On this date in 1938, National Allied Publications released an anthology not so unlike the other comics of its age. In it, a Texan named Thompson abandoned his destiny as an oil tycoon in favor of high adventure. Pep Morgan fought Sailor Sorenson for the Light Heavyweight Championship belt. A hooligan called Sticky-Mitt Stinson led police on a madcap chase, all for the want of an apple. In pursuit of the nefarious Tigress, the magician Zatara foiled a train robbery. Marco Polo, aged seventeen, set out with his father and uncle for the storied Orient. All told, 11 thrilling tales of romance and intrigue.
And from pages 1 to 13, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster introduced the world to the scion of Krypton, that mighty crusader of social justice in his dual role as reporter Clark Kent and the earthly titan known as Superman. And don’t forget Lois! She was there right from the start. Perry and Jimmy joined soon enough. Lex Luthor popped up two years later in 1940.
This little bundle of adventure was called Action Comics #1.
And I’m just gonna drop this here.
Happy 75th, Action Comics. It’s hard to believe you’re already up to issue…#19?!
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The issue #19 comment got me good.
It’s all I wanted to points out too, too funny!
Well now that I see the scientific explanation, I understand why Supes has such chunky thighs. He’s like a grasshopper!
Talk about delays. Who’s drawing this thing, Bryan Hitch?
This isn’t cannon, so I don’t care. It doesn’t matter.
Huzzah!
Ah, I can remember the first issue like it was just two years ago…
I actually have a reprint copy of this issue (worth like $5 for some reason). Art wise it may look simple but the figures, details, etc make it fantastic IMO as an artist.
“Let’s Dance Dickweed!”
I love the specificity of Action Comics #1. He can jump 1/8th of a mile.
And, were he storming the beaches of Normandy, he would have had the same mortality rate. Superman, indeed.
Just like Phil Hester said this morning on Twitter:
“Here’s to the 75th anniversary of Siegel & Shuster becoming multi-millionaires.”
Thanks DC……….
Paul, you should really consider bagging and boarding. I mean, that’s in terrible condition.
75 years. When you say it like that it makes me think of my own mortality. Crazy.
I do want to jump on one of the Superman books, just haven’t decided which one yet. The movie is a no-brainer though.
My thoughts and love for this character can be summed up in Jor-El’s speech from Superman: The Movie. “You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you… even in the face of our deaths… the richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I’ve learned, everything I feel… all this and more I… I bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you… all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your own eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father, and the father, the son. This is all I … all I can send you, Kal-El.”
Happy Birthday Clark. You’ll be with me all the days of my life.
In a perfect world, Mark Waid would be topping off his fifth year ion Action Comics with anniversary 925th issue this summer.
This issue must be classic or something, Popeye and Spawn did a parody cover of it.