COOL Edited by Back Issue’s AMICHAEL EURY! RETROFAN #2 cxlchates he Ath ANNIVERSARY of SUPERNAN: THE MOVIE with an excuve ineview th Superman dete RICHARD DONNER! tor MICHAEL EURY voyage tothe otem of RWI ALLEN’ = univeneand Reto Tails Metepos, I, home ofthe Super elation ANDY MANGELS desis to Saturday morang’sunderica adverts of AQUAMAN! ERNEST FARINO figs trough monster fanz ofthe Satis and Sevens The Oba Yor of SCOTT SHAW! urave's Maras wack produt evar: Spider-Man and Hal Ll papr’ SCOTT SAAVEDRA adopt faiy of SEA MONKEYS! Pus FUNNY FACE teverages and colecthes,aforvs: oF SUPERMAN AND BATMAN MEMORABILA, ard moe fin, fb fue! (Gt-pageFULL-COLOR magazine) $695 «(igtl Elion) $4.95 «StPs DECEMBER 20181, @):IwoMorrows. iow “A The Future of Pop History. Twolorrows Publishing 10407 Bedfordtown Drive « Raleigh, NC 27614 USA TRS) cc\e ih Amp tsp ed edd ‘# otanione wth be Sac) TU spew JOHN (opten Mare) DAVEY and MICHAEL ly Bison) GRAY. the Geen Hort n Halneod, enembeing mon alee RAY HARRYHAUSEN, th i Santa Moni Pace Ocean Arun Park a tare el ou SAIN JONES onthe Spit ravi pio. ish {1 aeseThundebles, Caper & Reh Rn muscu, tho king Tat fad andre! SHIPS MARCH 20131 42 NOW SHIPPING! TV honcho ZACHERLEY, VAMPIRA, SEYMOUR, MARVIN, and coverfelired ELVIRA inlerien! Groove Goole! Ceey. oly toms Beusch, The Adams Fay, and The ‘Munstest Tho ng bined Dlnesaut Land auseren pk History of en Cooper Halloween costumes! Super felecton of character lnchbowes! Pz sipetheo View Nate Sindy, the Bish Baie Mood Rng and roe fun Fatesyy. NCR ISSUR) YOU'LL BELIEVE A MAG CAN FLY! ‘Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster bby special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family IN MEMORIAM: Margot Kidder 2 BACK SEAT DRIVER: Editorial by Michael Eury. 3 TIMELINE: The Super "70s 4 A countdown of Syper-milestonesiceding up tothe release of Superman: The Movie INTERVIEW: Ilya Salkind: The Art of the Super Deal 6 How Superman became a move, inthe words ofthe fins executive producer PRINCE STREET NEWS: Getting Superman, 8 ‘Anew cartoon by Katt Heitmueler, fc BACKSTAGE PASS: We'll Always Remember Smallville 10 Recollections from Superman co-stars Aaron Smolinski, lett iast, and Diane Sherry Case OFF MY CHEST: Winning the Great Superman Mavie Contest. ” Edward Finneran’ frsthand account of his 1977 Super-experience HASHBACK: Eliot St Magn: Paperback Writer a The comic scribe-turned:novelst’s Super books INTERVIEW: Non Speakst: Jack O'Halloran 26 A candid chat withthe actor vio escaped the sirets™“and the Phantom Zone ART GALLERY: Superman Around the World a4 Istrated movie posters featuring Christopher Reeve asthe Man of Stee! TOY BOX: Superman: The Movie Collectibles 39 How much ofthis Superstuf is on your shel? GREATEST STORIES NEVER TOLD: The Superman Movie You Didn't See. 44 bel ey a Tg Guest calurnnist Cary Bates reveals his plat for what might have been Superman V DoF FLASHBACK: Superman: The Movie and Comic BOOKS... -.2+csesse1eee ” Cron cizen, ‘The crginal iv legacy in DC Comic lore boi ricHT @ : ‘incl vom BACKSTAGE PASS: Superman: The Move and Media o Pop plate! The beloved move’ egaeyn Holywood Siete! Bon BACK TALK 75 Downton’ Reader reactions ‘OR READ NLEGAL COPIES ONLINE! BACK SSUE™'s publishes 8 umes a yearby TwoMortovs Publishing, 10407 Beeordton Drive, Raleigh NC 27614, Michel Ey, Editor-in-Chief Merrow, Pubs. Etrl Office: BACKISSUE, c/o Michael ary, [Link], 118 Edgewood Avenue NE, Concord, NC 2802S. Emall euymancgmal com. Hghtsssie subscriptions: $76 Economy US, $125 Intemational, $32 Digital, Pleat send subserption orders and funds to TwoMorows NOT othe ecterial office Cover arty Gary Fark. Superman and related images TM & © DC Comes. Superman The Mowe Warner ot. Al ight Reserved. Al characters are © tha reepectve companies Allmateril 9 the creators ures otherse noted Al ecto matter © 2018 Michael ury and TweMarows, ‘except: Prince Strect News © kar Heitmualer, Je: “Winning the Great Superman Movie Contest” ‘8 tanard Finneran ae "The Superman Movie You Bi See” Cary Bates: ented iy Chin. IRS PRINTING, y Issue + BACK ISSUE + 4 ‘& DON'T SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS (OR POST THEM ONLINE. Help ut kop producing get publtions tke th nel Superman: The Movie 40th AnniveIN MEMORIAM MARGOT KIDDER (1948-2018) Ferever_JotsValidation That's the feeling | most associate with Superman: The Move Some of you frst saw this blockbuster through a child's eyes. twas your gateway to a world of adventure, as Adam West's Batmon was mine nearly 13 years earier. ‘By the time Superman premiered on Friday, December 15, 1978, | was no child—aecording to my college ID, at least. | had recently twmed 21 and, along with two fraternity brothers, hustled to the movie on opening night. My buddies enjoyed it—but | adored it. It brought to life one of my favorite superheroes and convinced me, thanks to then-cutting edge special effects and the earnest portrayal by Christopher Reeve, that 2 man really could fly Superman: The Movie briskly soared to the top of the box office, becoming one of Hollywood's biggest moneymakers ofits day. From a contemporary perspective, that’s an unsurprising announcement. AS | write this in late April 2018, Marvel Studios’ Black Porter is clawing its way up the lst of the most profitable motion pictures of all time and Avengers: Infinity War has just enjoyed the Digest box oie opening— ‘ever. "Superheroes" isriow 2 bona fide and lucrative film genre. ‘That was not the world of 1978, however. The public at large paid itl, if any, heed to caped crusaders. Superman, then celebrating his 40th birthday, was an exception, having leaped enough media platforms ina single bound ta have become an ‘American icon. Yet many thought of the Man of Steel as a golden ‘oldie, recalling the barre-chested George Reeves, whose reruns of the archaically dated '50s TV classic, Adventures of Superman, still whooshed their way into syndication in this modern world of disco, microwave ovens, and supersonic jets. To others, Superman was @ children’s character to be placed alongside such cuddly figures as \Winaie the Pooh and Kermit the Frog, a super fiend seen in Saturday morning cartoons and on boys’ underwear. Conventional wisdom cautioned Hollywood that such kiddie fare should not be the basis of a star-studded, live-action movie with a whopping budget of $55, million. But luckily (fr us), executive producers Alexander and liya Salkind, producer Pierre Spengler, and director Richard Donner Dersevered with their mythic, yet human, vision of Superman. ‘And audiences loved it, lining up to see Superman: The Movie— and returning to see it again and again! ‘At last! the 21-year-old me thought... The rest of America gets itt ne langer have to hide my love of comic books and superheroes, Superman: The Movie 40th Anniv *y Michael Eury You see, in those pre-Big Bang Theory days, when only the nerdiest of nerds knew what a comic-con was, most people were Penny, and those of us beyond the age of ten who read comic books were Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Raj. Comic books and superheroes ‘were kids” stuf, like Bazooka Joe bubblegum, Gil. Joes, and Easy Bake Ovens, to be tossed aside when puberty caused voices to crack and hormones to rage. Those of us who never “outgrew” comic books were the tralls of society, metaphorically banished Underneath the bridge of adulthood and forced to conceal (like an alter ego) our inner fanboy (or girl) by nervously checking our Surroundings when surveying a spin rack and secreting our latest issue of Action ar X-Men behind a textbook or “legit” magazine like Time. Except fr the kinship we quietly found among ourcolleagues of comiedom, we were closeted, Until Superman: The Movie. ‘On December 15,1978, ‘we were validated, Beginning on that date, millions of moviegoers realized that superheroes werer't solely te domain Of children, that they were the shrugging Atases, the lumbering Paul Buryans, of contemporary folkiore. Credit for much of that rests on the bad shoulders of Christopher Reeve Following director Donners ‘mandate of verisimiitude (the appearance of truth), Reeve did not "play" Superman, nor did he offer a sly wink to the audience that this was a puton, He ‘was Superman. Asan acto, TMs OBC Coniswnertos he accepted the character asreal, and as such elevated the entre production frm farce to fantasy. Certainly, stellar talent such as Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Glenn Ford also made Superman an A-list endeavor, but had a less: talented actor slipped into the red-and-biue costume, | might not be ‘writing this editorial 40 years later (and Black Panther and the Avengers would be knowa only to Marvel diehards). ‘Superman paved the way for the modern superhero movie. And it made me proud to be a comic-book fan. In this issue, we hear from some talented people who brotight us this epochal film and examine how the mavie allected the world of ccamie books and the broader popular culture. Our eonteibutors may Seem just like mild-mannered reporters, but listen, not oniy do they know how to treat their editor-in-chief with the proper respect, not only do they have a snappy, punchy prose style, but they are, in my 30 years in this business, the fastest typists I've ever seen: ‘And they've wound up with the single most important collection of Interviews and articles since... God talked to Moses, sary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 3°y Michael Eury The December 1978 release of Superman: The Movie was the zenith of a decade of super-events for DC Comics’ Man of Steel and his Super-family. This timeline revisits the highpoints of this Super decade. (Note: The years listed below reflect the comics’ on-sale appearances, not their cover dates.) 1970 © Silver Age Superman editor Mort Weisinger retires (Guperman #232 is his last issue) F Supergir! adopts mod fashions in Adventure Comics #397 © Rose and the Thorn premiere in Superman's Gin Fri Lois Lane #105 © Jack Kirby's Fourth World begins with Superman's Pal Jimny Olsen #133 World's Finest Comics becomes a Superman tearvup title with #198 © Superman's Girl Friénd becomes black for a day in Lois Lane #106 © ulus Schwartz begins editorship with Superman #233 (’Kryptonite Nevermore”) © Clark Kent becomes a television news anchorman in Superman #233 1971 © Legion of Super-Heroes returns asa backup series in Superboy *172 © Superman from the Thirties to the Severtios hardcover published ‘ Mod Clark Kent comic strip appears in Nov. 1971 issue of GQ © Classic “Must There Be a Superman?” published in Superman #247 ‘© First Galactic Golem appearance in Superman #248 eatery 1972 © First [Link] appearance in Superman #249 © Superman gueststars ‘on 10-7-72 episode of animated The Brady Kids show Supergirl spins ‘out of Adventure Comics into her ‘own short-lived tile The continuity. confusing Super Sons premiere in World’ Finest Comics #215 Superman introduces original Captain Marvel on cover of Shazom! #1 © Superman's origin reprinted in Secret Origins #1 1973 © Amazing Word of Superman Metropolis Edition tabloid published First Steve Lombard appear- ance in Superman #264 Superboy branded Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes with issue #197 Long-running Super Friends Saturday morning cartoon show premieres 9-8-73 First Toyman Il appearance in Action Comics #432 : 4+ BACK ISSUE + Superman: The Movie 40th Anniversary Issue1974 © Famous First Eation #C-26 reprints Action Comics #1 S Supesman’s Pal finy (Olsen retitled Superman Family with #164 ‘© Superman batties Captain ‘Thunder in Superman 4276 Superman's Gin Friend Lois Lane cancelled with issue #37 © Supergi cancelled with issue #10 © First Vartox appearance in Superman #282 1975 F isa Bid... sa Plane... WS Superman musical performed on television > warner Bros. announces new Superman motion picture © PReampaign nets stipend, benefits, and creator credits for Jerry Siegel and joe Shuster © Siegel and Shuster tribute story in Action Comics #447 © Amazing Worid of DC Comics 47 is all-Superman issue © First appearance of Power Git in AlEStar Comics #58 1976 © ‘Superman celebrated at Super DC Con ‘76 in New York City © Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man DC/Marvel crossover published ‘© Superman #300 published, featuring "Superman, 2001” © DC launches Super Friends tie-in comic-book series Which includes Superman 1977 © First Metal il appearance in Superman #310 © OC Special Series #5 is © Superman vs. Wonder Woman in All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-54 © First Sunermobile appearance in Action Comics #481 1978 *& Superman 497 and 113 reprinted as Pizza Hut siveawrays ist tori kul appearance in Superman #323 Alin All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-56 © Superman-centric World's Greatest Superheroes newspaper strip premieres 43-78 © Superman vs. Shazam! in AllNew Collectors’ Edition C58 © Marriage of Earth-Two Superman and Lois in ‘Action Comics #484 © DC Comics Presents, new Superman tear-up title, is launched © Superman: Last Son of Krypton novel by Elliot $! Maggin ‘© The Official Superman Quiz Book by Bruce Nash ‘© Superman and World's Finest reprint paperbacks from Tempo Books © The Great Superman Book (encyclopedia) by Michael L Fleisher © The World's Greatest Super-Heroes paperback reprints Superman comic strip Superman #1 reprinted in Famous Fist Edition #C-61 Superman: The Movie special edition in [Link] Collectors! Edition #C-62 Superman: The Movie premieres 12-15-78 1979 © Superman is surprise Batman teammate in The Brave and the Bold #150 World of Krypton #1-3 is comic-book industry's first © Bottle City of Kandor enlarged in Superman #338 © Action Comics #500 published, featuring “Superman's Life Story” Superman: The Movie 40th Anniv ary Issue + BACK ISSUE = 5Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor was obsessed with realestate in Superman: The Movie, and at the 2018 Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Iinois, fal discovered the valve of re0l estate. As @ guest of the event, ucked into a fable right next to ya Satkind, the executive producer (wit his Father, Alexarder Saikind) of Superman—as well os Superman il (1980) and Ml (1983), Supergisl (1984), The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (7974), Santa Claus: The Movie (1988), and TV's Superboy series (1999-1992). During a break from Signing autographs, Mr. Salkind graciously consented to this interview ‘ahd allowed me ta chat with hr about how the Marvel af Metropolis ‘became the Hero of Hollywood. = Michael Eury MICHAEL EURY: What's your earliest Superman memory? ILYA SALKIND: Very simp; | started reading the comic books when | was seven, and | loved them and continued [to read ther]. EURY: How did you and your father bring Superman to Hollywood? SSALKIND: My fatier was my partner, and we had two big successes in ‘America and workivide: The Tiee[ Musketeers] and (The Faur Musketeer, EURY: [saw them both and enjoyed them. SALKIND: Very good movies. After that we were very excited and happy and all that. [We thought,] What will we do next? We were having dinner and | said, "Why don't we do Superman?” My father ‘was European and said, “What is Superman?” | said, “Wel, he fies and. he's got these powers, he’s as known as Jesus Christ.” He said, “Let me talk to my backers.” The next day he sald, "They lke the idea.” EURY: So the backers knew who Superman was? SALKIND: Yes, the backers knew who he was. When the backers said they liked it, [ny father] reacted. “Then we had a long negotiation with Warner Bros, wha owned DC ‘Comics. It was then called National Periodical Publications and they changed the ttle of NPP to DC Comics, because that was the way not {0 pay Jey Siegel and Joe Shuster, who had invented the character. They absolutely bamboozled them and took thei credit off the comics, ‘everything, but in the contract, it stil said “based on the comic books Created by jery Siegel and Joe Shuster.” EURY: Itwas for $130 that Siegel and Shuster famously sold the rights ‘af Superman back in 1938. SALKIND: Exactly. The poor quys were destitute; one of them was {going blind... it was a terrible time, 'So, the backers liked it and we started a very long negotiation with NPP It was atter they changed from NPP to DC Comics. EURY: The name changed after your negotiation? SALKIND: It changed after we started shooting. We went to them, and then Warners said, "Sei not worth anything, Who cares about a comic book?" The three months of very difficult negotiation was with NPP because they, not Warners, were very protective ‘about the character. There was a whole clause about the identity ofthe character we had to agree on: He couldn't be obscene, we couldn't go out of the range of activities; he couldn't be a burglar—he had to be Superman, The negotiation took a long time. Warners still didn’t care about the film, ‘MyTather was a genius about finding money and backers, and bought the rights tothe film until 1999. EURY: Until 1999? What imitations were there to your terms? SALKIND: It went until 1999—any amount of films we wanted to do Until then; no limitations. Then, even in 1999, there was some kind fof statute of limitations where we could have extended it, but then {there was] anather story that happened; unpleasant, but alin the past. Warners didn’t care about the film yet, but the European buyers went erazy; Italians, French, German, Japanese. all wanted the film. So, we presold the movie and then Warners started to say, "Wait a minute...” The deal we made with them was a negative dea; they still had the rights to pick up the film for an amount for American The Art of the Super-Deal concucted by Michael Eury transcribed by Rose Rummel-Eury Supermovie's Supermen 4.1978 one-sheet Mylar poster promoting the premier superhero film, Superman: The Movie, brought to you by executive producers (inset) Alexander and Ilya Salkind. Poster courtesy of Heritage Auctions (wwww:[Link]). 6 + BACK ISSUE + Superman: The Movie 40th Anniversary Issue we, www .[Link]11a fortunate enough tobe one oftwo people, along with Tim Hussey of California, to win the grand prize in “The Great Superman Movie Contest” of 1977, withthe ‘winners receiving a small part in the mewe. As ateenage ‘omic and scence fiction fan of Superman, Wender Woman, Justice League, the Legion of Super Heroes, and other DC (and a few Marve) works, it was quite exciting ENTERING THE CONTEST The contest invalved cutting out special strips with a letter on them, placed at the bottom of the editorial/etters page of each DC comic, Entrants were then required to spell out "SUPERMAN" and either "CLARK" of KALEL" using these letters, and mail in. | was interested in possibly winning fone of the 5,000 second prizes, a Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes book, so lentered, | would buy almost all my comics at a small local stare in Springfield, Massachusetts, called Willams Luneheanette, that had a soda fountain and everything—but a very smal selection of ‘comics to choose fram at any given time. In order to spell out the two words, you'd have to buy a minimum (OF 13 comics. Most of those would have bought anyway, so | only had to buy a couple that | woulda’t have normally in order to spell ut SUPERMAN and KALEL. WINNING AND ARRANGEMENTS CCistopher Reeve, along with Sol Harson, president of BC Comics, and jenette Kalin, publisher, picked the winners ‘cutoftheavalanche of entvis they receved, The fist two entries to be drawn only speed out SUPERVAN and so ‘int qualty, so they pulled two more. | was either the third oF fourth entry drawer —I don't know whieh. [found ‘out | won when we gota telegram deliveed to the house, Which was a fst for me, being a teenager atthe time. Correspondence followed, with Sol Harrison and also Mike Gold of DC, to fine tune when and where my mom and | would need to travel to participate in the movie That was cool, not only for what it said, but Te was printed on DC Comics stationery witha falely normal front side, but with seven DC Comics characters (Superman, Shazam! [the original Captain Marvel), Batman, Flash, Aquaman, Robin, and Wender Woman} standing on each other's shoulders on the backs. if you held it up to the ight, they appeared to be holding up the "DC Comics" round loga an the front side, We were to be in some of the scenes where Clark Kent isa teenager, soit wasn’t off to New York, but to 7 AN EXPENSE - Pai Irie To IT THE OFFICES OF Dc comics! 408 OF 7ve uPconns waaven pvreaasc $Oists & Slecemay oerman d Wider Boman, + Teams sweacririon 10 Tye amaze naeLO + Comes Om The [Link] SUPRRAN 15 omahe ree See ten sik cba How Lucky Can One Guy Get? Make that two guys, as Tim Hussey joined guest columnist Ed Finneran as the winners of the original Great Superman Movie Contest in 1977. This DC Comics house announced the competition, man: The Movie 40th Anmiversary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 47Go, Smaliville, Go! (top) Photocopy of a Bob Penn picture of contest winner Ed Finneran suited up for football practice, All photos in this article are courtesy of Edward Finneran. (bottom) The original screen Superman and Lois Lane, Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill, played parents to ayoung Lois Lane in Superman: The Movie. This 1977 publicity photo by Bob Penn shows Tim Hussey, Alyn, Finneran, and Neill, and was signed by Noel in 2004. (middle) Kirk and Ed. 18 + BACK ISSUE + Superman Movie 40th Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which had the right stage of wheat harvesting to stand in for Superman's Smallville home. It was ‘my ist time on a plane, and we connected through Denver on fur way to Calgary. There was a looming airtralfic-controller strike in Canada, and our plane was one of the last few to land in Canada before the strike took effect. CALGARY ‘Wie spent more time in Calgary than planned, because the weather wasn’t cooperating with liming. We wound up being there about ‘a week, We stayed atthe Intemational Hotel, and every couple of ‘days would stop by to see the Superman publicist Gordon Amel! ‘or his staf in the production office ta get a stipend to caver aur time there. | remember visiting the 600-plus-foot Calgary tower and doing other things in the cy, including seeing the movie Stor Wars in Canada. Twas fortunate enough to be able to spend alittle time with | two other folks who were also there for small walk-on parts in the movie: Kire Alyn, wo played Superman in the movie serials, along with Noel Neil, who played Lois opposite Kirk as well as from Season Two onward of the George Reeves TV shove Adventures of Superman. We di a photoshoot in the park with Superman stil photographer Bob Penn that was lot of fun, and stil have some ‘ofthe pictures. There's stilfram their brief scene in the movie «captured on card 34 of the Topps ‘ard series (inset) for the movie, Youthful Lois Lane and hi parents.” The idea was that a young Lois Lane is a passenger fn the train with her parents and as she's looking out the windows, sees Clatk cunning and passing them! This scene is about 28:00 into the theatrical Bluray, but about 29:30 into the extended edition Blu-ray, which also includes their ines. There area couple of pages about ths in an oversized magazine, DC's All-New Collectors’ Edition #C-62, Superman: The Movie. Page 9 has several pictures of Kik and Noel and their on-screen young daughter "Lois Lane” (including a picture from our photo Shoot In the park). The next page ial about the Great Superman ‘Movie Contest and describes how we won, and has photos of our entries being chosen, as well asa picture of us. During our time in Calgary Tim and! also roamed a unsurprisingly wound up visting a local comic shop, ” “Takes a Trip Comic Room.” There just happened to be a reporter Inthe store talking to the owner about comics, so it came out fairly quickly that we were the winners of the contest, and the ‘next thing we knew there was an article about us in the Colgary Herald of August 13, 1977, including aur picture in the shop. ‘When, due to the weather, it become obvious the filming schedule wouldn't be ready for us right away, | not only got to see the sights of Calgary, but also got to go farther afield. | was able to go up into the Rockies to visit the picturesque town ‘of Banff and the beautiful Lake Louise with its stunningly blue water and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise on its shore, Another day, | crossed back into the US to visit the Glacier "National Park portion of the two-country International Peace Park that spans Alberta and Montana, FILMING ‘One of the frst things we saw upon getting out to the area where filming was taking place was the scene where Jelf East as teenage Clark Kent runs in ront ofthe train at high speed on his way home, ‘tas filmed with a slow-moving tain and Jef hanging in a harness, which wasa pretty cool piece of movie-making magic to see right off the bat. Apparently Kirk and Noel were onboard the train filming their scene, although we couldn't ee that from the roadside '1do remember Jeff East came over to our table one morning at ‘breakfast to intraduce himself and ask about the contest and how ‘won, which I thought was very nice of him. Anniversary IssueWie stayed at hotel in Lethbridge, and each moming had an extremely early callfor us ta get transported aut tothe liming ste for aur scene, which wasn the tiny town of Barons. Aso nearby was the small own of Blackie, where the Kent family farm scenes were shot, ‘but we didn't get out to that location. ‘One stop we made ear in our time on set was with hairdresing and later costuming, to get us ed for our ‘oles. Pat McDermott was the hatdresser that cut ou ait {o get it movie-eady. In subsequent years, it was fun watching the credits of other movies in the theater to see Pat's name goby and think about who else's ha she had cutother than mine, when she worke on mse Riders ofthe Lost de, Star Wor Retin ofthe Je, and Soper. ‘ur scene was outside a local school in Barons. We appear right atthe vary beginning ofthe scene where Cars the equipment mnager for the Smale High football eam. Orginal they had planned to have usin the stands during a football game, but this got changed {@ having us be part of the football team practicing. Mest of the football team were locals wearing maroon football jerseys with white numbes, while Timand I stand cout because we're in gray. Right atthe very Begining of this scene, one of us in gray catching a football on the way back toward the schoo, but the camera is moving away and focusing elsewhere, 0 | can’t tell which of Usiis The whole team comes off the practice field, and then runs infront of Clarkin his bight redshirt, before the scene withthe coach and cheetleader realy Stats. To find us, took fortwo players in gray running by together! believe we ae the tenth and 11th players to pass by Clark, In the extended ection ofthe movie, I beleve Tim comes onscreen ight around 23:00 minutes into Ure move followed by me. As drop my helmet ard Spin around, | say, "See youlater, Clark” which you can nea you crank up the volume. ‘During each take, we all ran into the school and basicaly waited just inside the door siting onthe stars hile the rest ofthe scene played out. One intresting thing to me was the shooting of us coming off the fied wasn one location, but when the shot turns around face the schoo, the cameras were moved much closet, 50 in teal fe the school was farther om the fel than ‘appears inthe movie. In particular, the cheerleaders Jumping up and over the fed bench was fimed in one location, while the footage of them coming back down again on the othe ie, that really starts the main shots ofthe scene, were shot aie ways away During the scene, instead of watching Clark, if you concentrate onthe doo nc the Schoal nthe upperlet corer | think you'll actually see the two of usin gray enter the school twice—showing that te frames came {rom two different takes. Aso, f you watchin between Clatk ane! Lana as they're talking, I believe I'm correct in saying thatthe football helmet that you can see on the ground near the bench is mine! ‘One of the people in our “orbit” was Davi Petrou, who wrote the book The Making of Syperns The Movie. He had a small part in the same scene we did, as the asistant coach wearing a blue ball cap, wh comes Up {o Clark to tel him to do somethings, as we' te running by. David mentions us as winners af the Great Superman Movie Contest in his book, on pages 137139, long with more about Kirk and Noel ako got to ee them film the shot where Clark punts the football nto next week, by burying an air cannon and having let East drop a football tet he appesrs to then kick, But in actuality he just dropped ton the ground and the cannon fired the football. It was impressive in real ife to see ths behind-the-scenes move ‘magic ofthe day, and it ioked great in the fm. ‘One time, Bob Penn, the stil photographer on the shoot, took several pictures of Tim and myse on the steps leading into the school. We also did some sil ‘with the foatbal ear and the cheerleaders onthe il. (One of the photos from this session isthe one of us in the Ai-New Collectors" Eltion magazine. I did get to talk to the director, Richard Donner, wha could not have been nicer. He asked where | was from, and knew that Springfield, Massachusetts, was on the Connecticut River ‘Once our scene was in the bag, we were back to Calgary, and on aur way to New York NEW YORK From Calgary, we headed to New York to visit the DC ‘Comics offices and get to do some sightseeing. Visiting the OC offices was awesome, as you might ‘expect fora longtime comics fan, Getting to see where people worked and where the magic happened was ‘Feat. On the tour, | remember interacting with Mike Gold and Bob Rozakis. | also got a couple of cover line art drawings (por to coloring) to keep. Taso got to interact with editor julus “ule” Schwartz, which was fortunate for me, as I would see him in later Years at World Scence Fiction Conventions [Werldcon] that ve been attending for some decades now (ust as a fan). We dd ate more sightseeing in New York, Westayed at the Hilton Hotel on Sixth Avenue, which was very rice. | remember DC taking us to see the musical Grease on Broadway. Interestingly, Superman went ‘on to big box oficeretums for Wamer Bros. wen it was released the next year in 1978, but was subsequently overtaken by the movie version of Grease, leaving ‘Superman as the second-highestgrossing US domestic film of 1978. I got back home around August 18th or 19th, 1977. | always think of the movie as happening in'1977, which is when | participated inthe filming, although, of course, for most people they think of when It was released, which was 1978, Super Friends Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill with the two contest winners. The top two photos were taken by Edward Finneran; the bottom two, by Ed's mother. Ms. Neill signed the bottom photos jn 2004. The Movie 40th Anniy ary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 49Thanks, Mom! Finneran’s mother snapped all four of these behind-the- scenes photos at Smallville High: (top left) Bob Penn taking 2 publicity photo of Ed and Tim reading a Superman comic (Limited Collectors’ Edition #C-31, to be exact. (top right) The football team extras, with Tim and Ed (left/right) in the front. Note Diane Sherry (Lana Lang) leaning on Tim, and one of the cheerleaders leaning ‘on Ed. (bottom) The prizewinners, in gray, hustling around the bench during their big scene. PREMIERE Superman had several premiere events in diferent cities—apparently US President limmy Carter went to the one in Washington, D.C. (with Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder), but | got to go with my uncle to the one in Boston. It didn’t happen until December 13, 1978. The pre-premiere party was atthe Boston Park Plaza Hotel's Georgian Room, with the actual film screen nearby at the Sack Cinema 57. The entire event was a benefit for Special Olympics and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, so there were 2 lot of Massachusetts notables in attendance. I got to shake the hand of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy as he walked through the crowd to the stage to give a speech. In addition ta the article inthe Calgary paper that really happened by chance, there was an article about me winning the contest in the local Springfield Moming Union of August Sth, and a mention in the Boston Globe on August 10th. AFTERWORD You can see some f the info about the contest inthe aforementioned publication All-New Collectors Edition #C-62, Superman: The Movie. Fm also a fan of seance fiction as well as comics. Years later, while | was at a Warid Science Fiction Convention with Janet, my significant ‘other, she found a British version of that magazine n the dealers room, land spying my picture init, nonchalantly ought it for just a few dollars—and came up to me saying, “Look what | found!" ‘Twas able to meet Sarah Douglas, who played Ursa in the movie (although I never met her during ilming), along with Barry Morse, 20 + BACK ISSUE + Superman The Movie 40th Anniver at a convention for Space: 1999 fans, SpaceCon V in Springfield Massachusetts, in 1982. “Much later, at the 2004 SuperMegaFest media-oriented con in Massachusetts, they featured “Two Lois Lanes,” with bath Noel Neill and Erica Durance, who played Lois on the TV show Smallville, | was pleased to be able to attend and interact with Noel, who Femembered me and the photo shoots that we did. | did get her to sign some copies of pictures of us together—and some fans, faverhearing our conversation, asked me for my autographi While not Superman-related, | did manage to meet several other luminaries, like Anthony Daniels (C3P0 of Star Wars), Verne Troyer (Mini-Me of Austin Powers), Joanna Cameron (Isis), and Adrienne Barbeau (Swamp Thing and tons of other things). Unfortunately, that was the last time | was to see Noel, as she passed away in 2016 at the age of 95 I you check out the IMDb entry for Superman: The Movie and look at the photos associated with it, ve uploaded a couple with me in them, including one of me and Kick Alyn from that photoshoot in the paark (Vm in the IMDb for this role, but you have to navigate to the hmovie, not my entry as an acto). ‘Thanks for letting me reminisce about winning the contest. hope | haver’t used up all my luck—I still occasionally buy a lottery ticket, since even though the chances or winning are quite small, smal is no _2ef0—and someone has to win eventually! (© 2018 Edward Fanron, Special thanks to Shou Clan.ELLIOT S! °y Philip Schweier THE EXCITING ORIGINAL STORY OF ah MIRACLE MONDAY day the word will eelebrcte— \Conly Superman can concver the greatest ev of ‘ther Super Novels Movie images illustrated the covers of Eliot $! Maggin’s first two Superman novels, Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday. by ELLIOT S. MAGGIN {OND IN WARNER'S SERIES OF SUPERMAN NOVELS waren noone (2-18 250 Seman 1 8€ Comic In the days before home video, movie fans could revisit ther favorite films thanks to adaptations in novel form. An entire generation of fans snatched up paperback copies of Stor Wars, Clase Encounters ofthe Third Kind, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture from the shelves and spinner racks of bookstores coast to coast ‘Conspicuous ints absence vias a mass-market paperback adaptation fof Superman The Movie, Instead, Warner Books (a corporate sibling of both DC Comics and the studio that released the film) published Last Son of Krypton, an original story by DC Comics writer Eliot S! Maggin FROM SUCH HUMBLE BEGINNINGS Maggin was born and reared in the NYC area, and like many kids at the time, read comic books until entering his teens, In an interview fot The Amazing World of DC Comics #2 (Apr. 1974), Maggin described Superman as the prototype of the hero, the ideal person. "He and, President Kennedy probably influenced me more than anyone I've fever known, except my father.” While attending Brandeis University in Boston in the early 1970s, he managed a tutaring program for kids, providing comic books to help them read. The Green Lantern/Green Arrow series caught his eye and prompted him to submit Green Arrow story ented "What Can One Man o?", which was published in Green Lantern #87 (Dec. 1971-Jan. 1972). This led to a lengthy career writing for virtually every major character inthe DC Comics library usally credited as "Elliot S! Maggin.”| Legend has it his habitual use of exclamation points in his comic-book Scripts led to_a typo in hs byline, which caught the attention of DC editor Julius “Julie” Schwartz. Schwart2 liked It so much he made it policy that Maggin’s middle intial always be punctuated with an ‘exclamation mark instead of a period, ‘Maggin was ane a the primary writers for the Superman titles in the ‘mid-1970s. He submitted 2 loose outline of Last Som of Krypton in 1974 to DC pubiisher Carmine Infantino as part of a Superman feature fim proposal, It included a theary thatthe time for heroes was returing— ‘tom a socielogical standpoint. " guess | was right, huh?” Magia says, However, Maggin wasn't the only one who saw Superman's big-screen potential. Independent producers Alexander and iva Salkind had begun, ‘evelopment on what would become Supennan: The Movie. To help give the project credibility as afl, they enlisted screenwriter Mario Puzo, a two-time Oscar® winner for his Godfather movies. Prior to penning his screenplay, Puzo paid a visitto the DC Comics oifices for esearch. He met with publisher Carmine Infantino, editor Julius Schwartz, and winters €. Nelson Bridwel, Cary Bates, anc Maggi, Having such a celebrity in theie camp was pretty casual, according to Maggin. “No one seemed particularly cowed over it,” he says. “When [irs found Puzo, he and Nelson Bridivll were sitting on the floor in the big library archive early one day, looking at old comic books.” ‘Maggin says Puzo did't know much about the character to star. ‘with, “Mostly Caty and Isat with Mari in a conference room with the su The Movie 40th Anniy ary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 22door closed fortwo days, talking about who Superman was,” ‘exphins Maggin.°Cary and talked alot about Superman's ‘origin, and about how he tended to handle most ‘emergencies, Bank robberies, voleanoes, exploding planets, that sort of thing, Mario mostly took notes. Then At some point he picked his head up out of his notepad and said, see itnow. This isa Greek tragedy’ And Cary ‘sid, ‘That’ what we've been trying to tell you.’ ‘According tothe internet Movie Database, Puzo was promised a financial piece of any book adaptation of his story. Though a screenwriter might be credited as the ‘author ofthe book, novel adaptations are often written by soineone ese. In this case, Maggin says Puzo suggested his son Gino write the book version of the screenplay However, the novelization never happened, One theory is that Puzo was annoyed that David and Leslie Newman were hired to reat his sereenplay extenshvehy— adding a few "questionable ideas”—while the producers continued to use Puzo's name to attract ‘east members Instead, Warner Books published two other mass- market paperbacks in conjunction withthe film, David Michael Petrou, in adltion to instructing Clark to have the football team uniforms ready for Saturday's game in the Smallville High scene, wrote The Making of Superman: The Movie se tis isue's Superman collectibles article—ed.. It chronicled how the film came to be made—how the producers developed the project, ‘and brought key people such as Puzo, Marlon Brando, land director Richard Donner on board. Much attention is paid to casting the perfect Man of Steel, as well as ‘other key roles such as Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, and Perry White. However, in order forthe book to coincide with the film's December 1978 release, the final stages of production—including frequent arguments between the producers and director—are not included. LAST SON OF KRYPTON The other book was Maggin’s Last Son of Krypton Dailies rom the firm had attracted a great deal of interest at Warner Bros., DC’s corporate parent, Striking while the iron was hot, Maggin enjoyed a quick elevator Fide up two floars to Warner Books to pitch his movie {reatment as a novel. With a sequel already planned, it was originally intended to publish Maggin’s book between the two films, to maintain interest, "When it became clear that Mario was not going to exercise his Fight to do a novelization, Warner Books bumped up the publication date,” says Maggin. Lost Sen of Krypton revels Superman's origi, featuring ‘Albert Einstein in a pivotal role. A Kryptonian navigational device sent ahead of KakEts spacecraft contacts Einstein {and informs him of al-£simminent artval in SmalWvil Jortl had hoped the greatest intellect of Earth would safeguard the infant, but a chance encounter with Jonathan and Martha Kent changes that plan instead, Einstein decides a simple Midwestern upbringing is that the boy needs. He is able to place the Kents in the right place at the right time to fin the child. Einstein Bronze Age Breakout (top) Maggin’s extraordinary Green Arrow tale in 1971's Green Lantern #87 put the young writer on the map. le) In 1974, Eliot (rendered here by Kurt Schaffenberger, from the cover of 1974's Amazing World of DC Comics #2) submitted to DC's head honcho Carmine Infantino a rough outline for what would become his Last Son of Krypton Superman novel. Seeing Red Actor Red Buttons (left) visits author Mario Puzo (center) and future Jor-£l Marion Brando (right) on the set of The Godfather in 1972. Set photo by Jack Stager, from the archives of Heritage Auctions ([Link]). 22 + BACK ISSUE + Su man: The Movie 40th Anniversary IssueChronicles his “close encounter” in a journal, which he seals away for a generation, Einstein was one of Maggin’s boyhood heroes, an admiration he passes on to his version of Lex Luthor, land explores in detail in “The Einstein Connection” in Superman #416 (Feb, 1986). "It seems to me | find a spot for Einstein in virtually everything | write,” he says, "I wanted to be a theoretical physicist when | was a kid, but it occurred to me that, for purposes fof the 20th and 2st Centuries, Einstein had out- theorized pretty much everyone.” Decades later, as Einstein's journal is about to be made public, itis stolen by Lex Luthor, only ta be stolen from Luthor by an alien minstrel named Towbee, who ‘oFiginally appeared in Action Comics #420 (Jan. 1973), also writen by Maggin. ‘Apparently, Einstein's reputation extends to the far reaches of the galaxy, where an intergalactic despot, the Master of Orc, also covets the journal. At the behest ‘of the Guardians of Oa, Superman agrees to relieve the document, and itis recommended he take with him an Einstein expert: Lex Luthor. However, thei presence on the planet Ore wil full an ancient prophecy, bringing about a major power shit in favor of the Master. ‘Maggin had submitted his manuscript at least a year before Puzo finished his fist draft of the screenplay Both the book and the lm were released the same day, Which may have led to some confusion, "People started referring to my novel as a “novelization,” which got mea litle bit crazy,” Maggin says. “A novel isa book, and novelization isthe process of turning something ‘other than a book into a novel. What I wrote was a novel, which wasn’t @ novelization of anything.” "Two days later, OC Comics president Sol Harrison phoned Maggin at his home in New Hampshire, saying ‘Alexander Salkind, the flm’s producer, was threatening legal action. "He thought | had stolen material rom the moxie for my book. At this point | had even seen the movie or the screenplay yet: 'd been excluded from the premiere although I had asked to be invited, | told Sol | handed in my manuscript long before most ofthe elements ‘of the movie were thought of, much less written down, ‘and I told him where ta find documentation of that fact.” The next day, Harrison called back to say that Salkind was just kidding. "1 called my agent to see whether she thought I should sue Salkind,” says Maggin. "She said no, if | ever wanted to get any work on a subsequent Superman movie, which was bad advice. I should have rather listened to Mario Puzo, who told me no ane gets paid for anything in Hollywood unless it involves a lawsuit.” ‘According to Maggin, Lat Son of Krypton wasa beste, selling 450,000 copies in paperback. Hawever, he’s Convinced no one at DC ever read the novel, either before it was released or fr at least several yeas ater. "Here's how | ean be sure no one at DC read it,” he says. "plugged Xerox copiers—great machines, state-of-the-art stuff atthe time—in a litle two-page aside. First of all, DC would never have allowed something like that to get through if anyone had actually passed on the book. They would have made ‘me change the name of the company at the very least. Clearly Xerox was rather thrilled. Everyone involved seemed perplexed when Xerox bought '50,000 copies of the book (not an exaggeration) for their employee book club, Only I seemed to know why—and I wasn’t telling "1 don’t think I really ever met anyone outside \Wamer Books who had read it until about eight years later when | met Mark Waid and we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant somewhere in Los Angeles. He and "talked about ita lot” Evidence ofthis can be found in the Mark WaidAlex Ros limited series, Kingdom Come, which echoes one of ‘Superman's axioms from Last Son of Krypton: "There is 2 right and a weong in the Universe, and that value judgment isnot very dificult to make.” enatave sont alee eres pae, meuece mos a Uncle Albert (left) Eliot Maggin celebrates his hero Albert Einstein's birthday in 2017 in this photo from Facebook. (right) Courtesy of Heri tage, original art by the super-team of Curt Swan and Al Milliamson to the conclusion of “The Einstein Connection,” from Superman #416 (Feb, 1986). Tee The Movie 40th Anniy ary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 2324 + BACK ISSUE ELLIOT S! MAGGIN MIRACLE MONDAY MIRACLE MONDAY Superman Il was released in the summer of 1981. As a Continuation of events begun in the fist film, Puzo is credited, but again there was no novelization of his stor. Instead, fans enjoyed Superman: Miracle Monday, another original novel by Maggin. In the book, Luthor escapes Pocantico Federal Penitentiary via teleportation, which inadvertently ‘opens a gap into a demonic netherworld. C. W. Saturn, the ultimate evil being, is able to enter Superman's ‘world and take possession of Kristin Wells, Lois Lane's part-time assistant. However, unknown to anyone, Kristin Wells ia time traveler from the 23th Century. historian by trade, she has traveled to the past to gather details regarding the ‘origins of Miracle Monday. Because she is misplaced in time, she becomes a pawn in the conflict between Superman and C. W. Saturn, Luthor is duped into revealing C. W. Salurn’s plans, providing Supetman the ledge ne needs to defeat the dernon. Following Superman's Victory, Kristin realizes her role in the events that lead to Miracle Monday and returns to hee own time. But that would not be the lat we see of her. Maggin Introduced Kristin Wels into the mainstream DC Universe In “The Last Secret Identity,” in DC Comics Presents ‘Annual #2 (1983; see inset). She returns from the 29th ‘Century, bringing with her technology that enables her to become Superwoman. [Editors note: See BACK ISSUE {#84 for more about Superwoman | Maggin also revisited Miracle Monday in the landmark Superman #400 (Oct. 1984). In the 60th THE OTHER SUPER PAPERBACK OF 1978 fear iie ce also published this trivia tome, ara es ek) culled from DC Breasts + Superman Alternate Versions (left) Cover to the 1978 British edition of Maggin’s Last Son of Krypton. (right) Cover to a reissue of Miracle Monday. ‘Century a the Benedix family sits down toa traditional Miracle Monday dinner, atime-lost Superman appears ‘on their doorstep. Riley, their eccentric teenage son, recognizes their guest as the genuine Man of Stee! but chooses not to give his identity away. To show his gratitude, Superman continues to vist Riley for years, to come, “Every year, through Riley's od age, the food ‘on Superman’s dish mysteriously disappeared during dinner! OF course, everyone thought it was a trick— that Riley teleported it away... but only Riley knew that sometimes, legends lve!” Many long-time Superman fans celebrate Miracle Monday—the third Monday in May—as an actual holiday. According to the website Superman Through the Ages, "For Earth humans everywhere it was a special day, when the spirit of humanity soared free; a day for friends, family, recreation and—if it brought happiness—reflection, ‘Maggin tries to respond to the “gavillions of ‘grectings” he receives through social media. “I used to think of tas my own personal holiday. Something good ‘generally seems to happen for me on that day. But a slew of other people seem to have piled on, so I'm hoping i's a good day for them too.” But it wasn't until the book was published that the date held any personal significance for Maggin. "It was random—but it turned out that it was the day in 1981 ‘when I got the first two copies of Miacle Monday in the mail So I gues it became significant retroactively | gave ‘one copy to my grandmother and Ihave no idea where the other one went.” Response to Miracle Monday was comparable to Last Son of Krypton. “The letters were beter, the sales less 50," says Maggin. “I supposed that you got a more {uliling response ifthe book was better—which | think Miracle Mondays.” ‘THE GREATEST CRIMINAL MIND. Both of Maggin’s novels are firmly set in the Bronze ‘Age, when Clark Kent was a news anchor for WGBS rather than a reporter for the Dally Planet. Perennial pain-in-the-neck sportscaster Steve Lombard shares the news desk on the 6:00 evening broadcast. Lex Luthor is featured as the familiar comic-book villain, rather than the “diseased maniac” portrayed on the screen by Gene Hackman, “Though certainly an adversary of Superman, Luthor is not depicted as the typical evil scientist often shown in the comic books, “I've got a big problem with the idea of making villains the kind of character who is Uunredeemably bad—like, say, lago. Everyone is the hero of his own story, as Charles Dickens taught us all" Maggin explains, “and Heaven only knows who tauight Dickens that.” Instead, Luthor has greater depth than a simple criminal mastermind, Through aliases, Luthor shares his scientific genius in the forms of cures for rare diseases and cutting-edge power sources for third: world nations. Such contributions to science and technology suggest Luthor may not be the villain most people take him for. Through these alternate identities, he is able to contribute to a society that The Movie 40th Anniversary Issuemight not be so accepting if it knew such wonders ‘came from a known felon, However, the considerable revenue generated by his innovations does contribute to his less reputable activities. With that in mind, Luthor becomes the good guy in the Luthor story. "Go to Lexor and ask anyone,” Maggin says. “I think one of the reasons | made the vilain in Miracle Monday the Devil is because Hell was the only place | could find a really bad guy. But then look at the luaier TV show, where you've got a roughly positive treatment of a devil character.” ‘ASNAPPY, PUNCHY PROSE STYLE When @ third Superman film was in production, DC Comics executive Paul Levitz shared the script with Maggin, asking if he'd be interested in writing the novelization. "I read, didn't ike it very much, and told him I'd be glad to write another independent story but nota novelization” Neither happened, ‘Maggin continued to write comics into the 1980s until tapering off in the early 1990s, He has alternately taught and writen fora living since he was about 17 "just wanted to write novels, and | realized the diferences ‘between the things you could do in a verbal as opposed toa visual medium” He cites a scene in Miracle Monday where Superman has to right a skyscraper that’s magically turned upside- down. “I don't know how you'd do it in the comic— probably with a page worth of action involving a very large abject and Superman lost on the page,” he says. But in the book, Maggin explains how he does it, moving at super-speed from one spot to the next, knocking bricks back into walls before they can fall and injure someone. "You can't da that in the comic, and it ‘wouldn't look like much of an action scene, but in a book you get to cut loose with something lke that.” Film is much the same, he says, elerring to the ‘underground earthquake scene in Superman: The Movie. "Superman is flying through fire and molten rock propping who-knows-what up, pushing ths, prodding that, and itooked pretty goad, but you're never quite sure what he's doing moment to moment. In a Book that would take something like ha a chapter and itd be very detailed and very eaol.” Since leaving the comic-book industry, Maggin has written for a handful of comic:book-based animated shows and video games. According to [Link], his last published comic ‘book was an Adam Strange story in 2004. In between, he has also taught high school English, and run for ‘congress in New Hampshire and the New York State ‘Assembly, among other endeavors. ‘Most recently, Maggin has been working fora large HMO, teaching doctors and nurses how to use medical. records software. “it seems computers were invented for the likes of me,” he says. “t'm pretty fluent in nine languages—tenif you count English, But some of those. languages are already dead ones.” He says the job was originally intended to pay for his kids" college educations. "We've managed to do that. A few years ago my daughter, who's 26 nov, said she was grown up and I can go out and play now, 40 the plan isto doas much traveling as can. I went to Nepal with my san. I've cavered, | think, 43 states, and | would really ike to see Havana before Monsanto shows up in town.” He says his dream trip would be fon the Trans-Siberian Railroad, from St. Petersburg to Hong Kang, sipping vadka as he watches the snow sete on the steppes. To this day, Superman remains a large partof Maggin’s life. "He’s my guy; my rch uncle, Whenever I've been ELLIOT S! MAGGIN Not My Closet short of mortgage money I've looked up in the sky and the rain comes down.” He published two stories, ‘Stanvinds Hows and Luthor’ Gi, online. ‘Though perhaps best known as a comic-book writer, ‘Maggin had always loved novels, which isthe focus of his eurrent writing, “ve always told people Id much rather be read than paid, and that's what I'm trying to set up now. I wrote this Book—Not My Closet—that my. ‘agent kept telling me to rewrite, and | didn't get pissed fff about that mostly because every time I rewrote i, the thing got better.” However, after the fifth and final draft, the agent couldn't figure out whom to send it to. "Tsai isa book—like any book—only without people wearing Spandex or iying under their own power. told hhim he could sel my time-travel trilogy if he soid Not ‘My Closet, but he didn't, So just published it myself and dropped it an Amazon and [Link].” That's when it occurred to him to do the same with ‘Miracle Monday. His original contract with DC Comics, slated he could republish the novel afterit had been out Of print for five years. "ve been trying to do that in ;partnership with DC and some other publishersince the 80s, with 2 non-committa response,” he says. "By 2017 ‘was alittle over 35 years, and in the interim the Internet was opened to the public and we all grew the ‘apacky, amang other things, o be publishers ourselves.” Maggin cites journalist A.J Liebling, “The power of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one,” quotes Maggin. "Now we all own one, Welcome to Century Twenty-One.” He produced an audio version of Miracle Monday that he originally intended to release through Audible. Instead, he’s considering of circulating it as a series, ‘of podcasts, along with audio versions of his other books. "Meanwhile, I don't know a damn thing about ‘marketing but I'm just tying to get books out in the world at an alarming rate.” Maggi’ plan is to turn aut a book a year—on each Miracle Monday, as it happens. Not My Closet was released in 2016, Mile Monday in 2017, and acollection ‘of shot sores eile An Enemy itn 2018. "Tm working ‘on a tilogy of time-travel books starting with Saving ‘ncoln in 2019 just now, and somewhere in there Id like to get Last San of Krypton out the door again.” PHILIP SCHWEIER (right) is a grophic designer ond fretance ‘writer living in Sovonnoh, Georgi Meanwhile... Back and front covers to Maggin’s 2017 novel, Not My Closet. s The Movie 40th Anniy ary Issue + BACK ISSUE + 25NON SPEAKS! A Super Interview with Hehelped put the Phantom Zone on the map as the mute ‘and menacing Non, one of he three Krypronian supervillains seen briefly in Superman: The Movie (1978) but extensively jn ts sequel, Superman i! (1980). Yet Jack O'Halloran’: career spans far beyond his role ‘as the bad guy we love to hate, stretching from a rough. ‘ond:-turble upbringing to his victories in the ring at @ hheavyoveight boxer (where he scored 17 knockouts! to his cinematic tutelage by ane of the greatest screen legends of the 20th Century to his more recent success as a novelist In addition to the first two Superman movies, he has ‘also appeared in the fms Farewell, My Lovely (1975), King Kang (1976), March or Die (1977), The Baltimore Bullet (1980), Dragnet (1987), Hero and the Terror (1988), and The Flintstones (1994), among others. Whot follows isan edited transcription of @ panel conducted on Sunde, October 22, 2017 atthe Fayettevile (North Carolina) ComicCon. Special thanks must goto the convention's ‘organizer, Michael Chaudhuri, for arranging Jack O'Halloran’s appearance, and to Mr. O'Halloran himsell for his kind cooperation Michael Eury MICHAEL EURY: Hello, folks, I’m Michael Eury, editor of BACK ISSUE Magazine. went over and introduced myself to Jack a few minutes ago and found him to be one ofthe friendliest celebrities 've had the pleasure of ¥ meeting. thet: Crater Tto jack) But, Jack, In my favorite sinass Cone movie, | heard you described by Marlon Brando as “A mindless aberration whose anly means of expression are wanton violence and destruction.” [laughter) The Zod Squad Courtesy of Heritage Auctions ([Link]), a villaicentric Superman il movie poster autographed by the late Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) and the subject of this interview, Jack O*Halloran (Non). cK rt wre i) TAL JACK O'HALLORAN i °y Michael Eury scribed by Rose Rummel Eury De DRED © eed nek ene teu o a) Weer a ee ed Eo a a | ee = Ru ee ee eT ee Ce en Te See ee) UT mums 26 + BACK ISSUE + Superman: The Movie 40th Anniversary Issue