a way that hasn't really been matched since. And the solid artwork by Curt Swan (with Murphy Anderson inking, especially) and dynamic covers by Neal Adams and Nick Cardy will forever be the most iconic depictions of the character to my fanboy eye.

But of course, in addition to the comics, there was another version of the Man of Steel that cemented itself in the public consciousness in the 1970s. I was a geeky lad two weeks shy of my 14th birthday when my Dad took my pal Nathan and me to see SUPERMAN (aka SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, redundant as that appellation may be) on its opening day, December 15, 1978. It instantly became my favorite movie, which wasn't really too much of a stretch for a young comic book obsessed lad. But the fact that over 34 years later, it still holds that top spot speaks volumes about how deeply Richard Donner's film embedded itself in my heart.

However. The movie does has its problems. Oh, not as many as its sequels, or SUPERMAN RETURNS or any of Burton / Schumacher's BATMAN movies or THE DARK KNIGHT RISES or GREEN LANTERN (Oysh). But there are some small things that tend to stick out with each successive viewing. This installment of PRINCE STREET NEWS takes a look at some of the "minor quibbles" (as I often call my issues with beloved pieces of pop culture) that only slightly detract from what I (and many others) consider the benchmark for all superhero movies.

After the strip is the full cover I mocked up for the nonexistent tabloid adaptation of the film, basing the Superman / Lois illo on a Neal Adams illustration from the period. And again, I apologize for my lack of skill in capturing likenesses. I sure can draw a Superman-S well, though, huh?