- Daily Grindhouse
- Posts
- On Superman
On Superman
Greetings from the Grindhouse! The new Superman just dropped and we’re taking the occasion to celebrate superhero week at DG. In this issue, DG Editor-In-Chief, Jon Abrams, has a special place in his heart for the superhero OG, as you’re about to read. Up, up, and away...
THE LATEST
BOX OFFICE
Early box office reports on this latest James Gunn-helmed Superman feature indicate it’s off to a $56.5 million start after just one day of release, despite an early scathing review.
SUPERHERO DELUXE
It’s superhero week at DG, and we asked the team: Who is your favorite superhero? And yes, Dazzler made the list.
WRITE YOUR OWN SUPERHERO STORY?
I first read Tim Grahl’s The Story Grid about 10 years ago and it was incredibly helpful in launching my career as a novelist. He leverages 30+ years of experience as a writer and editor to create powerful story-writing principles that apply to everything from screenplays to short stories, and more. If you already write and want to write better or if you have never written and have the desire…
JON ABRAMS… ON SUPERMAN
Superman first appeared in American comic books in 1938. He was the creation of high school friends Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who had been working on the idea for years. Siegel was the writer and Shuster was the artist. The name “Superman” has its roots in Nietzche. Superman’s origin story has clear parallels to Moses, which is a story that might well have been familiar to Siegel and Shuster, as young Jewish-Americans. Both Siegel and Shuster were fans of science fiction stories and movies. As for Superman’s true love Lois Lane, she was modeled on Siegel’s wife Joanne.
Superman premiered in Action Comics #1 in the spring of 1938. He was the first example of what became a new genre: Superheroes. From the Old Testament, from philosophy, from sci-fi, from cinema, a new genre was born. Today, superhero movies are the prime mover in American cinema.
We owe everything to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster: Only the good stuff, that is. The spark of creativity that led to hundreds of thousands of stories and movies, that all started with them.
Today a new SUPERMAN movie is out in theaters. It carries a projected budget of $225 million. It’s expected to earn that back in its first weekend for Warner Brothers, the parent company that owns DC. Superman is a top earner for Warner Bros.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster sold DC Comics the rights for $130. You will see their names in the credits of SUPERMAN this weekend, but they had to fight for that. Unfortunately, the origin story for Superman is also the origin story for the way comic-book creators are almost always an afterthought while their creations earn billions for mega-corporations.
I’ve always taken their story personally, since Siegel and Shuster went to high school in Cleveland with my grandfather, who spoke kindly of them. I have loved superheroes and comic books since I was a kid, and I like to know who created the characters I love. It feels proper to remember the names of the creators who brought me so much joy with their hard work, especially when they’re not given much credit from the rest of the world.
Maybe that’s the Old Testament in me. I grew up respecting and revering my grandfather. Shouldn’t I also respect the men he grew up with? Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman… American comic books were built from the creativity of men (and some women! but not enough!) from what came to be called The Greatest Generation. It’s nice to remember them whenever we read the stories or see the movies starring their creations.
So when you’re at the multiplex this weekend, excited to see a new Superman for a new generation, save a smile or even a round of applause for Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. And if the movie inspires you, run home and get writing or drawing. You never know what unique genre you may be innovating.
WANNA MAKE LEX LUTHER TYPE $$$?
Why? You could turn into another Bezos or Musk, and the world definitely doesn’t need that. But, if you wanna grow your money to buy more movies…or if you simply like to dabble in the market, you may want to check out The Early Bird. It drops at 7am each day and features the stories that will impact the market. Click here to learn more.
Dig wild books about weird things?
We got you. Join Daily Grindhouse Patreon today and you’ll receive FREE our book about, well, books—The Top 50 Cult Movie Books Every Fan Should Own.
