#880 Interviews: Emil Wilson (“The Nightingales”) and William Bernhardt (“The Superman Wars”)

Nightingales, Superman

Emil Wilson is the author of the new graphic novel The Nightingales, about a family in 1985 who take in an AIDS patient. The book shows us the panic and misinformation that prevailed about the disease then, and government apathy about a disease that was mainly killing gay men. Wilson is a former advertising man who went to comics school in his 50s. Tim talks with him about the book.

Novelist William Bernhardt also joins Tim to talk about his exhaustively researched nonfiction book The Superman Wars, a history of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s battle over ownership of Superman and recognition as his creators. All superhero fans know the outlines of this controversy, but this book fills in all the details.

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#858 Celebrating 20 years by reviewing a 20-year-old film (“Superman Returns”)

Superman Returns

Our first episode was released on December 5, 2005. After 20 years of changes in focus, format, and personnel, as well as Tim self-teaching audio editing, this time we look back at some of what’s changed. Also: In our first episode, Tim, Brandon, and Mulele discussed the teaser trailer for Superman Returns; this time, Tim, Kumar, and Emmet review the film!

Episodes mentioned:

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#854 “Superman” (2025): Its commentary on other supermen

Superman

Last summer’s Superman movie was a welcome improvement over many recent films featuring the character, and over much of the recent superhero film entries in general. Kumar and Emmet this week discuss how it comments on Zach Snyder’s take, on internet culture, anti-immigrant sentiment, and more. They also address such topics as how the film distinguishes between Superman and Clark Kent, Superman’s surprising vulnerability, and the Hall of Justice mural.

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#479 Some of the greatest Superman stories (or not)

Superman death in issue 149
FLASHBACK! There’s no doubt that Superman is one of the most significant characters in the history of American comics. He ended up setting the template for what would be the dominant genre in American comics after the Comics Code came into effect. Of course, the types of stories told in those comics, and their tone, has varied wildly over the years, which makes it difficult to try to determine which stories are the best of the lot, but naturally people make the attempt, including DC Comics itself.

This week Kumar and Tim look at the 1980s collection “The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told”, as well as Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened To the Man of Tomorrow”, which is currently being published in a collection with two other Moore Superman stories. Are these actually the greatest Superman stories?

Featuring Batman’s superior party prep skills, swimming the interplanetary water spout, and the symbolism of the ads in the original printing of “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow”! *Choke* (Originally published December 28, 2015.)

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#716 1950s “World’s Finest” might be world’s goofiest

World's Finest Comics

If you’re not into the drama of the past few decades of DC Comics, come with us back to the 1950s, when the exploits of Batman and Superman in World’s Finest Comics made the ’60s Batman TV show look like The Dark Knight Returns! Superman and the Dynamic Duo’s lives in those days were a constant stream of identity switching, time travel, alien visitors, tricking Lois Lane, and even goofier shenanigans. Tim and Kumar discuss (while frequently bursting into laughter).
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Comic Books’ Sungazing Symbolism

For years, There have been comic book stories of superheroes that represent the power of the Sun. From Superman to Wolverine, there have been secret messages of the Sun that was put in our new mythology called comic books.

In school we were taught that Hercules is real literature and comic books were not real literature. However, comic books were created with the same format as all the world mythologies that used to be religion for the ancient people listening to the myths. Hercules was taken from the name Heracles from Greek Mythology. The Romans learned Astrology from the Greeks. One of the Astrological symbols is the symbol of the Lion of the sign of Leo. Leo is ruled by the Sun. In Roman Mythology, Hercules fought a lion as the first of his twelve Labors. There are twelves signs in the Zodiac. In Astrology, the Lion represents the Sun. This story represent Hercules’ master over the Sun. Before Hercules could master the other labors, he had to master the lion who represent the Sun. In Science class, we were taught that all of the planets revolve around the Sun. With this, the Sun is the most important of the Universe.

Superman has super strength just like Hercules. Superman had a father who was not from the Earth just like Hercules and Jesus. Superman gets his strength from the Sun. Sometimes the Sun is Red when it sets. Sometimes the Sun is yellow. The letter S on Superman’s chest is the color red with a yellow background. The Symbolism is evident of you do enough research for Sun Gazing on YouTube.com.

Wolverine has super senses just like Superman. Wolverine heals, so he is almost almost bulletproof just like Superman. In The Bible, Jesus is described as the light of the world. In religious art, Jesus is depicted as having a halo around his head that looks like the Sun. Jesus also healed the sick. The healing symbolism is similar to Wolverine and Superman. Jesus was Jewish. The people who created Superman were Jewish. In the original comic book Wolverine wears a yellow suit. The Sun is yellow. Also, Wolverine never gets old, like the Sun. Wolverine has been around for a long time, like the Sun. His emotion are neutral. The Sun is a neutral energy. The Sun is the middle point of the Universe. The school system, comic books, and ancient mythology told us separate pieces of the story of the Sun.

When you look at comic books, see if you can find Sun Symbolism in the stories.

Sources
Mondo Kirby – Jack Kirby interview, 14 August 1992

Nurebelent on YouTube.com

Master of Earth on YouTube.com

Royal Bloodline on YouTube.com

The Metaphysics of Christ Consciousness

The Metaphysics of Christ consciousness pt 2: who was Yashua

The Metaphysics of Christ Consciousness pt 3

http://www.supermanhomepage.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman

#494 “Batman vs. Superman”

Batman vs. Superman

Kumar talks with both Emmet O’Cuana and John Roberson about Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. How does Zack Snyder see these characters, and how is his vision at odds with the established ideas about these characters? How can we think about the events in this movie in a way that makes sense?

Music:

“Superman’s Song” – Crash Test Dummies

“I Whipped Batman’s Ass” – Wesley Willis

“(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman” – The Kinks

#479 Some of the greatest Superman stories (or not)

Death of Superman

There’s no doubt that Superman is one of the most significant characters in the history of American comics. He ended up setting the template for what would be the dominant genre in American comics after the Comics Code came into effect. Of course, the types of stories told in those comics, and their tone, has varied wildly over the years, which makes it difficult to try to determine which stories are the best of the lot, but naturally people make the attempt, including DC Comics itself.

This week Kumar and Tim look at the 1980s collection “The Greatest Superman Stories Ever Told”, as well as Alan Moore’s “Whatever Happened To the Man of Tomorrow”, which is currently being published in a collection with two other Moore Superman stories. Are these actually the greatest Superman stories?

Featuring Batman’s superior party prep skills, swimming the interplanetary water spout, and the symbolism of the ads in the original printing of “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow”! *Choke*

#442 The DC Super Friends: A kid’s-eye view

DC Super Friends issue 17

More than once, this podcast has explored the question of comics for kids. What we’ve never done, though, is ask an actual kid about his opinion of the comics he reads!

So this week, Kumar is joined by his son Ashwin, 7, to discuss eight different issues of DC Super Friends, from a few years back, and also a 2014 issue of Scooby-Doo Team-up!

DC Super Friends issues discussed:
#17 Just In Time
#18 This Am Not the Title
#5 Go Ape!
#11 Imp-Possible!
#16 Stopped Cold
#7 Just My Luck
#8 Nothing to Fear
#13 The Greatest Show on Earth
Scooby-Doo Team-up #5

Continue reading #442 The DC Super Friends: A kid’s-eye view

#396 Dan Jurgens: Superman, Thor, and 30 years of change

danjurgens

Tim Across America, part six! Having worked in mainstream American comics for three decades now, Dan Jurgens has seen a lot of change. The number of publishers, the type and amount of fan interaction (thanks to the Internet), the method of comics distribution, and the way the Big Two search for new talent have all changed greatly in that time. And, the Big Two now actually discourage the creation of new characters. Why? This week, Jurgens reflects on those changes — some good, some bad — in a talk with Tim.

He also discusses his work on Superman and Thor, how technology has helped film steal some of comics’ storytelling edge, and more.

Also, in the Minneapolis edition of Ask a Retailer, Tim talks to Paul Miller at Comic Book College!

AND, our new feature DCP In Touch, and a talk with Kumar and Mulele about their successful Kickstarter project!