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October 13, 2006
Superman & Me
As a kid growing up in Brooklyn, one of life's greatest pleasures was saving up my allowance and buying what I wanted with it--and there was only one thing I ever wanted--
Question: do kids get allowances anymore? Here in Los Angeles, toddlers get American Express.
--Anyway, with shiny quarters gripped in a grimy fist, I'd jump on my squeaky bike, pedal on down to the corner candy store, which was not on my corner, but several avenue blocks away, and I'd purchase the hot-off-the-press latest issue of Superman comic book.
I had a weird little tradition.
I'd stand at the comic book rack and eye all the comic books that were snugly tucked into their gray wire racks: Batman, Green Lantern, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spiderman. In truth, I wasn't really interested in any of them. They all seemed like pale imitations of Superman. He was the original, the first hero, and all the others were but late-comers. Yet I leafed through these second-raters, sort of nodded my head when I came across a particularly well drawn cover or dynamic series of panels, and grudgingly admit that yes, this was pretty darn good--years later learning that the great Gil Kane (Eli Katz) was the man who consistently did the best Spider Man covers.
Finally, the owner of the candy store, a bad tempered Pole, would throw me nasty looks and mutter anti-Jewish curses under his breath, so I'd gently pluck the newest Superman from its cradle, smile inwardly as the cash register DINGED! Then I'd sail home to our apartment with the latest man of steel safely in my bicycle's basket.
I did not read it immediately.
Nooooo.
Where was the fun in that?
Anticipation, that was the name of the game.
Wait, wait, wait until Shabbos, our Fortress of Solitude, and then after everyone was asleep, read my mint copy of Superman by the light of the dying Shabbos candles.
Feverishly read it once--and then again, and again, and again--until I knew every frame and piece of dialogue by heart.
Little did I know but this was the perfect training ground for a budding screenwriter.
My parents were appalled by my literary taste, by my rapidly growing collection.
"You're wasting your brain-power," said my mother.
"You should be learning Torah," said my father.
True, but Lois Lane was not in the Torah. And, oh boy was she hot. Her chest was so... pointy.
As the years went by, I gathered a massive collection of Superman comic books
I piled them in boxes, shoved them in my closet, and went away to college. I traded Siegel & Shuster for Hemingway and Fitzgerald. I'm not sure it was such a great deal.
My parents moved out of their modest apartment in Flatbush, on Ocean Parkway, and bought a comfortable house in Bensonhurst while I was away. When I came "home" for the first time I searched for my beloved Superman collection.
"Mom, where's my Superman?"
"Oh, I threw them away, dear."
"You what?"
My mother, z'l, smiled sweetly: "I figured you outgrew them."
Still as a pilaster, I waited for my head to explode.
Remember the Fifth Commandment.
Kabet Et Avicha V'et Emecha.
Remember the Fifth Commandment.
Kabed Et Avicha V'et Emecha.
If I has those Superman comics today and sold them at auction -- I'd be Google rich.
Anywhoooo.
We always heard rumors of a Superman story that was never released. Back in 1940, when an issue cost 10 cents, Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel wrote a script for the strip that introduced “K-Metal,” a precursor to Kryptonite. It also featured Clark Kent revealing his identity as Superman to Lois Lane. As detailed in Men of Tomorrow, the publishers thought Siegel and Shuster were messing with a sure thing and the script was deep-sixed.
Never seen it? Well, here it is.
Karen and I wish you all a lovely and meaningful Shabbos and a super Chag Sameach.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at October 13, 2006 08:11 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Robert
I am laughing hard. Growing up, I was a Marvel comics afficianado. Spider Man, Fantastic Four and X Men. I had a great collection. My father, obm, who would throw out anything that wasn't tied down, ditched my collection of hundreds of comics when my parents moved to a new house!
(I wonder: Was comic reading the perfect training for a lawyer??)
Posted by: Azriel at October 13, 2006 09:14 AM
Azriel:
So, your father, OBM, and my mother, a'h, were in collusion, a real life conspiracy to make sure neither of us would ever be google-rich, and we'd have to work for our parnassah. Amazing what lengths Jewish parents will do.
Anything and everything and nothing is the perfect training for a lawyer.
Have a good Shabbos and Chag Sameach.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.seraphicpress.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 13, 2006 09:27 AM
Robert,
I love your site, especially the When I Met Karen series. Sorry that my first comment is a nitpick.
Spiderman was originally drawn by Steve Ditko, later on by Gil Kane. Art Kane was a photographer...
Posted by: mike kagan at October 13, 2006 09:35 AM
Mike:
Right, thanks for the correction. The great Spiderman covers I loved were done by Gil Kane. I'll make the correction up above so no more come pouring in.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 13, 2006 09:38 AM
"And, oh boy was she hot. Her chest was so... pointy."
I burst out laughing when I read this. Boys will be boys. Loving superheroes and supermodels!
Have a good Shabbos and a good Yom Tov.
Posted by: Pearl at October 13, 2006 10:00 AM
Pearl:
And have you ever noticed that Lois Lane looks like Karen?
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 13, 2006 10:33 AM
So...now we know. Lois Lane was your first true love, and then you spotted Karen in the schoolyard and BING! -- a bell went off in your head. "Karen Singer will be my Lois Lane!" you thought. "I may not be Superman, but I can always use a Lois Lane in my life." And you got her. And as Keats wrote, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever..."
Posted by: Pearl at October 13, 2006 11:44 AM
Pearl:
Actually, Karen came first and I said to myself: "Oh my gosh, my very own Lois Lane--only Jewish!"
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 13, 2006 12:10 PM
You're right, Superman's the top of the heap. I grew up on paperback editions of the earliest MAD magazine writings, going back to the 1950s. Still have them.
Posted by: Jeremiah at October 13, 2006 01:06 PM
Jeremiah:
I never really got into MAD--it was far too sophisticated.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 13, 2006 01:28 PM
My husband through out baseball cards...Oy.
Loved this post Robert.
Posted by: cruisin-mom at October 13, 2006 07:21 PM
(ooops...threw out)
Posted by: cruisin-mom at October 13, 2006 07:22 PM
Cruisin:
How many cards are we talking about? Please tell me he didn't "through" out any Mickey Mantle.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 15, 2006 08:50 PM
Cruisin', I think you're way off base. He didn't throw them away -- he must've pitched them to the back of a bedroom closet. Listen, collectibles are always a hit and miss anyhow. How could he have known? Give us a ballpark figure of what they'd have been worth today, then tell him to eat a Babe Ruth to make him feel better.
Posted by: Pearl at October 15, 2006 10:20 PM
I've always preferred Marvel over DC, and The Silver Surfer and Thor over Superman; the Man of Steel is just too powerful to be useful as a philosophical tool for long. The Marvel stuff seems to hang together better.
I am surprised, however, that you never got into MAD magazine; it seemed like half the mag was devoted to movie satires, especially making fun of the plots...
Posted by: Solomon2 at October 16, 2006 01:01 PM
Solomon:
Many of my yeshiva buddies were positively obsessed with MAD magazine. They shoved the latest issue in my grubby paws and demanded that I read it, that I bask in its genius.
Well: I had a huge problem. I was so in love with movies, took them sooooo seriously that the MAD satires felt like personal attacks; they hurt my feelings. I knew that they were funny, but I wanted to prove to my friends that I was--ugh, this is so embarrassing--on a higher intellectual plane than they were.
I was, in short, an ignorant, pretentious, humorless, miserable, stupid little kid.
Sigh.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 16, 2006 02:33 PM
Robert, not sure about Mickey...I'll find out.
Pearl, if I try to keep up with you, you know I'll only strike out.
Posted by: cruisin-mom at October 16, 2006 04:27 PM
I see what you mean about taking MAD magazine personally. It's level of constructive criticism was pretty low.
I was, in short, an ignorant, pretentious, humorless, miserable, stupid little kid.
Sigh.
Those were the days!
BTW, as long as we're talking about pretentious here, can you make a list of people in the movie business who aren't? I imagine such a list would be very short indeed.
Posted by: Solomon2 at October 16, 2006 05:03 PM
Cruisin':
If Mickey was thrown out--please just lie to me.
The only person who can keep up with Pearl in wordplay is Yogi Berra, the man who said: "It's Deja Vu all over again."
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 16, 2006 09:12 PM
Solomon:
Here's my list of unpretentious Hollywood folk:
1. Karen
Oh, wait, she doesn't work in the biz.
Hmm, back to the drawing board.
Posted by: Robert J. Avrech at October 16, 2006 09:15 PM