>>From the Library of Congress in Washington DC.

[ APPLAUSE ]

>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I FEEL LIKE I'M THE LIBRARY OF

CONGRESS'S TOKEN NERD TO DO ALL THESE WELCOMES WHEN IT COMES TO

OUR SUPERHERO EVENTS. GOOD EVENING, ON BEHALF OF

THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS, CLARLA HAYDEN,

 I AM ROSWELL ENCINA, THE CHIEF

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER AND WELCOME TO THE LIBRARY OF

CONGRESS. WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE A VERY

SPECIAL BIRTHDAY. THIS MAY, WE ARE CELEBRATING THE

80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE MAN OF

STEEL HIMSELF, SUPERMAN. YEAH.

YOU CAN CLAP. [ APPLAUSE ]

IN 80 YEARS, HE HAS RESCUED LOIS LANE COUNTLESS OF TIMES, SAVED

THE UNIVERSE, BRAINIAC AND DOOMSDAY MORE THAN I CAN

REMEMBER. HAS DIED, RETURNED AND HAS BEEN

BORN. HE'S PART OF THE AMERICAN FABRIC

AS MUCH AS APPLE PIE AND BASEBALL, JUST LOOK AT THE SET.

WE'VE OUTDID OURSELVES TONIGHT.

I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME MY PARENTS BOUGHT ME MY FIRST BATCH

OF DC COMIC BOOKS.

IT INCLUDED THE BATMAN FAMILY, AND ACTION COMICS FEATURING

SUPERMAN. AS A KID AS MOST OF YOU KNOW YOU

WERE EITHER A DC READER OR A

MARVEL READER. SUPERMAN, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN,

AQUA MAN, GREEN LAN EARN, I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT AS FAR AS

I'M CONCERNED, MY LOYALTY WAS WITH ANYONE SUPERMAN WAS FRIENDS

WITH. I REMEMBER WATCHING RERUNS OF

OLD EPISODES OF THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN STARTING GEORGE

REEVES. I PRACTICALLY MEMBER RIDES EVERY

EPISODE OF THE CARTOON ANIMATED SERIES SUPER FRIENDS SO WHEN THE

FIRST EVER SUPERHERO BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE SUPERMAN STARRING

CHRISTOPHER REEVE WAS OUT, I WAS FLYING HIGH JUST LIKE THE MAN OF

STEEL HIMSELF. SINCE THEN I THINK I'VE SEEN

EVERY VERSION OF SUPERMAN ON THE SMALL AND BIG SCREEN, FROM

SMALLVILLE TO SUPERGIRL, FROM

CHRISTOPHER REEVE TO HENRY CAVILL.

IT'S SAFE TO SAY I GREW UP WITH SUPERMAN AND CLEARLY DRANK THE

DC COMICS COOL AID. WORKING HERE HAS BROUGHT ME TO A

NEW LEVEL OF MY SIP NERDINESS. THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS ONE

OF THE LARGEST COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS IN THE WORLD, IN THE

WORLD. [ APPLAUSE ]

AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PREVIEW ON YOUR WAY OUT, OUTSIDE

THE AUDITORIUM HEAR, YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE OF THE LIBRARY'S

COLLECTION INCLUDING SOME SUPERMAN COMIC BOOKS THAT DATE

BACK TO THE 40s. I KNOW YOU'LL HAVE FUN WITH

THAT. AND YES, THE LIBRARY HAS THE

FIRST DRAFT OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, LINCOLN'S DRAFT

INAUGURAL ADDRESS. A LOCK OF BEETHOVEN'S HAIR AND

ALEXANDER HAMILTON'S PAPERS BUT ON MY FIRST THING HERE THE ONLY

THING I WANTED TO SEE WAS THE FIRST EDITION OF BATMAN,

SUPERMAN AND WONDER WOMAN. SO CARLA HAYDEN PROMISED TO MAKE

THE COLLECTION MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

LAST YEAR WE HAD OUR FIRST POP-UP EXHIBIT OF THESE COMIC

BOOKS INCLUDING A SPECIAL EVENT WITH LINDA CARTER IN

COLLABORATION WITH AWESOME CON HERE IN DC.

THIS YEAR WE'RE EXCITED TO DO IT AGAIN, AS WASHINGTON HOSTS

AWESOME CON 2018 THIS WEEKEND, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WANTS TO

BRING DC TO DC TO CELEBRATE THE MAN OF STEEL'S 80th BIRTHDAY.

WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS FOR YOU TONIGHT.

WE HAVE PAUL LEVITZ, THE FORMER PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT OF DC

COMICS, WHO LED THE DC COMICS DIVISION OF TIME WARNER AS ITS

SENIOR BUSINESS OFFICER FOR THREE DECADES.

DURING THAT TIME, HE WAS INTIMATELY INVOLVED IN GROWING

THE COMPANY INTO A CULTURAL FORCE, WITH MEDIA SUCCESSES AS

DIVERSE WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST GROSSING COMIC BOOK FILMS EVER

THE DARK KNIGHT AND THE LONGEST RUNNING COMIC BOOK TELEVISION

SERIES SMALLVILLE. ALSO JOINING US IS WRITER AND

ARTIST DAN JURGENS, THE FORCE BEHIND A TEN YEAR RUN AS WRITER

ARTIST OF SUPERMAN, INCLUDING THE BEST SELLING DEATH OF

SUPERMAN FOR WHICH HE WON THE NATIONAL SOCIETY AWARD FOR BEST

IN COMIC BOOK DIVISION.

MODERATING TONIGHT IS DAVID BENECORT A WRITER FOR THE

WASHINGTON POST WHOSE TWITTER

HANDLE IS@A DC FAN BOY. HE ALSO WRITES ABOUT ALL ASPECTS

OF COMIC BOOK CULTURE. SO LET'S GIVE THEM A BIG DC

WELCOME. AS THEY SAY, IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A

PLANE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT SUPERMAN TONIGHT.

PLEASE WELCOME PAUL LEVITZ, DAN

JURGENS, AND PAUL BENNY COURT.

>> HELLO EVERYONE.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AS A NATIVE

WASHINGTONIAN AND A HUGE COMIC BOOK FAN, IT'S A VERY SPECIAL

NIGHT FOR ME.

MY DAD'S IN THE AUDIENCE, AS WELL.

ESPECIALLY FOR THE CHARACTER WE'LL TALK ABOUT SUPERMAN, WHO

GOES BY MANY NAMES, THE MAN OF

STEEL, KALEL, CLARK JOSEPH KENT. HE GOES BY A LOT OF THINGS BUT

THIS IS THE CHARACTER, THIS CURRENT ERA WE'RE SEEING WHERE

COMIC BOOK CULTURE HAS TAKEN OVER SO MUCH OF THE

ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, WE FIND IT IN LIVE ACTION TELEVISION,

MOVIES, ANIMATION, YOU NAME IT. THAT ALL GETS A START BECAUSE OF

THE CREATION OF THIS CHARACTER WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.

VERY HONORED TO BE HERE BESIDE PAUL LEVITZ, FORMER EDITOR --

I'M SORRY, FORMER PRESIDENT AND

PUBLISHER OF DC COMICS AND DAN

JURGENS, A WRITER AND ARTIST WHO PROBABLY IS MOST KNOWN FOR BEING

THE MAN THAT KILLED SUPERMAN. I REMEMBER --

[ LAUGHTER ] FONDLY BEING 12 YEARS OLD AND

READING THAT ISSUE, THAT LAST

PANEL, WHERE LOIS IS HOLDING HIM

AND SHE BASICALLY RELIES ON HIS ARM.

IT SEEMS LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.

IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

>> PAUL, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

DO YOU THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE CONTINUED RELEVANCE OF

SUPERMAN THAT A SERIES CREATED SO LONG AGO IS NOT ONLY STILL

AROUND, BUT HAS MANAGED TO REACH IN THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY IN

TERMS OF PUBLISHING A VERY ICONIC 1000th ISSUE?

>> THERE'S VERY LITTLE THAT WAS

CULTURALLY RELEVANT IN 1938 THAT'S STILL CULTURALLY RELEVANT

TODAY. THERE A FEW THINGS WE LOOK BACK

ON AS SORT OF WONDERFUL ARTIFACTS OF THE TIME.

JUDY GARLAND WIZARD OF OZ MOVIES IS ABOUT A MINUTE AFTER THAT,

BUT HERE'S SOMETHING THAT WAS CREATED THEN THAT IS STILL A

LIVING, GROWING, CHANGING PART

OF THE CULTURE. DAN'S WRITING IT AGAIN, NEW

MOVIES ARE BEING MADE, NEW

TELEVISION SERIES, KRYPTON STARTED A WEEK AGO, LOOKING AT A

DIFFERENT ASPECT OF THE CHARACTER'S LIFE.

THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY THING IN A CULTURE THAT HAS THE ATTENTION

SPAN OF A MAYFLY. [ LAUGHTER ]

AND WE'VE SEEN THROUGH THOSE 80

YEARS THAT WHERE BEING DISTRACTED CONSTANTLY BY THE

NEW, THE EXCITING.

YOU HAVE SO MANY THOUSANDS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND NEW THINGS

WHETHER IT'S NEW TELEVISION

SHOWS, NEW COMIC SERIES, NEW LITTLE SELF-PUBLISHED BOOKS THAT

TURN INTO 50 SHADES OF GREY, TO HAVE SOMETHING BE CONSISTENTLY

IMPORTANT TO THE CULTURE THROUGH

ALL THAT TIME IS JUST ANT ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE PHENOMENON.

>> DAN, WHAT'S IT LIKE FOR YOU TO BE A PART OF THE ACTION

COMICS LEGACY NOW? A LOT OF US I KNOW FROM MY YOUTH

I REMEMBER YOU AND YOUR TIME ON

THE SUPERMAN TITLE, BUT YOU'RE CURRENTLY WRITING ACTION COMICS.

YOUR RUN WILL COME TO AN END WITH THE STAND ALONE STORY IN

ISSUE 1,000. YOU'VE BEEN LEADING THE MARCH TO

THE 1000th ISSUE. BACK WHEN YOU WERE DOING

SUPERMAN IN THE 90s, THE DEATH AND RETURN OF SUPERMAN, THAT'S

AROUND THE TIME WHERE ACTION WAS HOVERING AROUND 700 ISSUES.

COULD YOU HAVE IMAGINED BACK THEN IN THE EARLY '90s THAT

YOU'D BE HERE IN 2018? >> NO, NO, THERE'S NO WAY.

SO MUCH OF IT IS WHEN YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH TRYING TO PRODUCE

STORY, YOU ARE TRYING TO PRODUCE STORY AND IT'S JUST TRYING TO

FASHION A GOOD STORY TO GET IT DONE, TO SEE IT GET TO THE POINT

WHERE IT'S PRINTED AND ON THE STAND AND AS A WRITER OFTEN YOU

BUILD STORY IN TERMS OF ART, SO

YOU'RE PLANNING 5, 8, 10 OR 12 ISSUES AHEAD.

AT LEAST I'M NOT AND I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY WHO IS WHO IS

THINKING 20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD OR 30, AND THE COMIC BOOK

NUMBERING SYSTEM IT JUST SEAMS SO FAR OFF.

IT'S LIKE NO, WE NEVER TALKED ABOUT ACTION 1,000 NOR DID I

THINK WE EVER REALLY GAVE IT ANY THOUGHT.

>> I'LL SAY I VERY NERDILY GAVE IT SOME THOUGHT.

I ACTUALLY REMEMBER BUYING ACTION COMIC 700 AND TRYING TO

CALCULATE AND ENDED UP BEING A WRITER SO MATH WASN'T A STRONG

POINT. I REMEMBER TRYING TO THINK WOW,

WHAT YEAR WILL 1,000 COME OUT. >> ARE YOU CLOSE?

DID YOU HAVE IT?

>> I WAS OFF BY A LITTLE BIT. >> AS TOO FORMER PUBLISHER AND

PRESIDENT OF DC COMICS WHAT DO

YOU SAY TO THE NOTION THAT SUPERMAN IS TOO HARD OF A STORY?

IS THE KEY TO A GOOD STORY A VILLAIN AS POWERFUL AS DOOMSDAY

OR DARK SIDE? OR IS PART OF WHAT MAKES PEOPLE

COME BACK IS THE FACT HE HAS A HUMAN SIDE, HAVING GROWN UP IN

KANSAS, BEING DOWN TO EARTH DESPITE BEING SO POWERFUL?

>> TO TO ME THE STRONGEST PART OF SUPERMAN HAS BEEN THE

EMOTIONAL PART AND HIS REPRESENTATION AS AN ICONIC

MORAL FIGURE THAT THIS IS SOMEONE WHO HAS THESE INCREDIBLE

GIFTS AND IS USING THEM FOR THE RIGHT CAUSES.

SOME YEARS AGO WE HAD A GROUP OF ARAB EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS COME

TO VISIT DC, MOSTLY THEY WANT TO SEE THE M.A.D. MAGAZINE GUYS AND

SAY, THEY DON'T PUT YOU IN JAIL

FOR DOING THIS? BUT THEY MADE THE POINT, THEY

SAID, ISN'T THE SUPERHERO IDEA A

REFLECTION OF THE AMERICAN

BELIEF THAT MIGHT MAKES RIGHT? AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT FOR A

MOMENT OR TWO AND I SAID I CAN SEE WHERE YOU SEE THAT IN THE

SUPER HEAR ROWS BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.

I THINK WHAT THE SUPERHEROS AND CERTAINLY IN PARTICULAR SUPERMAN

SAYS TO US IS THAT WE'RE ALL BORN WITH CERTAIN GIFTS AND IT'S

WHAT WE DO WITH THEM, HOW WE CHOOSE TO USE THEM THAT

DETERMINES HOW THE WORLD GROWS, HOW THE WORLD CHANGES, AND WHO

WE ARE. I THINK THOSE ARE THE GREAT

STORIES.

YOU SEE SUPERMAN USING HIS POWER IN A WAY THAT CHANGES AN

INDIVIDUAL PERSON'S LIFE.

>> DAN, I SAVED A VERY SERIOUS QUESTION FOR YOU, THE TRUNKS.

>> I KNEW THAT WAS COMING. [ LAUGHTER ]

>> AS SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT ONLY WRITTEN BUT ILLUSTRATED SUPERMAN

AS WELL, NOW, I REMEMBER NEW 52, THE TRUNKS GO AWAY.

IT WAS KIND OF ALIGNED WITH

HENRY CATTLE'S DEBUT AS THE MAN OF SPIT.

THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE YOUNG KIDS DISCOVERING THIS

CHARACTER FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IF THEY WANT TO JUMP TO THE

COMICS YOU WANT IT TO LOOK AS

SIMILAR AS POSSIBLE BUT IT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL DECISION.

ONE OF THE BIG GUEST THINGS CELEBRATED WITH ACTION 1,000,

BOTH THIS 80th ANNIVERSARY EDITION AND YOUR PERIODICAL

EDITION IS THE FACT THE TRUNKS ARE BACK.

AS SOMEONE WHO HAS DRAWN SUPERMAN, AND YOU'VE BEEN

DRAWING HIM TRUNKLESS IN ACTION LEADING UP TO THIS POINT.

>> CAREFUL HOW YOU PHRASE THAT. [ LAUGHTER ]

I MEAN, COME ON. >> DID YOU EVER HAVE MUSCLE

MEMORY MOMENTS WHEN YOU WERE DRAWING HIM FULLY CLOTHED

WITHOUT THE TRUNKS? >> ALL THE TIME.

IF YOU WERE TO SEE THE UNDERDRAWING THAT WAS THERE,

BECAUSE THE WAY I WORK IS FIRST I SKETCH THINGS OUT.

THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE. THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE, AND IT'S

BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE MATE SAY

IT'S BECAUSE I DREW SO MUCH OF SUPERMAN WHEN HE HAS THEM.

OTHERS SAY IT FITS WELL, THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHARACTER.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, WE ALWAYS SAW THE TRUNKS AS PART OF THE UNIFORM AS THOUGH IT

WAS ALL ONE PIECE AND NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING HE PUT ON

THE OUTSIDE BUT THE OTHER PART IS I THINK IT'S THE YELLOW BELT

AND EVEN WHEN THEY WENT WITHOUT THE TRUNKS WE PLAYED AROUND WITH

A YELLOW S SHIELD FOR A BELT BUCKLE OR A WAY TO GET A LITTLE

YELLOW IN THE MID RANGE BECAUSE THAT HELPED HIGHLIGHT THAT

BRILLIANT TRIANGULAR SHE SAID

WITH THE S IN IT AND ULTIMATELY I THINK THAT'S WHY THE TRUNKS

ARE NEEDED IS MORE BECAUSE OF THE YELLOW BELT BECAUSE THAT

PULLS THE WHOLE UNIFORM TOGETHER FOR ME.

>> PAUL, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHT ON THE TRUNKS?

WOULD YOU HAVE GONE WITH THAT DECISION?

>> I'M A PRO-TRUNKS GUY IN ALL OF THIS.

[ LAUGHTER ] PLEASE DULY NOTE TRUNKS DID NOT

DISAPPEAR UNTIL AFTER I WAS AWAY FROM THE EXECUTIVE DESK AND IF

WE GO OFF THE MIC LATER I CAN TELL YOU WHO GOT THE TRUNKS OFF,

AND IT'S NOT WHO YOU THINK. [ LAUGHTER ]

>> AND THE TRUNKS ARE BACK. IT IS HASHTAG THE TRUNKS ARE

BACK, RIGHT? >> THERE YOU GO, IT'S TRENDING

FOR SURE. PAUL, IN THIS EDITION THAT

YOU'VE EDITED THE 80th ANNIVERSARY EDITION YOU WORKED

WITH MAR IF WOLFMAN ON THIS ININDIVIDUALIBLE STORY OF

UNPUBLISHED STORY, THE CREATORS OF SUPERMAN.

COULD YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE, FIRST FINDING OUT ABOUT

THAT AND THEN WORKING WITH IT? >> WELL, THE GUYS AT DC ASKED ME

TO PUT TOGETHER THIS CELEBRATORY HARD COVER, AND GAVE ME SOME

TOOLS TO WORK WITH THAT THEY DON'T USUALLY OFFER EDITORS OF

REPRINT TITLES SO I WAS ABLE TO

REACH OUT TO A NUMBER OF UNUSUAL PEOPLE TO ADD THEIR COMMENTS AND

THEIR THOUGHTS, WHICH WAS GREAT FUN.

THERE'S A PIECE IN HERE BY LAURA SIEGEL LARSON, JERRY SIEGEL'S

DAUGHTER, TALKING ABOUT HER DAD AND HIS MEMORIES OF CREATION OF

SUPERMAN AND HIS ATTITUDES TOWARDS IT THAT WAS A REALLY

WONDERFUL THING FOR ME, BECAUSE IT'S NO SECRET THERE WERE MANY

YEARS OF LEGAL BATTLES BETWEEN

SIEGEL AND SCHUSTER AND AND DC THAT HAVE GOTTEN RESOLVED AT

THIS POINT AND REALLY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE LAURA IN HERE WAS A WAY

OF CLOSURE IN SOME FASHION.

JULES PHIFER, WHO'S REALLY AN AMERICAN TREASURE, ONE OF THE

FEW PEOPLE WHO'S WON A PULITZER, AN OSCAR, AN OBIE, I THINK

EVERYTHING BUT THE LOTTERY. AND HE'S ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE HIS

MEMORIES OF ACTION ONE, AS A KID WHO BOUGHT THEM, AND WENT ON TO

BE THIS GREAT CARTOONIST IN HIS OWN RIGHT.

BUT AS I WAS ASSEMBLING THE BOOK, I REMEMBERED THAT MARV

WOLFMAN, WHO'S A DEAR FRIEND OF MANY, MANY YEARS, HAD SALVAGED

A SIEGEL AND SCHUSTER STORY THAT DC WAS GOING TO THROW OUT

UNPUBLISHED WHEN HE WAS A KID. IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN YOU CAME UP

TO DC OFFICES, ORIGINAL ART WASN'T PERCEIVED TO BE WORTH

ANYTHING. I'M SORRY, DAN.

[ LAUGHTER ] THOUGH THIS IS BEFORE ANY OF IT

WAS YOURS. >> I KNOW, YEAH.

>> AND THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW,

LIKE IT WAS TRICK OR TREAT. HERE LITTLE BOY, YOU CAME UP FOR

A TOUR. WOULD YOU LIKE A PAGE OF ART?

THE ARTISTS THEMSELVES COULDN'T GET THE ARTWORK BACK BECAUSE IT

WAS PRESUMED THEY WOULD SOMEHOW GO SELL IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE TO

BE PUBLISHED. I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW THAT WAS

SUPPOSED TO WORK BUT IF YOU WERE A KID TOURING YOU COULD GET IT,

AND MARV ON ONE OCCASION SALVAGED THIS STORY THAT WAS

ABOUT TO BE DESTROYED AND HE'D HAD IT IN HIS HOUSE, AND I SPOKE

TO HIM AND SAID: SO THE STORY YOU'VE HAD HIDDEN AWAY ALL THESE

YEARS, WOULD YOU MIND HAVING IT PUBLISHED?

DO YOU THINK THAT WILL DECREASE THE VALUE OF IT, OR INCREASE THE

VALUE OF IT? DO YOU WANT TO CHECK THAT WITH

AN ART DEALER BEFORE WE GO AHEAD?

AND HE SAID: NO, NO, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE IT PUBLISHED, HAPPY TO

TELL THE STORY OF HOW I SAVED SUPERMAN, IS HOW HE PHRASED IT

IN HIS TEXT PIECE HERE. IT'S NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY

IN BEING, LIKE, THE GREAT CLASSIC SUPERMAN STORY.

THERE'S A REASON THEY WEREN'T ABOUT TO PUBLISH IT THAT DAY.

[ LAUGHTER ] BUT IT'S A MAGNIFICENT ARTIFACT

TO BE ABLE TO SEE SORT OF THE

WORK IN PROGRESS, AND IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE END OF

JERRY'S WRITING OF SUPERMAN, PRETTY CLOSE TO THE END OF WHEN

THE SCHUSTER STUDIO WAS CREATING THE MATERIAL AND YOU REALLY SEE

WHAT THE PROCESS WAS LIKE, AND WE REPRODUCED THAT IN BLACK AND

WHITE, SO IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ADVANTAGES AND THE MASKING OF

COLOR ON TOP OF IT SO IT FEELS MORE LIKE AN ARTIFACT.

>> DAN, YOUR RUN ON ACTION COMICS COMES TO AN END WITH THE

1000th ISSUE.

THAT WILL BE OUT IN APRIL. >> FOR NOW.

I'VE COME BACK BEFORE. >> WAS RETURNING TO SUPERMAN IN

THIS NEW ERA OF COMICS WHAT YOU

THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, HOW DID YOU FEEL WRAPPING UP THIS CURRENT

STORY LINE IN ACTION COMICS? AND MOST OF US KNOW HERE, BRIAN

MICHAEL BENNETT WILL BE TAKING OVER WITH 1001.

ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THAT? >> YEAH, DEFINITELY.

I'VE TALKED TO BRIAN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT HE HAS IN STORY

AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD.

I LOOK FORWARD TO IT AS A READER.

AS FOR WINDING IT UP, I THINK TO COME BACK TO IT A COUPLE OF

YEARS AGO AND BE ABLE TO WRITE IT AS A BOOK THAT WAS COMING OUT

TWICE A MONTH WAS A LOT OF FUN, BECAUSE AT THAT POINT YOU CAN

PLAY AROUND WITH STORYTELLING TECHNIQUE A LITTLE BIT.

NORMALLY WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS PUT AN ISSUE OUT THERE AND

ANTICIPATE SOMEONE REMEMBERING WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT 30

DAYS LATER. AND WHEN YOU HAD A BOOK THAT

CAME OUT TWICE A MONTH, YOU COULD PLAY AROUND WITH SOME

IDEAS A LITTLE MORE AND YOU COULD DIG A LITTLE DEEPER IN

SOME THINGS, JUST KNOWING THAT THE READERS WOULD HAVE A MORE

FRESH MEMORY OF WHAT YOU JUST DID.

SO IT WAS NICE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT THAT WAY.

>> TALKING ABOUT SUPERMAN THIS WHOLE TIME.

LET'S TALK ABOUT CLARK KENT FOR A SECOND.

THERE'S THIS NOTION THAT POPS UP EVERY NOW AND THEN THAT CLARK

KENT IS JUST WHO SUPERMAN PRETENDS TO BE WHEN HE WANTS TO

NOT BE BOTHERED. OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT THE OPINION

OF YOUR HARD CORE FAN, WE ALL KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

>> RIGHT. >> IN THE COMICS, HE'S CLARK

FROM THE MOMENT HE LANDS IN KANSAS IN THE SHIP.

WHEN CRAFTING STORIES FOR SUPERMAN, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR

BOTH OF YOU, IS IT IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THE MAN HE WAS, CLARK

KENT, WHO WAS AROUND LONG BEFORE ANYONE EVER STARTED CALLING HIM

SUPERMAN? >> I THINK SO.

I MEAN, I HAVE ALWAYS SEEN THAT AS THE CORE OF WHO SUPERMAN

REALLY IS, THAT -- THIS GETS INTO THE WHOLE IDEA OF PEOPLE

SOMETIMES ASK: WAS HE SUPERMAN FIRST?

OR WAS HE CLARK KENT FIRST? I'M NOT SURE YOU DIFFERENTIATE

BETWEEN THE TWO. HE IS CLARK KENT, AND IN A LOT

OF WAYS, WHAT HE DOES AS CLARK

KENT, OR IT'S THE SAME FOR LOIS LANE, IS THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE

THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IN WHAT THEY DO THROUGH THEIR JOBS,

THROUGH THEIR CAREERS. AND I THINK THERE'S A REASON HE

CHOSE THAT FOR A CAREER.

AND BY THE SAME WAY OF THINKING, I THINK THEN BEING SUPERMAN IS

SORT OF AN EXTENSION OF THAT INTENT.

SO IT'S NO DIFFERENT IN SOME WAYS THAN IF YOUR NEXT-DOOR

NEIGHBOR WAS A POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER.

THEY'RE NOT TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

IT IS, THIS IS WHAT I DO WHEN I'M AT HOME, AND THIS IS WHAT I

DO WHEN I GO DO THIS OTHER THING.

THAT'S HOW I'VE ALWAYS SEEN IT. >> AND I THINK THE OTHER PIECE

WHERE CLARK IS IMPORTANT IS IN SOME WAYS CLARK IS

REPRESENTATIVE OF US. WE HAVE THE INSECURITIES OF

BEING CLARK, AND WE WISH THAT

OUR LOVED ONES WOULD USE THEIR VISION TO SEE THROUGH THOSE

INSECURITIES TO OUR GOOD QUALITIES.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY A

FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE SUPERMAN MYTH.

JERRY VERY MUCH PUT HIMSELF INTO THE CHARACTER THAT WAY AND HE

CAPTURED SOMETHING IN ALL OF US. WE ALL HAVE THOSE KIND OF

INSECURE MOMENTS. >> WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT THAT,

I THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE RIGHT HERE OF MAN OF STEEL FANTASTIC

MINI SERIES WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY JOHN BERN.

I REMEMBER THERE WAS A SCENE IN THERE WHERE ONE OF HIS PARENTS,

I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS MA OR PA, BUT THEY SAID TO SUPERMAN,

YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT WEARING A MASK, PEOPLE AREN'T

GOING TO THINK YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO HIDE.

SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YES, EVEN WHEN YOU PUT THE

GLASSES ON, YOU STILL LOOK

EXACTLY THE SAME, BECAUSE NO ONE IS GOING TO BE THINKING SUPERMAN

IS TRYING TO HIDE BECAUSE HIS FACE IS NOT COVERED.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS GREAT SUPERMAN HAS A SON NOW WITH LOIS

LANE, JONATHAN KENT, WHO IS

CURRENTLY SUPER-BOY. CHARACTERS LIKE SUPERMAN FOR A

LONG TIME CHILDREN WERE NEVER REALLY IN THE EQUATION WHEN IT

COMES TO CONTINUITY. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON

SUPERMAN BEING A FATHER, YES, I

DO KNOW BATMAN HAS A KID NOW. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON

SUPERMAN BEING A FATHER AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN PART OF

TELLING JONATHAN'S STORY? AND AS SOMEONE WHO IS FROM AN

ERA WHERE THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN TRIED, WHAT DO YOU THINK

ABOUT THAT? >> AS THE YEARS GO ON, THE

CONTINUITIES GET MORE COMPLEX AND THERE'S MORE ROOM TO DO

DIFFERENT KINDS OF STORIES.

THE SUPERMAN OF MY TIME HADN'T GOTTEN TO THE POINT OF HAVING

KIDS. THERE WERE LOTS OF IMAGINARY

STORIES THAT I READ WHEN I WAS A CHILD THAT IMAGINED WHAT IT

WOULD BE LIKE WHEN SUPERMAN

MIGHT HAVE CHILDREN. IT WAS REALLY FUN WHEN I WAS 7,

8, 9 YEARS OLD, SO I CAN CERTAINLY IMAGINE THAT THE

STORIES TODAY ARE FUN FOR PEOPLE TO READ.

IT'S NOT MY MOMENT. WE GET FROZEN IN THE CHARACTERS,

AS WE LOVE THEM BEST, AND WHEN I WANT THE CHARACTER AS I LOVED

HIM BEST, I GO BACK TO THE STUFF I WAS READING WHEN I WAS 10 OR

12. DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER THAN

WHAT'S BEING DONE NOW. JUST IT REMINDS ME OF WHAT CANDY

STORE I WAS IN WHEN I FOUND THAT

ISSUE, OR WHERE I WAS AT CAMP AND REACTING TO IT.

I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE POWER OF THE COMIC BOOK FORM.

SO I'M GOING TO STICK TO SORT OF MY MEMORIES AS THE HEART AND

SOUL OF IT, AND NOT PASS

JUDGMENT FOR GOOD OR FOR ILL ON WHAT'S BEING DONE FOR A LATER

GENERATION.

>> YEARS AGO, WHEN CLARK AND LOIS FINALLY GOT ENGAGED, AND

THEN GOT MARRIED, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT: WOULD WE EVER

DO STORIES WHERE THEY BECOME PARENTS?

AND WE SAID: WELL, IT TOOK THEM 50 YEARS TO GET MARRIED, SO 50

YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL GET TO IT. [ LAUGHTER ]

I THINK WITH THIS ONE, THE IDEA WAS THAT IT ALLOWS US TO TELL A

LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT KIND

OF A STORY WITH SUPERMAN, THAT

IF SUPERMAN IS OUT THERE SERVING IN TERMS OF A BEACON OF HOPE AND

INSPIRATION, AND SUDDENLY TRYING TO GUIDE THOSE AROUND HIM, WOULD

IT BE FUN TO DO STORIES WHERE WE SEE HIM TRYING TO DO THAT AS A

PARENT? IS THERE SOME KIND OF DUALITY

THERE? BECAUSE IDEALLY AS A PARENT,

YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING, RIGHT?

YOU'RE TRYING TO SET AN EXAMPLE, SET A STANDARD, AND HOPE THAT

PEOPLE FOLLOW YOU. SO I KNOW WHEN WE FIRST TALKED

ABOUT IT, I SAID, IN A WAY THIS CAN KIND OF REPRESENT SOME OF

THAT. IT CAN KIND OF REPRESENT

SOMETHING OF THE FUTURE AND I THINK THERE ARE NEW STORIES TO

TELL WITH IT. SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT AND HAD IT

DONE. I HAD GREAT FUN WITH IT.

I THINK IT'S WORKED WELL. >> YOU ENJOY WRITING WITH

JONATHAN? >> I ENJOY WRITING FOR JONATHAN

BECAUSE I THINK TWO THINGS HAPPEN.

THERE WAS A FEEL THAT SUPERMAN WOULD INSTANTLY FEEL OLD AND

STODGY. THERE'S ALWAYS THIS FEAR ABOUT

SUPERMAN FEELING OLD AND STODGY ANYWAY.

SO I SAID LET'S EMBRACE IT AND MAKE THE BEST OF IT, WHILE AT

THE SAME TIME HAVING THAT FUN SENSE OF YOUTH WHICH I THINK IS

JON. IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT VERSION OF

SUPER BOY IN A WAY. IT'S A SUPER BOY FOR THE NOW.

>> CAN YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT, THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS

OF ACTION 1,000, THE CELEBRATORY COMMEMORATIVE EDITION YOU PUT

TOGETHER, AND ALSO THE PERIODICAL WHICH YOU'VE BEEN

WRITING THE LAST FEW YEARS. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO? AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE WORKING ON

THEM FOR BOTH OF YOU? >> SURE.

I THINK DAN HAD THE

MORE CLASSIC OPPORTUNITY IN THE SENSE THAT HE

WAS GETTING TO DO ACTION 1,000. WHEN THAT ISSUE COMES OUT IT HAS

HIS NAME ON IT AND THAT'S SERIOUSLY COOL.

WHAT I GOT TO DO WAS TO BE A HISTORIAN.

BE SOMEONE WHO COULD USE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE CHARACTER

HAD EVOLVED, USE KNOWLEDGE OF WHO THE PEOPLE WERE WHO WOULD

HAVE INTERESTING THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE CHARACTER, AND BRING

THEM TOGETHER FOR THAT CELEBRATION.

I GOT TO THROW THE PARTY TO CELEBRATE WHAT HE WAS DOING.

>> IT WAS A GREAT PARTY. >> THANK YOU.

WE GOT SOME PRETTY COOL PEOPLE AT THE PARTY AND THEY LOOKED

BACK AND THEY PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER, AND WE EXAMINED THE

DIFFERENT ERAS AND REPRESENTED

THE DIFFERENT THINGS IN CONTEXT AND IT'S TERRIFIC TO BE ABLE TO

DO THAT KIND OF CELEBRATION. I'M UTTERLY JEALOUS OF ACTUALLY

GETTING TO DO THE STORY ITSELF, BUT IT'S GREAT JUST TO BE ABLE

TO THROW THE PARTY. >> AND, DAN, FOR YOU, WITH THE

1000th ISSUE, YOURS WRAPS IT SELF UP WITH ISSUE 999.

BUT GETTING TO THAT 1000th ISSUE WHICH HAS MANY

CONTRIBUTORS. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO YOURSELF?

OKAY, I HAVE ONE LITTLE PIECE OF THIS HISTORIC COMIC.

SOMETHING THAT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE, A COMIC REACHING 1,000

ISSUES. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO YOURSELF YOU

WANTED TO PUT IN YOUR STORY? >> I THINK I WANTED TO FIND A

WAY TO SAY "THANK YOU" IN A WAY. WAY BACK WHEN, WHEN MAY KIDS

WERE REALLY LITTLE, I TAUGHT THEM TO SAY SOMETHING WHICH

BASICALLY WENT THIS WAY, WHAT IS SUPERMAN'S GREATEST POWER?

I'D GET THEM TO SAY: HE PAYS THE MORTGAGE.

[ LAUGHTER ] SO I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT

HAVING HAD AN ASSOCIATION WITH A

CHARACTER LIKE SUPERMAN THAT LONG, THAT I STARTED TO THINK

ALONG THE LINES OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU SAY "THANK YOU"?

AND IN MY STORY, IT'S REALLY WHAT METROPOLIS DOES, IS THEIR

WAY OF THANKING SUPERMAN. YOU CAN'T GO OUT AND BUY HIM A

NEW CAR OR GIVE HIM A CARIBBEAN VACATION.

IT'S -- I WANTED TO WRITE SOMETHING FROM THE HEART AND

EXPRESS THAT THROUGH THE CITIZENS OF METROPOLIS AND

THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING FOR,

BECAUSE ACTION 1000 IS AN ICONIC ISSUE AND THE STORIES I'VE READ

IN IT ARE TREMENDOUS AND IT'S BEEN FUN TO SEE IT COME

TOGETHER. I THINK IT REALLY IS A VERY

SPECIAL BOOK. >> WHAT DOES THE NUMBER 1,000

MEAN TO BOTH OF YOU? WE'RE IN A REALLY DIFFERENT ERA

IN THE COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY WHERE THINGS KEEP REFRESHING AND

NUMBER-ONE ISSUE, THAT'S THE BIG THING NOW TO HAVE A NEW

NUMBER-ONE ISSUE, TO START OVER. I REMEMBER ONCE TALKING TO TODD

McFARLAND, WHO, A FORMER DC MARVEL ARTIST CREATOR OF SPAWN,

HE ONCE TOLD ME HE NEVER THOUGHT THAT HIS SPAWN COMIC WOULD BE

ONE OF THE HEYEST NUMBERED COMICS IN THE INDUSTRY, JUST

BECAUSE OF THE WAY THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

WHEN WHEN NEW 52 CAME OUT AND DC WENT TO NEW NUMBERING.

DOES THE NUMBER 1,000 BECAUSE IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN

COMICS, DOES IT HAVE A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU GUYS? >> I WAS A COMIC BOOK COLLECTOR

BEFORE I WAS A COMIC BOOK PROFESSIONAL, AND TO BE ABLE TO

HAVE A 100 ISSUE RUN OF ANYTHING WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY THING IN

THOSE DAYS.

THERE WERE VERY FEW COMICS, A DOZEN, TWO DOZEN, MAYBE, THAT

HAD HAD RUNS WHERE YOU COULD HAVE 100-ISSUE RUN THAT YOU

COULD POSSIBLY COLLECT. THE IDEA OF SOMETHING YOU COULD

HAVE 1,000 ISSUES IN A ROW OF, JUST IS UTTERLY UNIMAGINABLE TO

THAT INNER KID IN ME. AND I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY

EXCITING. >> I'D ALSO ADD THAT WHEN I WAS

A KID, AND I'D BE AT A GENERAL NEWS STAND -- THIS IS BEFORE

COMIC SHOPS, SO IT'S JUST

GENERAL NEWSSTAND -- AND I COULD

HOLD UP AN ISSUE OF SPIDERMAN 63

AND BATMAN I DON'T KNOW 215, SAY, I JUST FIGURED ANYTHING

THAT MADE IT TO 200 ISSUES MUST BE BETTER.

I THOUGHT THE HIGHER NUMBER MEANT MORE QUALITY, I REALLY

DID. SO 1,000 MUST BE PRETTY GOOD.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> DAN, I HATE TO KEEP BRINGING

THIS BACK TO DEATH OF SUPERMAN BUT THAT'S A HUGE REASON WHY I'M

HERE ON THIS STAGE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE IT'S HOW MUCH THAT STORY

LINE IMPACTED ME IN TERMS OF NOT JUST BEING A KID WHO WENT TO 7

ELEVEN AND GRABBED THE COPPIC TO DRAW STUFF BUT ACTUALLY WANTED

TO READ A CONTINUING STORY. IF YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED ME,

THERE'S ONE COMIC BOOK MOMENT THAT WOULD PROBABLY NEVER BE

ADAPTED TO LIVE ACTION FILM, I WOULD SAY IT WAS KILLING

SUPERMAN. BUT WE ACTUALLY GOT TO SEE IT

HAPPEN, AND WHETHER YOU LIKED IT OR NOT BATMAN VERSUS SUPERMAN,

DAWN OF JUSTICE. NOW, I REMEMBER, BECAUSE I LIKE

TO PRIDE MYSELF ON THINKING I CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO

HAPPEN IN A MOVIE BECAUSE I READ THE BOOKS.

I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. BUT EVEN WHEN THEY SHOWED

DOOMSDAY IN THE TRAILER, I SAID OH, THAT'S COOL, BUT THEY'RE NOT

GONNA KILL HIM, AND THEY DID IT.

THINK TO YOURSELF AND SAY: WOW, I WASN'T EXPECTING

THAT TO EVER BE ADAPTED INTO A MOVIE?

>> I THINK IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD, BECAUSE RIGHT AWAY, THERE

WERE -- THERE WAS BOTH A NOVELIZATION.

THEY ALSO DID AUDIO BOOKS OF IT THAT I THOUGHT WE WOULD

EVENTUALLY GET THERE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT HAD COME UP EARLIER

ANYWAY WITH THE TIM BURTON FILM. THEN THEY DID IT AS AN ANIMATED

MOVIE SO I THOUGHT YEAH, WE MATE

JUST GET THERE AT SOME POINT SO WHAT WAS -- IT WAS COOL TO SEE

IT DONE BUT I THINK WHAT REALLY HIT ME AS I WAS SITTING IN THE

MOVIE WAS THIS NOTION THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY USE DOOMSDAY OR

THE STORY MATERIAL, OR THE STORY IDEA, BUT THEY ACTUALLY TRIED TO

REPLICATE SOME OF THE STUFF THAT I HAD DRAWN ON FILM.

AND THAT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE THAT I

HADN'T REALLY SEEN BEFORE. AND TO SEE THEM TRY AND

REPRODUCE SOMETHING ON FILM THAT I HAD DRAWN, ALMOST LIKE

VERBATIM A LITTLE BIT, THAT WAS A THRILL.

>> THAT'S GOT TO BE COOL. >> YEAH.

>> FOR THE RECORD THE ONLY THING I WAS UPSET ABOUT IS THAT HE

DIDN'T COME BACK IN THE BLACK SUIT.

>> ME, TOO. >> BECAUSE HENRY TWEETED OUT THE

IMAGE OF THE BLACK SUIT. IT'S LIKE OH, THEY'RE GOING TO

DO BLACK -- >> I'M WITH YOU.

I'M YOU. >> SORRY.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> WAIT FOR THE REMAKE.

>> THERE WE GO. CAN YOU GUYS TELL US ABOUT YOUR

FIRST -- CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THIS

CHARACTER, WHEN YOU FIRST DISCOVERED HIM?

>> I THINK IT WAS WATCHING THE GEORGE REEVES SHOWS ON THE

LITTLE BLACK AND WHITE TV AT HOME.

THE COMIC COMES INTO MY LIFE, LIKE MOST COMICS, IN BOXES THAT

OLDER KIDS ON THE BLOCK HAD OF THEIR COMICS, AND I'D SEE ALL

THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS, BUT

THE FIRST COMIC THAT WAS MINE WAS ACTION 300, WHICH A

BABYSITTER BROUGHT TO SHUT ME UP ONE NIGHT WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5

YEARS OLD, AND IT HAD A SUBSCRIPTION AD WHERE FOR A

DOLLAR YOU COULD GET A SUBSCRIPTION FOR A YEAR.

AND I SOMEHOW CONNED MY PARENTS INTO SENDING IN THE DOLLAR FOR

IT. AND I WAS A SUBSCRIBER TO ACTION

FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER THAT.

>> TALK ABOUT A DOLLAR WELL SPENT.

[ LAUGHTER ] >> IT SORT OF PAID OFF

ULTIMATELY. [ LAUGHTER ]

>> YEAH, YEAH. >> THE FIRST TIME I EVER BOUGHT

WAS A SUPERMAN COMIC, IT WAS SUPERMAN 89.

IT HAD SUPERMAN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COVER AND CRYPTOWAS

BARKING AT HIM AND WEARING THE CAPE.

HE DOES NOT HAVE THE CAPE ON. SUPERMAN IS SAYING OR THINKING,

BECAUSE THEY DID THOUGHT BALLOONS IN THOSE DAYS, SAID

EVEN MY DOG CRYPTO DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ME WHICH IF YOU'RE A

KID, ALL RIGHT, I'LL BUY THAT. LET'S SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO MY FIRST COMIC WAS A SUPERMAN COMIC.

>> FOR THE RECORD MY FIRST WAS WHEN HE REVEALED HIS IDENTITY TO

LOIS. WHICH WAS IN ACTION COMICS.

>> THAT WAS A POINT OF SOME DISCUSSION, BECAUSE WHEN THAT

STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED, AND WE HAD A GROUP OF WRITERS IN

THE ROOM THAT TALKED ABOUT IT AND SET IT UP, THAT WASN'T

SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. THEY WERE GOING TO GET ENGAGED

AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE OF PUTTING THE STORY TOGETHER, A

COUPLE OF THE GUYS CALLED ME UP ALONG WITH OUR EDITOR AT THE

TIME, MIKE CARLIN AND SAID WE JUST REALIZED, IF SUPERMAN

PROPOSES TO LOIS LANE AND SHE SAYS YES AND HE DOESN'T ADMIT

THAT CLARK KENT ADMIT HE'S SUPERMAN HE'S LYING TO HER AND

THAT WOULD BE WRONG SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE TIME AND THAT'S

HOW WE KIND OF RECONFIGURED THAT SCENE, SO IT DID PLAY OUT THAT

WAY. >> WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME,

ARE WE GOING TO LEAVE TIME FOR Q & A WITH THE AUDIENCE?

OKAY. OKAY, THERE YOU GO, SIR, AND

THEN I'LL GET YOU IN THE BACK. THE MIC IS COMING.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. [ OFF MICROPHONE ]

>> SO WHEN I WAS READING COMICS AS A KID, I THOUGHT THEY WERE

GEARED FOR KIDS. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GEARED FOR

THE 7-YEAR-OLD. THESE COMICS THESE DAYS DON'T

SEEM TO BE GEARED FOR THAT AUDIENCE.

HOW DO YOU KEEP KIDS IN IT TO

GET MORE PEOPLE TURNING INTO THE

INDUSTRY, AS READERS? >> THAT WAS A GIGANTIC BUSINESS

QUESTION IN THE 1980s WHEN THE

COMIC SHOP BECAME THE NEW HOME

OF THE FIELD WHEN THE NEWS STAND WAS DRYING UP, BECAUSE PREPARE

TO THE 1980s, IN AMERICA, IF YOU WERE A KID, COMICS WERE THE

FIRST THING YOU BOUGHT OTHER THAN MAYBE CHEWING GUM.

AND YOU PROGRESSED FROM READING

DISNEY OR LOONY TUNES ON UP TO GETTING THE SUPER HEROES AND

THEN YOU DISCOVERED THE OPPOSITE SEX OR SPORTS OR SOMETHING, AND

YOU GAVE IT UP AND YOU MOVED ON. THE MODEL CHANGED, AND FOR A FEW

YEARS THERE WE WERE PETRIFIED THAT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE

NEW KIDS, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE NEWSSTANDS TO RECRUIT THEM

WITH. TURNED OUT THAT, IN FACT, YOU

CAN RECRUIT PEOPLE TO START READING COMICS AT A LATER AGE,

AND STARTING IN THE LATE '80s AND VERY HEAVILY THROUGH THE

'90s, WE BEGAN TO SEE WAVES OF KIDS COMING INTO THE MEDIUM IN

HIGH SCHOOL AND IN COLLEGE YEARS, WITH THE MATERIAL THAT WE

WERE DOING FOR OLDER PEOPLE. IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THERE'S

BEEN A WONDERFUL RESURGENCE IN COMICS FOR KIDS.

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC NOVEL OF THE LAST FEW YEARS IS

THE WORK OF RENA TELGEMEYER, WHICH CLEARLY REACHES PROBABLY

AT ITS HEART 8 TO 10-YEAR-OLDS AND GOES OUT AT PRINT RUNS

LARGER THAN, SADLY, ANY ISSUE OF SUPERMAN.

AND THOSE ARE KIDS WHO ARE COMING INTO COMICS THROUGH THAT.

NOT ALL OF THEM WILL BE INTERESTED IN SUPERMAN

AFTERWARDS. BUT SOME OF THEM WILL BE.

SOME OF THEM WILL MOVE THROUGH IT.

AND I'M REALLY COMFORTABLE AT THIS POINT THAT WE'RE RECRUITING

A LOT OF NEW PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO COME INTO THE COMICS, AND

THEY'RE JUST COMING IN THROUGH VERY DIVERSE PATHS, NOT THE SAME

EXACT PATH THAT MY GENERATION CAME IN.

IT'S A DIFFERENT TIME. >> ONE OF THE THINGS I SEE THAT

HAS DEFINITELY INCREASED OVER

THE YEARS IS, IT'S VERY OFTEN I'LL HEAR SOMEONE YOUR AGE WILL

SAY THIS IS MY FAVORITE COMIC. SOMEONE WILL PUT DOWN A TRADE

PAPERBACK AND SAY THIS WAS MY FIRST COMIC AND ONE OF THE

BARRIERS I THINK WAS ALWAYS THERE WAS THIS IDEA THEY

COULDN'T NECESSARILY GET THAT 7 YEAR-OLD COULDN'T GET THE ENTIRE

STORY IN AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE PART 3 OF A 6 PART

STORY. NOW WHEN THEY PUT DOWN THE TRADE

PAPERBACK THEY HAVE THE WHOLE STORY AND THAT'S WHAT I SEE MORE

AND MORE. THEY'RE GIVING ME A BOOK.

>> DC ALSO HAS A GREAT GATEWAY

AND THE TEEN TITANS GIRL CARTOON

WHICH IS A PHENOMENAL WAY TO GET KIDS INTERESTED IN CHARACTERS.

NEXT QUESTION? RIGHT HERE?

>> GOOD EVENING. THERE WE GO.

JUST WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH FOR TAKING

THE TIME TO DO THIS. I THINK IT'S A VERY COOL AND I'M

SURE EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE APPRECIATES YOU TOOK THE TIME TO

DO IT. SO THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH.

THE QUESTION I HAVE IS ACTUALLY ABOUT LEX LUTHOR AND IT TIES

BACK INTO AN EARLIER QUESTION BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE THOUGHT

PROCESS THAT SUPERMAN IS TOO POWERFUL, THAT HE'S BORING

BECAUSE THERE'S NO THREAT TO HIM BUT, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN I MAKE

THE COMPARISON TO THE MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION OF LEX VERSUS THE

FILMS, WHEN I'M READING OF LEX

IN THE MODERN DAY COMIC BOOKS, HE'S ONE OF THE BEST THAT

HUMANITY HAS TO OFFER IN THE INTELLECT, THE PROWESS, THE WILL

AND THAT'S WHY SUPERMAN TAKES HIM SO SERIOUSLY BECAUSE HE

RECOGNIZES THAT AND HE KNOWS THIS GUY IS COMMITTED TO TAKING

HIM DOWN. BUT THEN WHEN I LOOK AT THE

FILM, EVEN GOING BACK TO SUPERMAN THE MOVIE, THERE'S AN

ELEMENT OF KIND OF OVER THE

TOPNESS, AND HAMMINESS THAT THE LEX LUTHOR CHARACTER IS PRO

TRAYED AND IT'S HARD THEIRTIVELY TO PORTRAY THEM TO THE AUDIENCE

AND THINK THAT'S A CHARACTER SUPERMAN WILL TAKE SERIOUSLY AS

A THREAT. UNLIKE THE JOKER WHERE HIS OVER

THE TOPNESS PLAYS INTO THE PSYCHOTIC NATURE AND MAKES IT

MORE THREATENING, I THINK THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY PLAY WITH

THE CHARACTER LEX LUTHOR IN REGARDS TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH

SUPERMAN. SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY YOU

THINK THAT ELEMENT KEEPS MAKING

ITS WAY INTO THE FILM, THEN NOT NECESSARILY TAKING THE CUES FROM

THE MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION OF LEX LUTHOR?

>> I THINK IN SOME WAYS, YOU KNOW, LEX MIGHT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN

FOR THE FILM AND PORTRAYED THOSE WAYS BECAUSE HE WAS FAMILIAR,

BUT TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT ON YOUR QUESTION, WHICH IS, IS IT

HARD TO WRITE FOR SUPERMAN BECAUSE OF THE POWER LEVEL?

AND ESPECIALLY WITH REGARDS TO LEX LUTHOR, BECAUSE HE DOESN'T

HAVE THAT LEVEL OF POWER? I THINK YOU WRITE A GOOD STORY

BY TESTING CHARACTER AND THAT'S WHAT YOU FIND OUT WITH A

SUPERMAN STORY AND I DON'T FIND THAT HARD TO WRITE FOR.

YOU TEST SUPERMAN'S CHARACTER

SOMEHOW AND IF YOU TAKE SOMEONE LIKE LEKS LUTHOR, WHO IS SO

DEVIOUS AND INTELLIGENT AND CRAFTY THERE SHOULD BE MANY WAYS

FOR HIM TO TEST SUPERMAN SOMEHOW.

EVEN IF HE STANDS INSIDE LEX'S OFFICE WHERE HE COULD USE HIS

X-RAY VISION TO LOOK AT ANY DATA OR LISTEN TO ANY CONVERSATION

THAT NONE OF THAT APPEARS IN THE OFFICE BECAUSE LEX IS TOO SMART

SO THERE ARE ALWAYS GOOD WAYS TO DO THAT KIND OF A STORY AND I

THINK THE FACT THAT LEX DOESN'T HAVE SUPER-POWERS WHEN PITTED

AGAINST SUPERMAN IS PART OF WHAT MAKES THAT DYNAMIC SO

INTERESTING. >> I RECALL THAT ONE OF THE I

THINK MAYBE THE BEST EXPLANATIONS I EVER SAW WAS I

THINK IT WAS A JUSTICE LEAGUE COMIC, BUT A CHARACTER WITH

ACTION SUPERMAN, WHY ARE YOU SO WORRIED ABOUT HIM?

HE SAYS, I CAN'T SEE WHAT HE'S THINKING AND HE'S ALWAYS

THINKING.

SO I JUST, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THAT CHARACTER NOT COMING

THROUGH IN THE FILMS, I WONDER WHY THAT HASN'T HAPPENED.

>> I THINK IT'S ALSO, THE GUYS ASKED ME TO DO A LITTLE SUPERMAN

AND LEX STORY THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE HARDCOVER, WHICH I HAD THE

PLEASURE OF HAVING WORKING WITH KNEEL ADAMS ON.

IT'S AMAZING -- NEIL ADAMS ON. IT'S AMAZING.

AND THE STORY CENTERS AROUND THE

IDEA THAT BECAUSE LEX IS SUCH A REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT IS STRONG

IN THE HUMAN RACE, AS WELL AS WHAT WENT WRONG, SUPERMAN

DOESN'T WANT TO DEFEAT HIM. HE WANTS TO WIN HIM OVER ON SOME

LEVEL. AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE STORY OF

SUPERMAN GOING TO PLAY CHESS WITH LEX LUTHOR, BECAUSE HE

KEEPS HOPING THAT IF HE JUST SITS DOWN AND SHOWS LEX THE

RIGHT WAY TO THINK, THAT THERE WILL BE SOME WAY TO GET THROUGH

TO HIM, CONVINCE HIM THAT

SUPERMAN IS NOT A BAD THING FOR THE WORLD, BUT ALSO HAVE LEX BE

A GOOD PART OF THE WORLD, AND LIKE SUPERMAN, MAKE THE CHOICE

TO USE HIS PERSONAL GIFTS, HIS PERSONAL ABILITIES, FOR THE

RIGHT CAUSES. >> THANK YOU.

>> DOESN'T NECESSARILY WORK OUT

AS SUPERMAN INTENDED. >> EXCUSE ME.

THANKS A LOT. I REALLY CAN'T SAY HOW MUCH I'VE

ENJOYED BOTH OF YOUR WORK OVER THE YEARS.

AND IN PARTICULAR, MR. LEVITZ, THE GREAT DARKNESS SAGA.

I'M GEEING OUT. I WAS IN COLLEGE AT THE TIME.

IT WAS SOMETHING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE 20 MINUTES AND GET A BREAK

FROM COLLEGE TO GO INTO A WHOLE OTHER DIFFERENT WORLD.

THAT SAID, I GUESS IN A FEW DAYS IS THE 60th ANNIVERSARY OF THE

LEGION OF SUPERHEROS AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, ONE OF THE WAYS

I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED SUPERMAN IS THE INTERACTION WITH OTHER

CHARACTERS AND I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER OF YOU HAVE SOMETHING

YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT THAT. >> I THINK IT'S ALWAYS FUN.

PART OF IT IS THAT WHENEVER WE PUT CHARACTERS LIKE THAT

TOGETHER, WE FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THEM GIVEN FROM ONE ANOTHER AND

IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO SEE THAT CHARACTER MIX.

AND SOME OF THEM CAN BE QUITE SPECIAL.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN THE SUPERMAN-BATMAN DYNAMIC.

MORE RECENTLY THE SUPERMAN-WONDER WOMAN DYNAMIC.

CERTAINLY WITH THE LEGION, WHERE SUPERBOY WAS FLAT-OUT

INSPIRATION FOR THEM TO EXIST, THAT'S SORT OF LIKE THE ULTIMATE

COMBINATION OF CHARACTERS THERE. >> THAT'S THE FIRST STUFF WE GOT

TO DO TOGETHER. >> YEAH.

>> TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER AS AN ARTIST, RIGHT?

>> MM-HMM, YEP. >> I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH WHAT

DAN SAID. THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT'S

KEY ON THAT IS WHEN YOU PUT SUPERMAN AMONG THE OTHER HEROES,

YOU REALLY SEE HIS ICONIC

NATURE, BECAUSE HE'S FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE

REST OF THEM. THERE ARE MANY OTHER HEROES THAT

HAVE INCREDIBLE POWERS, BUT IN THIS MYTHOLOGY, HE'S THE PRIMAL

FIGURE, AND YOU SEE PEOPLE REACTING TO HIM THAT WAY, AND

IT'S KIND OF, IF THOMAS JEFFERSON SHOWED UP HERE AND

WANTED TO GO DIGGING THROUGH SOME OF THE BOOKS IN THE

LIBRARY, IT WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT REACTION THAN THE MOST

IMPRESSIVE POLITICIAN THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY FIND IN

WASHINGTON TODAY SHOWING UP AND

WANTING TO DO THAT RESEARCH. >> YEAH.

>> I THANK YOU BOTH. THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY AWESOME

EVENT. I LOVE SUPERMAN A LOT AND IT'S

AWESOME TO TALK ABOUT THE MAN OF STEEL.

I ACTUALLY WANT TO DIG A LITTLE

DEEPER INTO THE BATMAN-SUPERMAN RELATIONSHIP SPECIFICALLY.

THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS BASED

ON, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN FIND SOMETHING WHERE THEY'RE FLAT-OUT

ENEMIES. YOU CAN FIND THINGS WHERE

THEY'RE FRENEMIES, YOU CAN FIND THINGS WHERE THEY'RE THE BEST OF

FRIENDS, THERE'S A TRUST BUT VERIFY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE

TWO OF THEM. I'M INTERESTED, HOW DO YOU BOTH

VIEW THAT RELATIONSHIP? SHOULD THERE BE SOME ANTAGONISM,

SHOULD THERE BE SOME TENSION? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S

ALMOST LIKE A RELIC AND SHOULD THAT BE DISPOSED OF TO TELL NEW

STORIES ABOUT BATMAN AND SUPERMAN IN THAT RELATIONSHIP?

>> I HAVE NEVER APPROACHED IT AS THOUGH THEY'RE THE BEST OF

BUDDIES.

I THINK THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF MUTUAL RESPECT ON BOTH

SIDES, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, I THINK THEY OPERATE IN VERY

DIFFERENT WAYS. AND BECAUSE THEY OPERATE IN VERY

DIFFERENT WAYS, IT'S NOT AS

THOUGH SUPERMAN CATEGORICALLY APPROVES.

DOESN'T MEAN HE DISAPPROVES. BUT I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS -- I

THINK IT'S BETTER WHEN THERE'S SOME TENSION THERE.

YOU KNOW, BATMAN IS A CREATURE OF THE NIGHT.

SUPERMAN IS OF THE SUN. BATMAN WEARS THE MASK.

SUPERMAN DOES NOT.

ALL THAT STUFF, IT'S THERE AS A DIFFERENCE, BUT THOSE

DIFFERENCES MEAN SOMETHING, AND I ALWAYS THINK IT'S BEEN A

LITTLE FORCED JUST TO SAY BECAUSE THEY WERE IN A TITLE FOR

SO LONG THAT WAS IN THE WORLD'S FINEST COMICS THAT THEY HAVE TO

BE THE BEST OF BUDDIES. THEY SEEM TOO DIFFERENT THAN

THAT TO ME. AND YEAH, OPPOSITES ATTRACT BUT

I STILL THINK THEY'RE TOO DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER.

>> I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, DAN.

I JUST DON'T THINK THEY'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER.

>> RIGHT. >> THERE'S GOT TO BE A PART OF

BATMAN THAT LOOKS AND SAYS: JESUS, IF I HAD THOSE POWERS, I

WOULD JUST DESTROY EVERY GUN IN GOTHAM CITY IN ONE NIGHT.

I'D RUN FROM BUILDING TO BUILDING TO BUILDING DOING THIS.

THE THINGS I WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT.

AND SUPERMAN AT THE SAME TIME WOULD LOOK AT THE METHODOLOGY

BATMAN USES, THE EMPHASIS ON FEAR, AND BE TURNED OFF.

IT WOULD BE SOMETHING HE'D JUST BE TOTALLY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ON

SOME VERY BASIC LEVEL. IT'S CHALLENGING WRITING

ANYTHING LIKE JUSTICE LEAGUE, BECAUSE YOU BRING TOGETHER

CHARACTERS WHO HAVE SUCH FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT POINTS

OF VIEW. ON ONE LEVEL, IT'S GREAT BECAUSE

YOU REALLY AS DAN WAS SAYING, YOU GET TO SHOW THE CONFLICT

POINTS BETWEEN THEM THAT HEIGHTEN THE RELATIONSHIPS.

AND WE RECOGNIZE IT AS PEOPLE. IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE

RELATIONSHIPS WE SEE IN MEMBERS OF A SPORTS TEAM WHO ARE BROUGHT

TOGETHER FOR THE SAME GOAL, BUT ONE OF THEM'S A SHOW-OFF AND THE

OTHER ONE IS A GREAT TEAM PLAYER AND ONE OF THEM'S ALWAYS

THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT PLAY MIGHT BE AND TALKING TO THE

COACH AND OUTTHINKING THEM. SO IT'S VERY HUMAN AND

RECOGNIZABLE. BUT IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO PUT

THAT TOGETHER AND SAY: WOULD THEY STAY TOGETHER?

WOULD THEY PLAY NICELY TOGETHER?

>> HEY, PROFESSOR. HOW ARE YOU?

IT'S BEEN A WHILE. IT'S ANDREW DAVIS.

>> HELLO THERE. >> SO MY QUESTION IS

PIGGYBACKING OFF THE BATMAN QUESTION THAT WAS JUST ASKED, SO

NIGHTFALL CAME OUT AND SUPERMAN CAME OUT RELATIVELY CLOSE TO

EACH OTHER. HOW WERE YOU TWO FEELING WHEN

THOSE TWO BOOKS CAME OUT? AND WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR

HEAD ON THEM COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER, OR NOT COMPETING WITH

EACH OTHER? >> MY THOUGHT WAS, OH, MY GOD,

WE'RE SELLING SO MANY COMICS. [ LAUGHTER ]

>> THOSE WERE GOOD DAYS. >> THERE WAS A PERIOD THERE OF

ABOUT 6 MONTHS OR A YEAR WHERE WE WERE HAVING WEEKLY MEETINGS

TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP SOME OF THESE THINGS IN PRINT,

BECAUSE IT WAS JUST MOVING THROUGH SO QUICKLY.

AND IT WAS A PHENOMENAL MOMENT. YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF DEATH

OF SUPERMAN, WHICH WAS REALLY THE EXTRAORDINARY THING,

NIGHTFALL WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT NOWHERE NEAR IN THE SAME LEAGUE,

WAS NOT ANYTHING WE WERE ANTICIPATING.

WE'D KILLED SUPERMAN BEFORE. WE'D KILLED HIM A COUPLE

DIFFERENT WAYS. WE KILLED HIM DIFFERENT TIMES.

THEY WERE NICE STORIES. YOU CAN ARGUE THAT THE JERRY

SIEGEL VERSION OF KILLING SUPERMAN IN THE '60s WAS ONE

OF THE BEST SUPERMAN STORIES OF THE 1960s, BUT ULTIMATELY IN

THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS NOBODY CARED.

THE RUN THAT DAN WORKED ON WITH MIKE CARLIN AND THE WHOLE REST

OF THE TEAM, WHETHER IT WAS BECAUSE IT FIRST HIT -- THE NEWS

OF IT FIRST HIT ON A SLOW NEWS DAY OR THE ZEITGEIST OF THE

WORLD HAD CHANGED, A BUNCH OF THINGS CAME TOGETHER, AND WE

WERE JUST STANDING THERE WITH A BASKET CATCHING MANNA FROM

HEAVEN FOR A WHILE. THIS WAS A VERY EARLY DAYS OF

DOING ANY KIND OF GRAPHIC NOVEL FORMAT TRADE PAPERBACK OR

ANYTHING, AND WE WANTED TO DO A ONE-VOLUME EDITION OF THE FIRST

DEATH STORY. WE HAD SOLD SO MANY COPIES OF

THE INDIVIDUAL, SO MANY PRINTINGS, I REMEMBER VERY

VIVIDLY, THE GUYS WHO HANDLED THE NEWS STAND SIDE OF OUR

BUSINESS, THE MASS MARKET DISTRIBUTION, COMING IN AND THEY

WANTED COPIES OF THIS ONE-VOLUME TRADE PAPERBACK WE WERE DOING.

WELL, THAT WAS A RETURNABLE BUSINESS, SO THE MORE COPIES YOU

PRINTED FOR IT, THE MORE RISK YOU WERE TAKING.

AND THE NORMAL PRINT RUN THAT YOU WOULD DO FOR SENDING

SOMETHING TO THE NEWSSTAND IN COMICS AT THAT POINT MIGHT HAVE

BEEN 50,000 OR 100,000 COPIES, AT MOST, OF SOMETHING.

AND USUALLY IT WAS A COMIC BOOK

THAT WAS A PROBABLY AT THAT TIME

A DOLLAR COMIC OR A 75-CENT

COMIC, SO THE COST TO PRINT WASN'T VERY MUCH.

IT WASN'T AN ENORMOUS RISK TO PUT IT OUT THERE.

WE SAID ALL RIGHT, LOOK AND SEE HOW MANY YOU THINK WE CAN MOVE

THROUGH THE NEWSSTANDS. THEY CAME BACK AND SAID: OKAY,

WE NEED 650,000. AND THIS WAS $3.95 I THINK FOR

THE FIRST VERSION. >> $4.95.

AND RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS TOO, RIGHT?

>> SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT. >> THAT'S WHAT WAS REALLY A

MIRACLE IS THE SPEED WITH WHICH YOU PULLED IT TOGETHER.

>> NORMALLY SPEAKING, YOU'D EXPECT IF YOU WERE SUCCESSFUL

FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO SELL HALF OF THE COPIES YOU SHIPPED,

MAYBE 1/3 OF THE COPIES AND THE REST WOULD COME BACK AND BE DEAD

TREES. AND -- BUT YOU ALSO MIGHT GET

ALL OF THEM BACK AND WE HADN'T SENT OUT 600,000 OF ANYTHING TO

THE NEWSSTAND FOR, GOD, 20 YEARS AT THAT POINT.

BUT WE HAD MADE ENOUGH MONEY OFF THE PERIODICAL COPIES THAT WE

SAID: OKAY, WE CAN AFFORD TO GAMBLE THIS THIS YEAR AND WE

PRINTED THE 650,000, OR WHATEVER IT WAS, AND WE SENT IT OUT.

AND THEY ALL SOLD. IT WAS AN AMAZING YEAR.

>> GOT TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.

IT'S GOT TO BE REALLY GOOD. [ LAUGHTER ]

>> DO YOU GET TO PICK DOOMSDAY

WHO GOT THE DEATH TO SUPERMAN?

OR DID DC PICK? >> HELP ME OUT.

WHAT ABOUT PICKING THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN?

DID WE... >> DID YOU GET TO PICK DOOMSDAY?

OR DID DC PICK DOOMSDAY? >> WELL, WE DECIDED TO DO THE

DEATH OF SUPERMAN, RIGHT?

AND ACTUALLY, I HAD TWO STORIES WRITTEN -- OR TWO IDEAS WRITTEN

ON A YELLOW LEGAL PAD. ONE WAS DEATH OF SUPERMAN.

AND THE OTHER ONE WAS MONSTER TRASHES METROPOLIS.

ON ANOTHER SHEET RIGHT UNDER THAT ONE I HAD A SKETCH OF A

MONSTER WITH SOME BONES SORT OF STICKING OUT OF HIM.

THIS WAS ON A YELLOW LEGAL PAD. WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT A STORY

CALLED THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN. WE WERE SEVERAL WRITERS AND

ARTISTS AND OUR EDITORIAL TEAM ALL IN THE ROOM TOGETHER, AND WE

STARTED TO FOCUS ON IT AND THOUGHT THAT WOULD WORK OUT.

BUT WE STILL DIDN'T HAVE A NAME FOR THE MONSTER OR ANYTHING

ELSE, AND OUR EDITOR WROTE: DOOMSDAY FOR SUPERMAN AT THE TOP

OF THE BOARD. AND WE THEN SAID: WAIT!

BECAUSE BACK THEN EVERYBODY HAD CRAZY NAMES.

IT WAS BLOOD THIS AND BLOOD THAT IN A LOT OF WAYS.

AND I THINK IT WAS ME BUT I'M NOT 100% SURE SAID: IS THERE

ANYBODY CALLED DOOMSDAY? AND WE ALL START, DOOMSDAY?

NO, THERE'S NOT SO THAT'S HOW HE GOT THE NAME DOOMSDAY AND I HAD

A LITTLE SKETCH RIGHT THERE, SO WE SORT OF PICKED IT BUT THEN

BECAUSE WE HAD AN EDITOR IN THE ROOM, DC WENT FOR IT.

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ APPLAUSE ] >> WAS THAT HARRY?

>> NO, THAT CAME LATER. THAT WAS A MEETING OR TWO LATER

I THINK. >> THE TWO OF YOU WERE NICE

ENOUGH, TO AWACHTLY HAVE ONE OF THE FIRST COPIES OF THE

CELEBRATION OF 80 YEARS ACTION COMICS.

THIS ISN'T THE PERIODICAL, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE COLLECTION THAT

PAUL EDITED AND PUT TOGETHER, BECAUSE REMEMBER, THERE ARE TWO

VERSIONS COMING OUT. YOU GUYS HAVE SIGNED THIS COPY

FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[ APPLAUSE ]

SO ON BEHALF OF EVERYONE HERE, AND PAUL AND DAN, WE'D LIKE TO

THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TO THIS VERY FUN CONVERSATION.

GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU! [ APPLAUSE ]

AND THANK YOU ALL. [ APPLAUSE ]

>>This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress. Visit us at LOC.GOV.