Superman: The American Icon - Research Paper Example

?Superman: The American Icon INTRODUCTION It was in the year 1933, at Cleveland in Ohio, two high school were about to create a phenomenal change in the socio-cultural paradigm of America, quite unknown to their own selves even. Jerry Siegel was the writer and Joe Shuster, the artist together developed the character of Superman and sold it to the Detective Comics, Inc which was later known more popularly as DC Comics in the year 1938. Superman as a comical hero made its first appearance in the Action Comics #1 during the year 1938 in the month of June. Subsequently, the character received a huge applaud across the United States and was presented in number of radio serials, television programs and newspaper strips. The iconic hero did not even escape the mind of the film-makers and a series of films were made in Hollywood, making this superhero protagonist. Even the programmers were not spared from the enchantment and huge success of this iconic character and many video games were even manufactured taking the superhero at the centre of the game (DC Comics, “Superman”; NYDailyNews, “Superman Turns 75: Man Of Steel Milestone Puts Spotlight On Creators' Cleveland Roots”). The trajectory of this blue costumed, red capped and stylized red and yellow inscribed ‘S’ shield on his chest to an iconic figure of the American culture was not paved in a single year. It took decades and several socio-cultural and socio-economic activities followed this transportation of the comic superhero into an emblem and cultural icon of America. This evolution of comic character into first American superhero followed by a superhero genre in America particularly which is adapted in broadcasting and literary arena across the globe now engineered many more avenues for literary, cultural, psychological and mythological criticism formulating many school of thoughts associated with the transition of one of the most fascinated American comic figures to a cultural idol and ideal to a great extent. THESIS STATEMENT The essay intends to throw light on the journey set by the first accepted comic figure of America transformed into a cultural icon. The essay also throws light on the multitudes of scholarly activities which haloed the comic figure and manifested it into a cultural icon. SUPERMAN AND MULTITUDE OF SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS Since the inception of the comic character, cultural theorists and critics have taken an extra plunge for the exploration of the character of Superman on the culture and economy of the United States in particular and rest of the world in general. Quite early, just a few decades after the character of Superman already evolved as a super hero, Umberto Eco produced an elaborative discussion pertaining to the mythic qualities inherent in the character portrayal of the Superhero during the first quarter of 1960s. And, then subject of sexuality or sexual relationship revolving round the character of Superman along with its implication and impact upon the society was elaborately hinged and discussed by Larry Niven (Heer and Worcester 146-149). In order to trace the trajectory of the impacts and influences, the comic character like Superman had in the society, one must get back to the years and the motif of its creation. Though the character has been created and re-created and renewed a number of times for complementing it with different broadcasting medium yet no one can undermine the initial motif behind the production of the character. Both the Shuster and Siegel were a bit inclined towards the leftist front in the political domain. And, the context of Great Depression evolving out through the initial storyline of the comic cannot be overruled at any level. It can be noticed very pertinently during the initial stories of the Superman series that the hero is bringing scathing attack upon the crooked businessman and the corrupt politicians, demolishing their shops and running down the tenements of the rich people. Here, Superman takes the stand of a social activist more and superhero less. Roger Sabin, the famous comic scholar mentions in his book “ Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels” that through the figure of Superman, the reflection of “ liberal ideals of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal” traces out which Shuster and Siegel tried to portray through the character assuming a stand where the superhero is a champion of myriad social causes. Till the year 1946, the role of Superman does not change by far and the superhero continues to take stand against various social and political vices in the radio broadcast of the series. He is heard of tackling many social issues meticulously till the version of the Ku Klux Khan appeared before its listeners (Metro Publishing Inc, “Superman Versus the KKK”; Dubner and Levitt, “Hoodwinked?”; Sabin 1-120). If the transportation of the superman as a comical figure into a realm of American Icon is considered then synchronization of the factors into the character portrayal of the superhero which made it an iconic figure of America must be judged at the outset. Nobody can forget the amalgamation of various cultures in America which comprehensively formed a unique and divergent characteristic of American society. Timothy Aaron Pevey in his article, “From Superman to Superbland: The Man of Steel’s Popular Decline Among Postmodern Youth” claimed regarding the influential motif operating behind the creation of Superman as , “an immigrant figure whose desire was to fit into American culture as an American", something which Pevey believes taps into an important aspect of the American identity .” Therefore, Shuster and Siegel’s background as a Jewish immigrant also contributed a lot in making the comical figure of Superman (Pevey, “"From Superman to Superbland: The Man of Steel's Popular Decline among Postmodern Youth”). Whatever thesis have been forwarded by Umberto Eco in his book , “The Myth of Superman”, it does not make any concrete base unless the most recent studies and development in the cultural area indicate the consideration of the character of Superman under a new light. In the book, “Logics of Television: Essays in Cultural Criticism” , Jane Gaines assert in the essay, “Superman and the Protective Strength of the Trademark” that there are two other important ways apart from the consideration of Umberto Eco, by which Superman as a character can be evaluated accordingly following the recent development in the cultural studies. Gaines suggest that the first form is the one which follows Janet Woollacott and Tony Bennett’s way of comprehending James Bond where Superman is also seen under the prism of one singular inter-text long in nature and comprehensive of all the narratives, biographies and reviews placed end to end. The second approach suggested by Gaines is regarding a look at the character as a material which can be altered significantly through its telecast in different medium. Therefore, Superman did not continue carrying the narrative frame within him as his genetic map. Gaines asserts, “He can always be rewritten for another medium so that although Superman would seem to epitomize the television series character who must always return to the beginning, in his earlier incarnations, cast in different narrative schema, he followed somewhat different rules” (Mellencamp 179). This following of the different rules in the portrayal of Americas first superhero, in maintaining so much of flexibility while telecasting it on different mediums successfully contributed in making it a cultural icon of America, for its adaptability to the contemporary situations and delineations of issues along with its flexible transportation of appearance from time to time. As regards to the psychological criticism of the character of Superman is associated, it takes the critics into a comprehensive discussion about the legion of superheroes had on the popular culture of America in general. Marc Singer in his epoch making essay, “Black Skins” And White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret Race” that the typical and stereotype appearance of super heroes in the comics and their representation and reduction of appearance particularly through their outward appearance has actually at most places typified their racial identity (Singer, “"Black Skins" and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race”). For example, Superman is a well build man full of courage and he is able to execute such obscure works, which are generally executed by a persona of a superhero stature. And most importantly, Superman is a man from white race irrespective of the fact that Superman is also not sure about his actual gene or legacy. As a matter of fact, it really did not seem that Superman had to take much effort to turn into an American icon. The reason behind this is latent but not beyond investigation. Danny Fingeroth in his insightful book, “Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society” mentions that heroes in our imagination are those people who almost have god like qualities and are able to do tasks beyond the reach of normal human beings. Danny asserts, “A hero can be said to be someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary” (Fingeroth 14-16). Further he assert that the legacy of the superheroes starts from the myth of Gilgamesh itself claiming that all the mythological or biblical heroes, Fingerforth rightly mentions, “Biblical and mythological heroes are clearly precursors of superheroes . Odysseus, Thor, Moses are individuals of courage, commitment and noble ideals, flawed though they may be as individuals” (Fingeroth 14-16). Therefore, it is very clear from the abovementioned discussion that evolution of an eternal hero was very possible and prominent from the characteristics attributed to the comic figure of Superman since the time of its creation, only his transportation to a cultural icon of America, and first comic icon of its kind in the history of popular culture was just a matter of time. Also at the same time, the economic aspect of the entire story cannot be suppressed at any level. Huge amount of money which is associated with the telecast of the serials, comic strips and radio broadcast of the story of the comic hero indulges considerable sum of money and business. Among all other criticism or school of thoughts, pertaining to the philosophy associated in making Superman an American icon, the notion presented forth by Gray Engle, in his book “What Makes Superman so Darned American?” is most potent. It captivates in its limited context all the possibilities and reasons which made, the comic hero not only a super hero, but a super icon of a nation. The most plausible reason for this is the wish fulfillment of millions of middle-class Americans, those who have desires to undo or do many things happening around them, correct the system for the betterment of their future and dream of a perfect world. Superman if seen as a product then one must conjure the fact that it has been definitely launched keeping in mind the desires and demands of the middle-class Americans who constitute the major portion of the demography. It was therefore quite easy for the hero like Superman to be the hero of the middle-class Americans and thereby turned into a cultural icon of a great nation. Engle rightly observes in his book, “Superman is an orphan rocketed to Earth when his native planet Krypton explodes; he lands near Smallville and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who inculcate in him their American middle-class ethic; as an adult he migrates to Metropolis where he defends America--no, the world! no, the Universe!--from all evil and harm while playing a romantic game in which, as Clark Kent, he hopelessly pursues Lois Lane, who hopelessly pursues Superman, who remains aloof until such time as Lois proves worthy of him by falling in love with his feigned identity as a weakling” (Engle, “What Makes Superman So Darned American?”). CONCLUSION Whatever school of thought or criticism gets associated with the myth or legend of Superman. From children to the old, the hero has continued to allure and enchant as an epitome of righteousness who comes whenever there is a necessity of establishing good over evil. This aspect of Superman as a hero is universal and beyond the boundaries of any nation, criticism, study, review or school of thought which makes him a Universal icon along with the most fascinating comic image in the popular culture of America (Kozlovic, “Superman as Christ-Figure: The American Pop Culture Movie Messiah”). Works Cited “Superman.” Characters. DC Comics, 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. . Dubner, Stephen J, and Steven D. Levitt. Hoodwinked? The New York Times, 2006. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. . Engle, Gary. What Makes Superman So Darned American? University of Virginia, n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. . Fingeroth, Danny. Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us about Ourselves and Our Society. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004. Print. Heer, Jeet, and Kent Worcester. Arguing Comics: Literary Masters on a Popular Medium. United States of America: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2005. Print. Kozlovic, Anton Karl. “Superman as Christ-Figure: The American Pop Culture Movie Messiah.” Journal of Religion and Film 6.1 (2002). Print. “Superman Versus the KKK.” Papers. Metro Publishing Inc, 1998. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. . Mellencamp, Patricia. Logics of Television: Essays in Cultural Criticism. United States of America: Indiana University Press, 1990. Print. “Superman Turns 75: Man Of Steel Milestone Puts Spotlight On Creators' Cleveland Roots.” Music & Arts. NYDailyNews, 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. . Pevey, Timothy Aaron. From Superman to Superbland: The Man of Steel's Popular Decline among Postmodern Youth. English Theses, 2007. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art. United Kingdom: Phaidon, 2001. Print. Singer, Marc. “"Black Skins" and White Masks: Comic Books and the Secret of Race.” African American Review 36.1 (2002): 107-119. Print. Read More