Archive for Old Time Radio

Trivia Tuesday – It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane…

Posted in Trivia Tuesday with tags , , , on February 17, 2009 by hergeek

It’s Superman!!!

alexrosssuperman1

So we all know Superman, right?  When superheroes are thought of, odds are good that Superman will be one of the first ones you come up with, along with Batman and Spider-Man.  So here’s a little pop quiz.  Swipe through the end of the question to reveal the answer (but these are easy ones…I’m sure you will have no trouble with them.  (Even you, GWP.)

  1. What is the name of the newspaper that Clark Kent works at?  Answer: The Daily Planet
  2. What is the name of the editor in chief of the newspaper?  Answer: Perry White
  3. What is the name of cub reporter/photographer that was dubbed “Superman’s Pal”? Answer: Jimmy Olson
  4. What was Superman’s cry as he took off flying?  Answer: “Up, up and away!!!”
  5. What is the name of the radioactive element that weakens and can kill Superman?  Answer: Kryptonite

OK, so I’m sure you had no problems with those questions.  Now, a final question:  Where did all of the above characters/places/things appear for the first time?   [Cue final Jeopardy music]

All of the above first appeared in the Superman Radio shows. The Adventures of Superman started in 1940 as a 15 minute radio serial, and it introduced all of the above staples of the Superman universe.  Other interesting tidbits about the Superman radio serials:

  • Rolly Bester was one of the women who portrayed Lois Lane on The Adventures of Superman.  She was also married to Alfred Bester, noted science fiction author and writer of such characters as Green Lantern, Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom.
  • Before Batman and Superman ever teamed up in the pages of comics (except on the cover of one issue) Batman and Robin teamed up several times with Superman in the radio drama.
  • Superman vs the KKK!  In the summer of 1946, a series of episodes aired that had Superman battling forces of the Ku Klux Klan.  An undercover agent named Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the KKK and came to the producers of the Superman serials with information on the Klan, including codewords and secret rituals and asked them to produce a series of episodes with this information, in the hopes of having a negative impact on the Klan’s recruiting and growth.  These episodes proved to be some of the most popular episodes of Superman ever produced.  The Klan was not amused.

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