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ClarkyBoingo — Superman 75 Years
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TEXT IN ENGLISH (1), EN FRANCAIS (2), AUF DEUTSCH (3).
SUPERMAN. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, first appeared in June 1938 for Action Comis#1.
This panorama represents the different interpretations of the Superman's costume, from its first publication in 1938 to its disappearance in 2011, during the creation of the New 52 universe.
My initial idea is born from the wave of hate I observed against the Superman Returns suit. Indeed, every artist interprets and plays with the suit with his own twist. From this basic idea, I developped the concept to expose all those different subtilities and confront them.
The goal was to identify the differences according to the era of times basing most of the work in the first place on the medium in which Superman exists first and foremost: comicbooks. Hundreds of artists worked on the Superman character over the years so I selected the pencillers who brought the most to the suit or to the character and whose ideas have been then passed on. I also decided to add the creators who made the suit their own. For example, the symbol on the chest has never been reduced after John Byrne decided to make it bigger. Before him, the logo was medium (C.Swan) or small (J.Kirby). This is also John Byrne who was the first to truly drape the cape that much, this will then be followed by D.Jurgens.
The costume often borrowed from the films or the cartoons that were developped at the same time, this is the reason why I included them here.
The "final" suit has been finalized in 1944, in Superman #26. Between 1938 and 1944 the suit, and above all the "S" on the torso, changed constantly, almost in every issue. I made a selection of the biggest or most evolutiv concepts, but this era is doing relentless back-and-forths. Thereafter, all the pencillers played with the size of the symbol, the shape of the "S", the length of the cape, the height and the shape of the boots, the height of the "briefs" and the belt.
The Superman of 1938 appears with red boots on the cover but blue ones in the comics, and a red "S" on the cover and yellow "S" in the comics.
I did not include one-time adventures suits, nor from the different Elseworlds, nor from alternativ realities.
During the gradual elaboration of this panorama, I learn quite a lot and understood far more than I could have believed. I noticed quite a number of things:
Every artist adjusts and alter the suit to his view of human proportions. The height of the "briefs" and the belt depends of the anatomy even if, most of the time, it's under the belly button. Numerous debates are talking about the size of the logo. Here again, the size and the effect depend of the width of the torso and the shoulders.
1944 is the year when the suit has been finalized. The only transformations are due to the authors views. With the exception of the movies that have the commercial needs to deviate from it.
What is pictured here are the original symbols, not the ones appearing on the re-publications.
Until the Electric Superman, the boots of the character are never represented with the soles. The artist draw the icon, not a human being with a suit. Then, after this era, end of the 90es, the iconography of the character is more and more rooted in realism and three-dimensional. The belt creates a roll of fat, pleats appear on the tights, the boots free themselves from the calfs. It becomes less and less logical for C.Kent to hide the suit under his clothes.
After the changes done during the Return of Superman and the fiasco of Electric Blue Superman, the suit comes back exactly to the one of J.Byrne. One has to wait Ed McGuinness for the suit to be updated in acquiring a more "metallic" look.
Comics are influenced by the films/cartoons: The rare changes often follow the cartoons (the black briefs with the shiny red from S:TAS) or the films developped at the same time ("S" belt buckle from Superman Returns). Those changes occurs more and more.
All the colors shown here in this document are the exact ones from the different covers that I used for references. I sometimes had to find a compromise, particularly for the very first years. The colors of the Kirk Alyn's suit are exact.
This work necessitated more than 150 hours of work, including research and colors, over more than 8 months. This work would have been impossible to achieve without a deep passion for the character, this is the reason why I'm very proud to present here this gigantic Panorama Of Superman. I'm opened to answer any questions that may rise and would be happy to receive feedback. Happy 75th birthday Superman.
List of the Superman below. Please do not use without permission or asking first.
SUPERMAN. Créé en Juin 1938 par Jerry Siegel et Joe Shuster pour Action Comics #1.
Ce panorama représente les différentes interprétations du costume de Superman, de sa première publication en 1938 à sa disparition en 2011, lors de la création de l'univers New 52.
Mon idée initiale est née de la vague de haine à l'encontre du costume du film Superman Returns. En effet, chaque artiste interprète et joue avec le costume à sa manière. De cette idée sommaire, j'ai voulu exposer toutes ces différentes nuances et les confronter.
Le but était d'identifier et mettre en valeur les différentes interprétations des dessinateurs en fonction des époques en me basant en premier lieu sur le médium dans lequel Superman existe avant tout, les comics. Des centaines de dessinateurs ont oeuvré sur le personnage de Superman au cours du temps, j'ai donc sélectionné les auteurs qui ont le plus apporté au costume ou au personnage et dont les modifications ou les idées se sont ensuite transmises, mais j'ai aussi retenu les auteurs qui s'étaient approprié le costume. Par exemple, le symbole de la poitrine n'a jamais rapetissé depuis que John Byrne l'a agrandi sur tout le torse. Avant il était moyen (C.Swan) ou petit (J.Kirby). C'est aussi John Byrne qui est le premier à véritablement draper autant la cape, ce qui sera suivi par Dan Jurgens ensuite.
Les costumes du comics ont souvent emprunté aux versions film et/ou cartoons qui se développaient en parallèle, raison pour laquelle je les ai inclues ici aussi.
Le costume "définitif" a été finalisé en 1944, dans Superman #26. Entre 1938 et 1944 le costume et surtout le "S" ont eu des changements constants, quasi à chaque numéro un détail change. J'ai sélectionné ceux qui ont une idée majeure et évolutive, mais cette période marque un va-et-vient incessant. Par la suite tous les auteurs jouent avec la taille du symbole, la forme du "S", la longueur de la cape, la hauteur et forme des bottes, la hauteur du slip et de la ceinture.
Le Superman de 1938 apparaît avec des bottes rouges sur la couverture mais bleues à l'intérieur du comics et un "S" rouge sur la couverture et jaune à l'intérieur du comics.
Je n'ai pas inclus les costumes temporaires, ni les différents Elseworlds, ni les réalités alternatives.
Au fur et à mesure que j'ai élaboré le panorama, j'ai beaucoup, beaucoup appris et compris plus de choses que je ne l'aurais cru. J'ai pu constater un certain nombre de choses:
Chaque artiste ajuste le costume à ses proportions. La hauteur du slip, ou de la ceinture dépend de l'anatomie, même si la ceinture est le plus souvent juste sous le nombril. De nombreux débats parlent de la taille du symbole. Là encore, la taille et l'effet sont en fonction de la largeur du torse et des épaules.
1944 est l'année à partir de laquelle le costume est finalisé. Les seules transformations sont dûes à l'interprétation des auteurs. Exception faite des films qui ont un besoin commercial de dévier.
Les logos représentés ici sont les originaux. Certaines couvertures ont été transformées lors des rééditions.
Jusqu'au Superman Electrique, les bottes de Superman ne sont jamais représentées avec la semelle. L'artiste dessine l'icône, pas un être humain en costume. Puis apres cette époque, fin 90, l'iconographie du personnage est de plus en plus ancrée dans le réalisme et plus tridimensionnel. La ceinture fait un bourrelet, des plis apparaissent sur le collant, les bottes se démarquent du mollet. Il devient de moins en moins logique pour C.Kent de cacher le costume sous les vêtements.
Après les changements opérés pendant le Retour de Superman et le fiasco du Superman Electrique, le costume redevient exactement celui de John Byrne. Il faudra attendre Ed McGuinness pour que le costume s'actualise en acquérant un aspect plus "métallique".
Les comics sont influencés par les oeuvres filmiques ; Les rares changements opérés sur le costume suivent souvent les dessins animés (le slip noir luisant rouge de S:TAS) ou le film développé à la même période (la ceinture avec le "S" de Superman Returns). Ces changements se passent de plus en plus souvent.
Toutes les couleurs présentées sont les couleurs exactes des différentes couvertures que j'ai utilisées comme références. J'ai parfois dû trouver un compromis, en particulier pour les premières années. Celles du costume de Kirk Alyn sont exactes.
Ce travail m'a demandé plus de 150 heures de travail, de recherches, de colorisation, sur un total de plus de 8 mois de travail. Ce travail eût été impossible sans une passion profonde pour le personnage, c'est la raison pour laquelle je suis très fier de présenter ici ce gigantesque Panorama De Superman. Je suis ouvert à toutes questions et serais content de recevoir des remarques. Bon 75ème anniversaire Superman.
Liste des Superman ci-dessous. Ne pas utiliser sans permission.
SUPERMAN. Geschaffen von Jerry Siegel und Joe Shuster, first appeared in Juni 1938 in Action Comis#1.
Diese Übersicht stellt die unterschiedlichen Interpretationen des Kostüm von Superman dar, von seiner ersten Veröffentlichung in 1938 zu seinem Verschwinden in 2011, für die Schaffung des New 52 Universums.
Meine erste Idee ist aus der Hasswähle für das Kostüm des Films Superman Returns geboren, die ich beobachtet habe. Jeder Künstler interpretiert das Kostüm allerdings oder er spielt damit. Aus dieser einfachen Idee habe ich das Konzept entwickelt,um alle diese unterschiedlichen Feinsinnigkeiten auszustellen und gegeneinander zu halten.
Ich habe die einmal-Abenteuer Kostümen drin nicht einbezogen. Die Elseworlds oder die alternativen Realitäten auch nicht.
Diese Arbeit brauchte mehr als 150 Stunden, auch mit der Nachsuchung und die Farben, mehr als 8 Monate lang. Diese Arbeit wurde unmöglich zu erreichen gewesen ohne eine tiefe Leidenschaft für die Comicsfigur. Darum bin ich sehr stolz hier diese riesengrosse Übersicht von Superman darzustellen.
Ich bin bereit Fragen zu antworten und ich würde froh sein, Kommentare oder Rückmeldungen zu bekommen. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum 75sten Geburtstag, Superman.
Die Liste den Superman ist darunter. Das Bild dieser Seite darf nicht ohne Erlaubnis benutzt werden.
1938-- Action Comics #1, April 1938 (cover June 1938), Joe Shuster
1939-- Superman #1,Vol. 1, June 1939
1940-- Superman #4, Vol.1, March 1940
1940-- Ray Middleton (?), 3rd July 1940, S/ Day, New York World's Fair.
1940-- Superman #7, Vol.1, Joe Shuster, Winter 1940
1940-- Painting by J.H. Ward, November 1940
1941-- Fleischer Studios Cartoon.
1944-- Superman #26, Vol.1, Wayne Boring, Jan 1944 & Superman #30 (Sept)
1948-- Superman Serial, Kirk Alyn, 5th January 1948
1950-- Action Comics #151, Wayne Boring, Déc 1950
1952-- Adventures Of Superman, Georges Reeves, ~19th Sept 1952 - 28 April 1958
1962-- Superman #163, Vol.1, Curt Swan, May 1962
1966-- The New Adventures Of Superman, 1966 to 1970
1968-- Action Comics #363, Neal Adams, May 1968
1973-- Superfriends, 8 September 1973 and following years to ~1986
1978-- Superman The Movie, Christopher Reeve, 10th December 1978
1981-- Action Comics #521, Curt Swan, July 1981
1982-- J.L. Garcia-Lopez, DC Comics style guide
1983-- Action Comics #547 (?), Vol.1, Gil Kane, September 1983
1986-- The Man of Steel, John Byrne, July 1986
1988-- Ruby Spears Superman Cartoon, 17th Sept 1988
1993-- Return of Superman, Superman: The Man of Steel #25, Sept 1993
1993-- Lois and Clark, The New Adventures of S/, Dean Cain, 12 Sept 1993
1993-- Adventures of Superman #505, Vol.1, Dan Jurgens/Tom Grummet, Oct 1993
1996-- Superman : The Animated Serie, 6th Sept 1996
1997-- Electric Blue Superman, Superman #123, Vol.2, Dan Jurgens, May 1997
1998-- Action Comics #745, Vol.1, June 1998
1998-- Superman, Peace on Earth, Alex Ross
2000-- Superman #154, Vol.1, Ed McGuinness, March 2000
2001-- Adventures of Superman #596, Vol.1, 12 Sept 2001
2001-2004-- Justice League/JLU Cartoon (17th Nov 2001/ 31th July 2004)
2003-- Superman Birthright, Leinil Francis Yu, 1st Sept 2003
2005-- Lex Luthor, Man of Steel, Lee Bermejo, March 2005 (cover May)
2005-- All-Star Superman, Frank Quitely, Nov 2005 (Cover January 2006)
2006-- Superman Returns, 21 June 2006
2006-- Legion of Superheroes Cartoon, Season 1, 23rd September 2006
2006-- Action Comics #844, Andy Kubert, Dec 2006
2007-- The Batman Cartoon, "The Batman/Superman Story" episode, 22nd Sept 2007
2007-- Legion of Superheroes Cartoon, Season 2, 22nd Sept 2007
2007-- Action Comics #858, Gary Frank, Dec 2007
2011-- DC New 52, Sept 2011
Related content
Comments: 89
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Hi ! Thank you very much !
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Will you be updating this for his 80th anniversary?
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Hello ! Mmh I don't think I will. My goal was not to show the superman suit in the comics but how it was dealt through the different eras though different pencillers. The decision of the New 52 outift made it clear that Superman costume could be changed according to fashion or mood or time.
It's possible that I will but not anytime soon.
Thank you for commenting.
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unglaublich, wer kennt den Mann aus Stahl nicht? Mein erstes "Treffen" Mit ihm war in "Die Abenteuer von Lois & Clark" (die Staffel 1 habe ich nun auf DVD) und Christopher Reeve bleibt für viele der "Superman" schlechthin.
Aber Henry Cavill mag ich auch, auch "Superman Returns" ist echt sehenswert. Habe mir auch "Smallville" auf DVD geholt- da hat Reeve später auch einen Gastauftritt.
Wer ist dein Lieblings- Superman?
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Hallo ! Danke für deinen Kommentar !
Ja, Christopher Reeve und dann Lois & Clark waren auch meine ersten Treffen. Mein liebling Superman ? Mit schauspielern, habe ich nicht, sondern nur Tim Daly oder Georges Newbern für Superman Animated oder JLU. In comics ? Curt Swan & Dan Jurgens ! Du ?
Noch einmal danke.
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Ich würde eh dean cain sagen und reeve. Cean in Serien aber reeve war der Film superman
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Dann, habe ich rechct zu denken, dass du in den 80en geboren bist ? Wie ich ? Weil Reeve und Cain waren lange meine lieblings Supermans.
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jep 1988. mein "Bruder" Michael aka Austria-Man ist älter als ich. wenn du magst kannst du mein letztes journal für dieses jahr lesen das heute auf meinem profil kommt. da stehen so einige interessante dinge.
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Ach, Ihr seid Brüder ! 
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nur leider seelenbrüder, keine biologischen.
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Wow; das ist ein echt tolles Bild.
Auf dem ersten Blick glaubt man immer, Supermans Kostüm sieht in jeder Version gleich aus, aber hier sieht man, dass es sich im Lauf der Zeit doch ziemlich verändert hat.
Ein Meisterwerk!
Hast du vor, das auch mit anderen Superhelden zu machen?
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Hallo ! Danke schön für den Kommentar. Ja, das glaubte ich auch, aber jeder Zeichner ändert nur einbisschen das Kostüm.
Nee, ich werde es leider nicht mit anderen Superhelden machen, weil man braucht, um mit Präzision zu arbeiten, eine richtige Leidenschaft für den Superheld zu haben. Für Superman, habe ich.Nicht für die anderen. Dieses Projek twar schon lang und mein GL Corps (vielleicht hast du auch gesehen) war auch sehr lang, so, ich bin damit fertig. Aber naja, wer weiss ?
Noch einmal danke
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Schade und keine Ursache.
Hätte mit Spider-Man sicher auch geklappt.
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Hey hi ! Ja, es ist wahr. Mit Spider-man würde es auch sehr gut klappen. Danke noch einmal
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Wasn't there also a red version of the 1997 Superman?
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Hello. Yes indeed, there was. If you're asking why he's not in, it's because he's a "deviation" from the electric blue, during a story-arc. Cheers
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Ok, I assume he was derived from electric blue... Thanks for the explanation.
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Yes, indeed. It's in a story of Dan Jurgens from 1998 if I'm correct. Superman divides in 2 : the blue one, wise, calm, and the red one, impulsive and agressive.
Cheers
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I LOVE that you included the LOSH cartoon. I loved that show.
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Yes, me too ! Cancelled too soon. The design of the suit was bringing some updates and ideas, this is why I put it in. Thanks for commenting
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Excepting Christopher Reeve, I don't take anything after 1944 seriously.
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Hi. Visually speaking ? Visually he found his definitive shape in 1944. Before 1944, he changes suits almost every issue.
Other than that, yeah Superman was different back then, not so an american idol but more a global social saver. I enjoy these times a lot too. And chrisReeves was amazing of course
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No: I speak in terms of his character and mission. Like you said: "Superman was different back then, not so an American idol but more a global social saver." That's the Superman I respect, not the U.S. government propaganda he was replaced with.
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Hi. Ah yes I see. I agree with you.
Some comics out there are still able to avoid the propaganda cliché. Allstar Superman is a shiny example. Thanks for the comment.
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I've heard a lot about that one, but I have never found an occasion to read a copy. What does he do in All-Star Superman to improve the world's social condition?
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Hi. Nothing in particular. It's just that Superman is seen as a developed global figure and not as a restricted US-only symbol. I comment further via PM. Cheers
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Please forgive the wall of text. If you are going to read it though, please read all of it.
I just read All-star Superman. Allow me to show you something from that comic that I noticed. I know you've seen these pages before, but it's very important to what I am going to say. Needless to say for anyone who has not read the comic yet: SPOILER ALERT.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-rYbGYAGKkVw…
2.bp.blogspot.com/-FdQNZTcLagE…
You see, this is the part where Superman creates "Earth-Q", (which is implied to be our Universe, basically making Superman God) and inside it, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster create the first ever Superman comic. You can see them drawing this concept picture for the first time:
theages.superman.nu/images/one…
Earlier in the same comic, we were introduced to Lex Luthor: a vile sociopath who is guilty of unthinkable crimes.
2.bp.blogspot.com/-mghzJr81VmE…
2.bp.blogspot.com/-1xTVLEG729E…
2.bp.blogspot.com/-G-LDdN7UuIc…
As seen in the second and third links directly above, Superman - as Clark Kent - saves Luthor from a death-trap, despite Luthor already being on death row for his crimes. Certainly an example of Superman's extraordinary merciful values.
www.superman.nu/tales2/adventu…
theages.superman.nu/tales2/adv…
Here we see Jerry Siegel's and Joe Shuster's original Superman dealing with criminals. I know you can appreciate the irony. For a comic supposedly created indirectly by "All-Star Superman" in Earth-Q, he doesn't have the same kind of mercy at all.
That's a good thing.
One thing I'm supremely tired of seeing in Superman comic books, and superhero stories in general, is the idea that condemning countless innocents to continual terror and death by allowing murderous tyrannical sociopaths the right to live, is somehow an honorable moral virtue. For the record, this is what mister Luthor does later:
2.bp.blogspot.com/--xD6OZtv-mc…
2.bp.blogspot.com/-rbXTqVNsZGc…
2.bp.blogspot.com/-FZleS85uum8…
Just brilliant. Sure, Superman stops him later, but all the people Luthor just killed and terrorized are on Superman. Every last one of them. He let this depraved, self-centered, maniacal misanthrope live, and for WHAT? To have him go on another murder-spree in Metropolis. How am I supposed to respond to this?
"Hooray for Superman, and his negligent manslaughter of thousands of innocent people!" - perhaps that? Certainly not. It utterly and completely disgusts me. In microcosm, Superman represents what the best of humanity should do:
sequart.org/magazine/23691/on-… - Take this comic for example.
From that article - “How Superman Would End the War” wasn’t a case of super-heroic patriotism during a war: it was a case of super-heroic intervention against dictators before the U.S. had entered the war. In other words, Superman’s intervention in “How Superman Would End the War” wasn’t based on nationalism or patriotism at all, but on his own moral judgment. It was simply a case of a super-hero intervening, on his own, in geopolitics, equivalent not to supporting a war but to a super-hero today suddenly going off, capturing today’s prominent dictators, and delivering them to the Hague for trial.
And that is exactly how he should be. Decisive. Willing to step in and change the world for the better because he can do it. Just like any powerful person who sees that they can fix a problem, should be. And if one day that means taking a life to prevent more death, then so be it.
Secondly, Superman is not God. He is not meant to be God. He is an alien, but essentially a very powerful man, living in a world of weaker men and women. The whole idea of Superman creating an entire universe while contemplating his impending death is simply ridiculous, and in that very comic serves little purpose aside from making the shallowest possible fan-service to a false sense of nostalgia. All-Star Superman does not successfully represent what Superman is meant to be. It is little more than a horrid fan-fiction promoting a warped version of morality through a lens even more absurd than Superman's regular comic strips.
Nothing in that comic even suggested that Superman was a 'global figure'. He barely did anything for the world except promote Eugenics through P.R.O.J.E.C.T. and repeatedly save Metropolis, and ONLY Metropolis, from disasters over and over.
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Mmh. Your demonstration was not necessary and I find your conclusion almost agressive. I don't think this is the place to discuss comicbooks in details. I'll answer properly via Private Message.
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1986 - Crisis on Infinite Earths. Superman's origin changed. He is now the ONLY survivor of Krypton.
1993 - Reign of the Supermen. Of 4 claimants to the name, none are the REAL Superman.
1997 - Superman becomes Energyman. Costume a containment suit. His splitting into Energyman Red and Energyman Blue sets off a chain of events that threatens Earth and returns him to his true blue Lou looks and powers.
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Hi. Yes, I knew that. Thanks for commenting, I suppose ? Cheers.
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Great
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Hi. I explained above why I did not put Man of Steel into it. And I must add that Man of Steel being the best Superman is not really my thinking. Anyway, thanks a lot for commenting.
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Thanks youself.
Witch one is your favorit vertion ?
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In the live-action ? I think Brandon Routh suit. As for the portrayal, JLU Superman was amazing. cheers again
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Hola. No, no falta porque es un "elseworld" et queria solamente mostrar el uniform classico y sus varaciones desde el principio. Pero me gusta le que Superman traje en Caida de los Dioses
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no te preocupes!!! y es cierto, de cualquier manera, genial dibujo!!!
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