Comic Crusader: Amongst all the possible creators issues that besieged the early creation of comic books, what made you choose this one to look into?
Julian Voloj: It“s the origin story of the American comic book industry. Yes, there were comics before Superman, but really his first appearance in Action Comics eighty years ago launched the whole industry.
CC: With the number of high profile creators that are cited in the book, how hard was it to keep the theme of the book unbiased? How helpful was their input?
JV:Â It is true that the more you know the less you know. Some creators remember the past differently than others and we often play with the fact that there are contradicting accounts. However, the book is told from Joe Shuster“s perspective, so I tried to imagine how he saw things. In some cases, as the notes at the end of the book indicate, his views are subjective and due to the limited information he had, at times incorrect, but that works well in the overall narrative and makes the book more real.
JV: Their contract was the original sin. The creators signed their rights away, but, as the book indicates, no one could have imagined the success Superman would have. I tried to portray the story not as black and white as many think it was. For ten years, Siegel and Shuster were celebrities and earned well, very well in comparison to other creators; and for sure the brilliant marketing by National contributed to Superman“s success. Some have even argued that if they had not rocked the boat, Siegel and Shuster could have been set for life. I“m not sure about this. Many pioneer creators fell on hard times later in life. This is not solely due to their inexperience or youthful naiveté, but since there was no precedent, they did not know what they were signing.
CC: How was working on this project different from working on your previous project?
JV: My previous non-fiction graphic novel “Ghetto Brother”“ focused on the iconic gang truce that not only inspired the movie “The Warriors”“, but also paved the way for Hip Hop to emerge in the South Bronx. It was primarily based on oral history I collected. Both Siegel and Shuster died a long time ago, so I had no chance to interview them myself. However, there many excellent resources on the topic available, not only books, but documentaries, podcasts, blogs etc. It was important to us to acknowledge the research done by others, therefore the book has nearly 20 pages of annotations, citing the original sources and inviting the readers to explore further.
CC: The art of the book is evocative of the pulp era that spawned the superheroes; How was working with Thomas?
JV: Thomas is one of the best illustrators I“ve worked with. Each panel is a masterpiece. From the beginning, it was clear that this book was meant to be more than a biography of Joe Shuster, but rather an homage to the comic book industry as a whole, and that is what it really became.
JV: Superman was the first, he was the one who paved the way for others to emerge. Every superhero is modelled in one way or another after Superman. It“s always harder for pioneers to stay relevant, especially a character as flawless as Superman. The Marvel heroes from Kirby and Lee always felt more ”˜human“, for instance The Thing who was at times grumpy and fighting with his teammates. You cannot imagine Superman this way. Superman has been the poster boy of superheroes, fighting for truth and justice, being polite and loyal. But this does not mean that there are no ways to explore this character in more depth and give him a more contemporary feeling.
CC: What’s next for you? Fancy having a go at the whole Stan Lee / Jack Kirby history next?Â
JV: I don“t want to give away too much, but there are two other projects in the making, dealing with the comic book industry, one dealing indeed with Jack Kirby and another one focusing on Marc Tyler Nobleman“s quest to acknowledge Batman co-creator Bill Finger.
That sound great. I can wait to see those. Thanks for taking the time to speak to me.
The fantastic book is out wherever great comic books are sold, and to check out a review of the book please click here.
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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