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- What's the S stand for?
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- It's not an S.
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On my world, it means "hope."
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- As a symbol, I can
be incorruptible.
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I can be everlasting.
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00:00:27,435 --> 00:00:28,712
- I'm willing to fight for those
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00:00:28,736 --> 00:00:31,240
who cannot fight for themselves.
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I can fly!
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- How is it that I can
breathe underwater,
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but you can still drink
me under the table?
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It's my superpower.
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- I'm a superhero!
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- This town deserves a
better class of criminal.
14
00:00:49,824 --> 00:00:52,795
- Wait till they
get a load of me.
15
00:00:52,893 --> 00:00:58,167
- DC, to me, is the grand
proscenium of superheroes.
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They all tell very
different stories
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00:01:00,368 --> 00:01:03,139
about what do you
do with great power,
18
00:01:03,238 --> 00:01:05,874
and how do you help
mankind to become better?
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00:01:05,974 --> 00:01:07,576
- Hi, boys.
20
00:01:07,675 --> 00:01:09,412
- They're all so
multidimensional,
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00:01:09,510 --> 00:01:13,382
and the humanity is what
people really respond to.
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- It's about saving the world.
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It's about convincing the world
that there is a better way.
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- They're larger than life.
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But they're also so
human and so real.
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00:01:27,928 --> 00:01:32,701
Narrator: For over 85
years, DC has been home
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to a universe of characters
and thousands of stories.
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00:01:37,239 --> 00:01:38,741
But the real people
who breathe life
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00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:42,311
into these gods,
mortals, and monsters
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are far less known.
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Behind the scenes,
these creative minds
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00:01:46,013 --> 00:01:50,719
make their presence felt
through words and pictures.
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00:01:51,986 --> 00:01:54,423
- When you're reading
a well-crafted comic,
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00:01:54,522 --> 00:01:56,625
you're reading the movements
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00:01:56,724 --> 00:02:01,064
of a human being's
hand over a page.
36
00:02:01,161 --> 00:02:05,401
- There is no more minute
form of storytelling
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00:02:05,499 --> 00:02:07,803
than a four- or
five-panel comic strip,
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00:02:07,902 --> 00:02:09,772
in which you're having
to tell a beginning,
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00:02:09,871 --> 00:02:11,407
a middle, and an end.
40
00:02:11,506 --> 00:02:13,342
Narrator: Comic books
have always reflected
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00:02:13,441 --> 00:02:14,944
the human experience.
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They reveal our fantasies,
tap our emotions,
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00:02:18,947 --> 00:02:21,384
and confront our demons.
44
00:02:21,483 --> 00:02:23,452
- It's stories about hope.
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It's stories about redemption.
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It's the same themes that have
been underlying our folktales
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since the beginning of time.
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- People can look back
and say, "Well, you know,
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00:02:35,729 --> 00:02:37,009
you're talking
about comic books.
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Comic books are for children.
51
00:02:38,166 --> 00:02:40,803
Those ideas are for children."
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Are they?
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00:02:42,836 --> 00:02:45,641
Narrator: Superheroes
are wish fulfilment,
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00:02:45,739 --> 00:02:48,978
a generation of talent,
forged icons of virtue
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00:02:49,076 --> 00:02:52,648
that embody both the dreams
and fears of America.
56
00:02:52,747 --> 00:02:57,921
Those ideas triggered a
worldwide cultural phenomenon.
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This is the story
of the creators
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00:03:00,622 --> 00:03:03,626
behind the legends of DC.
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00:03:20,508 --> 00:03:23,879
The origin of DC begins
with a heroic figure
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00:03:23,978 --> 00:03:27,283
whose real-life adventures
read like fiction.
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00:03:27,382 --> 00:03:29,518
Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson,
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00:03:29,617 --> 00:03:32,255
a cavalry officer
in World War I,
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fought in the Philippines,
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00:03:33,687 --> 00:03:35,858
chased bandits through Mexico,
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00:03:35,956 --> 00:03:38,694
and battled
Bolsheviks in Siberia.
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00:03:38,793 --> 00:03:42,165
As a writer, the major turned
his exploits into tales
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00:03:42,264 --> 00:03:44,767
for the pulp magazines.
68
00:03:44,865 --> 00:03:48,137
In 1935, he formed
his own company.
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00:03:48,236 --> 00:03:49,672
In three short years,
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00:03:49,770 --> 00:03:52,141
he transformed the
comic industry,
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00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,677
not by reprinting
old newspaper strips,
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00:03:54,776 --> 00:03:58,281
but by publishing new
all-original stories.
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00:04:01,048 --> 00:04:05,688
That company would
eventually become DC Comics.
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00:04:07,555 --> 00:04:09,492
But despite being a visionary,
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00:04:09,591 --> 00:04:12,395
the major struggled
as a businessman.
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00:04:12,493 --> 00:04:15,864
- To make a long and very
complicated story short,
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00:04:15,964 --> 00:04:17,566
the major was forced out,
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00:04:17,665 --> 00:04:19,969
and the company was taken over
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00:04:20,068 --> 00:04:22,972
exactly at the
moment that Superman
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was about to hit the stands.
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'Nuff said.
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00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,224
- Who are you?
83
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- He's someone who is always
trying to do the right thing.
84
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That's his genuine intention.
85
00:04:47,928 --> 00:04:51,700
Even if he doesn't achieve
what he set out to do,
86
00:04:51,799 --> 00:04:55,104
he will make the best
effort to make amends.
87
00:04:55,203 --> 00:04:57,440
And there's so much
which hasn't been told
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00:04:57,539 --> 00:04:59,808
or said about him up till now.
89
00:05:01,609 --> 00:05:03,307
Narrator: The
origin of Superman
90
00:05:03,411 --> 00:05:05,148
starts with writer Jerry Siegel
91
00:05:05,247 --> 00:05:07,083
and artist Joe Shuster,
92
00:05:07,182 --> 00:05:08,918
two Jewish immigrant teens
93
00:05:09,017 --> 00:05:10,553
who survived the
Great Depression
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00:05:10,651 --> 00:05:13,889
by dreaming of a
better tomorrow.
95
00:05:13,988 --> 00:05:17,927
- Both Joe Shuster and I were
great science fiction fans
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00:05:18,026 --> 00:05:20,063
back in the 1930s.
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I was quite meek,
and I was quite mild.
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00:05:23,030 --> 00:05:25,301
And there were
attractive girls around
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who just didn't notice I exist.
100
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And I thought, "Gee,
wouldn't it be great
101
00:05:29,537 --> 00:05:31,507
"if I was a mighty person,
102
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"and these girls didn't
know that this clod here
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00:05:33,909 --> 00:05:36,645
is really somebody special."
104
00:05:36,739 --> 00:05:40,716
- All my young days as a boy,
I was pushed around by...
105
00:05:40,814 --> 00:05:44,453
I was very small, and I
was always pushed around
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00:05:44,552 --> 00:05:47,890
by bullies and so forth.
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Narrator: While
still in high school,
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the two collaborated on
samples for a newspaper strip.
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After several iterations,
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a champion of the
oppressed emerged,
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00:05:58,266 --> 00:06:01,137
a Superman who hid behind
the secret identity
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00:06:01,236 --> 00:06:05,708
of mild-mannered
reporter Clark Kent.
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- He was certainly
the identification
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00:06:07,475 --> 00:06:08,978
for Siegel in particular
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00:06:09,077 --> 00:06:11,280
because he physically
resembled him.
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00:06:11,379 --> 00:06:13,016
Kent is the Jewish intellectual,
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00:06:13,114 --> 00:06:14,583
I think, you know,
he's a journalist
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00:06:14,682 --> 00:06:16,585
and he reads, a man of letters,
119
00:06:16,684 --> 00:06:18,321
and Superman is
the man of action.
120
00:06:18,419 --> 00:06:21,824
- Joe brought the fascination
with the bodybuilding,
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00:06:21,923 --> 00:06:24,793
with the circus performers,
the circus strong men,
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00:06:24,893 --> 00:06:26,963
creating really the iconography
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00:06:27,060 --> 00:06:28,864
what would be the
superhero costume.
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They hadn't managed
to sell it anywhere.
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Creativity requires courage.
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The great creative works in
any medium lack precedent.
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00:06:42,277 --> 00:06:44,247
Narrator: After
six tireless years,
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00:06:44,346 --> 00:06:45,949
their courage paid off.
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00:06:46,047 --> 00:06:49,552
DC needed a story to anchor
a new anthology series
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00:06:49,652 --> 00:06:51,854
called "Action Comics."
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00:06:53,654 --> 00:06:56,459
- The first time we
ever see Superman,
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he's lifting a
car over his head.
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00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:03,299
It is impossible to think
about this in this way today.
134
00:07:03,398 --> 00:07:07,904
But back then, no one had ever
seen anything quite like that.
135
00:07:08,001 --> 00:07:10,806
- The demand for the
character was high enough
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00:07:10,905 --> 00:07:13,009
that they launched
multiple books
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00:07:13,107 --> 00:07:16,079
and they had to keep
up with the workload
138
00:07:16,177 --> 00:07:18,747
and hired other artists
to keep things going.
139
00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,418
Narrator: That original
idea from Siegel and Shuster
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00:07:22,516 --> 00:07:26,322
set the gold standard
for superhero characters,
141
00:07:26,421 --> 00:07:28,224
launched an industry,
142
00:07:28,323 --> 00:07:30,426
and inspired
boundless creativity
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00:07:30,525 --> 00:07:33,596
in future generations.
144
00:07:33,694 --> 00:07:35,131
- All these different
points of view
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00:07:35,230 --> 00:07:36,765
merge and meld together
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00:07:36,864 --> 00:07:39,102
to become this one
kind of uber story.
147
00:07:39,199 --> 00:07:42,466
And yet, for it to work,
all those individual stories
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00:07:42,570 --> 00:07:44,407
have to reflect the individuals.
149
00:07:54,082 --> 00:07:56,352
- I got the call
to be the writer
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00:07:56,451 --> 00:07:58,496
not just for "Superman,"
but of "Action Comics" also,
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00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,756
the legacy "Superman" series.
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00:08:00,855 --> 00:08:03,159
In my run, Superman
is a father...
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00:08:03,256 --> 00:08:06,829
That's an important central
tenet of the stories
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00:08:06,928 --> 00:08:08,431
that I've been telling so far.
155
00:08:08,529 --> 00:08:11,300
But he's also the
personification of hope,
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00:08:11,399 --> 00:08:16,205
of compassion, of
humility, of justice,
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00:08:16,304 --> 00:08:18,741
and not just to Earth,
not just to Metropolis,
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00:08:18,841 --> 00:08:22,345
but to the universe.
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00:08:22,443 --> 00:08:25,814
I understand how much
Superman means to people
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00:08:25,913 --> 00:08:27,850
because he meant
that to me as well.
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00:08:27,948 --> 00:08:29,554
Growing up, I always
wanted to be a tough guy.
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I grew up really,
really small for my age
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and got sick a lot
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and kind of got
smacked around a lot.
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And I just had this fantasy
of being this tough guy
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that would protect everyone.
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00:08:41,195 --> 00:08:45,268
Seeing Superman on the
page flipped this fantasy
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in my mind that became
really important to me.
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00:08:48,669 --> 00:08:51,908
I think Superman matters more
now than he ever has before,
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in part because he is
the living contradiction
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to the idea that absolute
power corrupts absolutely.
172
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And we have to believe that
somebody can wield power
173
00:09:03,051 --> 00:09:06,089
without being corrupted by it.
174
00:09:14,629 --> 00:09:17,666
- I think Superman fans have
a very particular worldview.
175
00:09:17,766 --> 00:09:19,435
They tend to be optimists.
176
00:09:19,534 --> 00:09:21,537
They tend to think that power
177
00:09:21,636 --> 00:09:24,540
should be used in
a particular way.
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- Look! Up in the sky!
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00:09:26,174 --> 00:09:28,311
It's a bird, it's a
plane! It's Superman!
180
00:09:28,409 --> 00:09:31,948
- It wasn't until
the radio show,
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which started in 1940,
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00:09:34,182 --> 00:09:36,785
where Superman as a
pop culture phenomenon
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00:09:36,884 --> 00:09:40,789
really took hold in the
collective unconscious.
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00:09:46,761 --> 00:09:50,266
narrator: Radio introduced the
power of flight to Superman.
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00:09:50,365 --> 00:09:53,202
The silver screen
lifted him off the pages
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00:09:53,296 --> 00:09:55,038
and into the real world.
187
00:09:55,130 --> 00:09:59,108
Live action actor Kirk Alyn
became the first Man of Steel.
188
00:09:59,206 --> 00:10:03,512
A series of animated shorts
established his legacy
189
00:10:03,612 --> 00:10:05,915
in glorious Technicolor.
190
00:10:06,013 --> 00:10:08,117
- I think there's something
incredibly magical
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00:10:08,211 --> 00:10:09,318
about the creators
192
00:10:09,417 --> 00:10:12,355
of these characters
that have taken off.
193
00:10:12,453 --> 00:10:16,359
It's hitting its target so
perfectly that it just goes
194
00:10:16,457 --> 00:10:18,727
on and on and on and on
and on and on and on and on
195
00:10:18,821 --> 00:10:20,964
and just new things
are built upon it
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00:10:21,063 --> 00:10:24,600
in such a fascinating way.
197
00:10:24,693 --> 00:10:26,002
Narrator: For
Siegel and Shuster,
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00:10:26,101 --> 00:10:28,471
the American dream
had come true.
199
00:10:28,569 --> 00:10:31,240
Their outsider
insecurities inspired
200
00:10:31,339 --> 00:10:34,610
a modern marvel, whose
arrival felt relevant
201
00:10:34,710 --> 00:10:37,713
to a nation of immigrants.
202
00:10:37,812 --> 00:10:39,615
- In the endless
reaches of the universe,
203
00:10:39,714 --> 00:10:42,751
there once existed a
planet known as Krypton.
204
00:10:42,850 --> 00:10:44,153
- His narrative is, he comes
205
00:10:44,252 --> 00:10:45,955
from this strange
planet Krypton.
206
00:10:46,054 --> 00:10:48,557
It really is the
pure immigrant story.
207
00:10:48,656 --> 00:10:52,795
It's about someone who
comes from another country
208
00:10:52,888 --> 00:10:55,264
who essentially looks like
the prevailing culture
209
00:10:55,363 --> 00:10:56,832
but knows that he's an outsider.
210
00:10:56,932 --> 00:11:00,436
- Where were you?
- Me? Oh, I...
211
00:11:00,535 --> 00:11:02,138
- I think a lot of immigrants,
212
00:11:02,236 --> 00:11:05,669
they try to be the
perfect citizens because
213
00:11:05,773 --> 00:11:09,445
they don't want anybody to
question their citizenship.
214
00:11:09,544 --> 00:11:11,414
And that's my theory
about Superman as well.
215
00:11:11,512 --> 00:11:14,417
Superman tries to be
the perfect citizen
216
00:11:14,516 --> 00:11:17,820
because he doesn't want anyone
to question his citizenship.
217
00:11:22,190 --> 00:11:23,726
- Siegel and Shuster
watched Superman
218
00:11:23,825 --> 00:11:25,194
dominate pop culture,
219
00:11:25,293 --> 00:11:27,363
while their new bosses profited.
220
00:11:27,462 --> 00:11:31,400
DC President Harry
Donenfeld started his career
221
00:11:31,494 --> 00:11:33,502
publishing racy magazines.
222
00:11:33,601 --> 00:11:36,405
After he escaped obscenity
charges from the FBI,
223
00:11:36,504 --> 00:11:38,441
Harry and his accountant
Jack Liebowitz
224
00:11:38,539 --> 00:11:41,510
sought a more legitimate
enterprise to exploit
225
00:11:41,609 --> 00:11:45,548
and took control of DC
at the perfect moment.
226
00:11:45,646 --> 00:11:48,617
Siegel and Shuster felt
they were owed more
227
00:11:48,717 --> 00:11:50,219
for making DC a success.
228
00:11:50,318 --> 00:11:52,755
They negotiated a
better weekly rate
229
00:11:52,854 --> 00:11:54,423
and became the highest-paid
230
00:11:54,522 --> 00:11:56,759
comic book creators at the time,
231
00:11:56,859 --> 00:12:00,095
but DC retained ownership.
232
00:12:01,562 --> 00:12:06,769
- Comics in general were built
on questionable agreements.
233
00:12:06,868 --> 00:12:09,438
It wasn't standard
practice for creators
234
00:12:09,537 --> 00:12:12,141
to get the credit
that was due to them,
235
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,010
and it certainly was
not standard practice
236
00:12:14,109 --> 00:12:16,740
for them to get royalties.
237
00:12:16,844 --> 00:12:19,215
Narrator: Eager to capitalize
on the growing popularity
238
00:12:19,314 --> 00:12:23,786
of superheroes, DC urged
other creators to pitch ideas
239
00:12:23,885 --> 00:12:26,455
for the next caped crusader.
240
00:12:34,028 --> 00:12:36,499
- What are you?
241
00:12:36,598 --> 00:12:37,934
- I'm Batman.
242
00:12:41,302 --> 00:12:44,073
- There's so much history
invested in the iconography
243
00:12:44,172 --> 00:12:46,142
and so many people connected
on such a deep level
244
00:12:46,241 --> 00:12:48,644
and for so many
different reasons.
245
00:12:48,744 --> 00:12:50,146
Batman's always, I think,
246
00:12:50,245 --> 00:12:53,182
been quite an
accessible superhero.
247
00:12:53,281 --> 00:12:55,351
The fact that he's just a guy,
248
00:12:55,450 --> 00:12:58,454
I think, appeals
to a lot of people.
249
00:13:01,556 --> 00:13:04,060
Narrator: That global
appeal attracts fans
250
00:13:04,159 --> 00:13:07,563
of all ages and backgrounds,
and in doing so,
251
00:13:07,662 --> 00:13:11,234
produces its own
unique celebrities.
252
00:13:15,170 --> 00:13:18,307
- I got into Batman
through the art.
253
00:13:18,406 --> 00:13:20,910
A lot of the creators
come into this business
254
00:13:21,009 --> 00:13:25,248
because they were fans as kids.
255
00:13:25,347 --> 00:13:27,183
I was born in South Korea.
256
00:13:27,282 --> 00:13:29,718
We were the first of my
sort of extended family
257
00:13:29,818 --> 00:13:31,187
to move to the United States.
258
00:13:31,286 --> 00:13:34,623
I didn't speak any English.
259
00:13:34,722 --> 00:13:37,893
But I recognized Superman
from the cartoons, you know,
260
00:13:37,993 --> 00:13:39,295
that I watched in Korea.
261
00:13:39,394 --> 00:13:42,365
And so I just gravitated
towards comic books.
262
00:13:46,166 --> 00:13:48,704
Batman resonated with
me at a very early age,
263
00:13:48,804 --> 00:13:50,273
like, eight or nine.
264
00:13:50,371 --> 00:13:52,175
I remember checking out
books from the library
265
00:13:52,273 --> 00:13:54,944
and just being fascinated
by those adventures.
266
00:13:56,277 --> 00:13:57,722
I bought this when
it was on the stands,
267
00:13:57,746 --> 00:14:00,917
so probably '70, '75.
268
00:14:01,016 --> 00:14:03,419
And then obviously, I
read it over and over.
269
00:14:03,518 --> 00:14:06,789
And then I used
both masking tape
270
00:14:06,882 --> 00:14:10,493
and Scotch Tape to
hold it all together.
271
00:14:12,494 --> 00:14:14,230
If the artist did
an incredible job,
272
00:14:14,329 --> 00:14:17,333
it made those worlds
or those characters
273
00:14:17,432 --> 00:14:20,603
feel so lifelike to me,
so immersive, and so...
274
00:14:20,702 --> 00:14:22,271
When you opened up a comic book,
275
00:14:22,370 --> 00:14:24,007
you felt like you
were in that world.
276
00:14:24,105 --> 00:14:26,042
In many ways, it kind
of relieved the pressure
277
00:14:26,140 --> 00:14:29,445
of being this outsider
in a strange new country.
278
00:14:31,479 --> 00:14:36,085
Batman first appeared in
"Detective Comics" issue 27.
279
00:14:36,178 --> 00:14:40,323
So this is the 1000th
appearance of Batman.
280
00:14:40,421 --> 00:14:43,592
Bob Kane with Bill Finger
introduced the world
281
00:14:43,686 --> 00:14:46,262
to this masked vigilante,
282
00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:48,731
kind of changed
the game forever.
283
00:14:56,337 --> 00:14:57,706
- I was 19 when
I created Batman,
284
00:14:57,805 --> 00:15:01,544
and I've been with the
same company ever since.
285
00:15:01,643 --> 00:15:06,082
World's most leading
character, Batman,
286
00:15:06,181 --> 00:15:09,518
as done by the creator,
me, little ol' me.
287
00:15:09,617 --> 00:15:13,122
- Bob, tell us about the
earliest recollection you have
288
00:15:13,221 --> 00:15:15,591
with the creation of Batman.
289
00:15:15,691 --> 00:15:17,226
- There are two stories.
290
00:15:17,325 --> 00:15:20,063
There's a mythical story you
kind of create and make up.
291
00:15:20,161 --> 00:15:21,730
And then there's the truth.
292
00:15:21,829 --> 00:15:25,001
And the myth and the truth
become clouded after 30 years.
293
00:15:26,700 --> 00:15:28,737
- If you look at the
earliest Batman stories,
294
00:15:28,837 --> 00:15:31,340
they all say "by Bob Kane."
295
00:15:31,435 --> 00:15:32,575
The problem was,
296
00:15:32,673 --> 00:15:35,578
these stories weren't
necessarily by Bob Kane.
297
00:15:37,778 --> 00:15:41,117
Narrator: The controversial
origin story of Batman
298
00:15:41,216 --> 00:15:42,518
begins when Bob Kane,
299
00:15:42,617 --> 00:15:44,653
a 19-year-old cartoonist
from the Bronx,
300
00:15:44,752 --> 00:15:47,790
saw Siegel and Shuster
cash in on Superman.
301
00:15:47,888 --> 00:15:52,195
He jumped at the chance to
create his own superhero.
302
00:15:52,294 --> 00:15:53,696
- I was a great copycat.
303
00:15:53,796 --> 00:15:55,298
So I copy Leonardo.
304
00:15:55,397 --> 00:15:58,601
I remember seeing a
movie called "The Bat."
305
00:15:58,699 --> 00:16:02,105
I also was influenced
by "The Mark of Zorro."
306
00:16:02,203 --> 00:16:03,639
And I saw the original version
307
00:16:03,738 --> 00:16:06,475
with Doug Fairbanks Sr.,
that's how old I am.
308
00:16:06,574 --> 00:16:08,711
I kind of got the
combination of all of them
309
00:16:08,810 --> 00:16:11,647
and created a Batman.
310
00:16:11,746 --> 00:16:14,083
- And he comes in with
a little rough sketch
311
00:16:14,182 --> 00:16:16,485
and the name Batman.
312
00:16:16,584 --> 00:16:18,554
And the editor says,
"That's cute, Bob,
313
00:16:18,653 --> 00:16:20,556
but, you know,
what's his story?"
314
00:16:20,650 --> 00:16:21,890
Bob said, "I don't know."
315
00:16:21,985 --> 00:16:24,593
"Well, maybe you
should get a writer."
316
00:16:24,692 --> 00:16:27,130
narrator: Bob Kane
hired a ghostwriter,
317
00:16:27,223 --> 00:16:30,166
Bill Finger, to flesh
out the character.
318
00:16:30,265 --> 00:16:31,996
Finger wrote an origin story
319
00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:34,570
born from a fear of urban crime.
320
00:16:34,669 --> 00:16:37,140
He even darkened the
look of Kane's design
321
00:16:37,239 --> 00:16:41,610
to reflect the pulps
and German cinema.
322
00:16:41,709 --> 00:16:44,447
- And in short
order, they create
323
00:16:44,545 --> 00:16:49,385
an amazingly specific
narrative and backstory,
324
00:16:49,484 --> 00:16:51,854
his wants, his
needs, why he fights,
325
00:16:51,953 --> 00:16:53,556
what he's railing against.
326
00:16:53,654 --> 00:16:56,292
Young Bruce Wayne sees
the most horrible thing.
327
00:16:56,391 --> 00:16:57,693
I mean, think about that,
328
00:16:57,792 --> 00:17:00,024
to see your parents gunned down
329
00:17:00,128 --> 00:17:01,530
in front of you, and then later,
330
00:17:01,629 --> 00:17:04,133
he's kneeling over
his bed and praying,
331
00:17:04,232 --> 00:17:07,003
"Please, Lord,
give me the tools.
332
00:17:07,101 --> 00:17:10,406
I promise you, I will spend
the rest of my life warring."
333
00:17:10,505 --> 00:17:15,144
He uses that word,
"warring," against crime.
334
00:17:16,544 --> 00:17:18,288
- I always just got the
impression that he's just
335
00:17:18,312 --> 00:17:20,216
wants to keep
recreating the night
336
00:17:20,315 --> 00:17:22,151
where his parents died.
337
00:17:22,250 --> 00:17:25,621
He just wants to
inflict pain, inflict,
338
00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,456
like, his kind of
form of justice,
339
00:17:27,555 --> 00:17:31,560
which is kind of
questionable justice.
340
00:17:31,659 --> 00:17:33,496
- Batman's a kind of
satanic looking figure.
341
00:17:33,594 --> 00:17:36,399
He has horns. He
operates at night.
342
00:17:36,497 --> 00:17:39,702
He relies on fear rather
than trust or strength.
343
00:17:39,801 --> 00:17:42,571
He relies on stealth rather than
344
00:17:42,670 --> 00:17:46,309
this kind of grandstanding
circus showman.
345
00:17:46,402 --> 00:17:49,946
It worked so well because
these are two opposing figures.
346
00:17:50,044 --> 00:17:54,717
It's like finding the two
poles of a potential idea.
347
00:17:58,786 --> 00:18:00,189
narrator: As
Batman's popularity
348
00:18:00,288 --> 00:18:01,724
increased over time,
349
00:18:01,822 --> 00:18:04,293
Kane renegotiated a
contract that earned him
350
00:18:04,392 --> 00:18:06,662
a rare thing in the industry:
351
00:18:06,756 --> 00:18:09,198
rights, royalties,
352
00:18:09,297 --> 00:18:11,901
and sole creator credit.
353
00:18:11,999 --> 00:18:15,071
- Bill Finger was
long gone by the time
354
00:18:15,169 --> 00:18:16,672
he was officially acknowledged
355
00:18:16,771 --> 00:18:19,808
as co-creator of Batman,
and not just Batman,
356
00:18:19,907 --> 00:18:21,877
but the Joker and
all of these concepts
357
00:18:21,976 --> 00:18:26,548
that we've come to
associate with Gotham City.
358
00:18:27,715 --> 00:18:29,852
Narrator: Shortly
after Finger's death,
359
00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:33,422
Kane made a rare
public admission.
360
00:18:33,521 --> 00:18:36,092
- Bill not only wrote
the early stories,
361
00:18:36,190 --> 00:18:39,395
but he helped me
innovate and create
362
00:18:39,494 --> 00:18:41,230
more than half of the villains
363
00:18:41,329 --> 00:18:43,666
and all the innovative
characters in the Batman.
364
00:18:43,764 --> 00:18:46,903
Most of it, the credit
should go to Bill Finger.
365
00:18:52,907 --> 00:18:55,344
narrator: Batman's
solitary war on crime
366
00:18:55,443 --> 00:18:57,180
broadened when the creative team
367
00:18:57,277 --> 00:19:01,417
introduced a unique concept
to attract young readers:
368
00:19:01,517 --> 00:19:03,652
the sidekick.
369
00:19:03,751 --> 00:19:07,356
- Somebody had the bright idea
that, since kids read comics,
370
00:19:07,455 --> 00:19:09,325
they would want a character
371
00:19:09,423 --> 00:19:11,560
that they could kind
of identify with
372
00:19:11,659 --> 00:19:13,696
and project themselves onto.
373
00:19:13,790 --> 00:19:15,298
And this was Robin.
374
00:19:18,666 --> 00:19:21,370
- DC is so famous for sidekicks.
375
00:19:21,469 --> 00:19:23,180
You have a superhero,
and they have a sidekick.
376
00:19:23,204 --> 00:19:25,741
It just was a given.
377
00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:27,343
- Robin's certainly
one of the first,
378
00:19:27,442 --> 00:19:30,146
if not the first,
starting a proud tradition
379
00:19:30,244 --> 00:19:31,880
of child endangerment.
380
00:19:33,848 --> 00:19:36,652
He takes this young
kid on as his sidekick,
381
00:19:36,750 --> 00:19:40,556
dresses him in red and green.
382
00:19:40,655 --> 00:19:42,791
Who's gonna draw the gunfire?
383
00:19:42,891 --> 00:19:44,760
The kid in the red and the green
384
00:19:44,859 --> 00:19:47,363
or the guy in the
gray black suit?
385
00:19:48,596 --> 00:19:51,767
But as a kid, I loved
his comics, growing up.
386
00:19:54,563 --> 00:19:56,805
Narrator: The duo's
dynamic shifted the tone
387
00:19:56,904 --> 00:20:00,576
from a gothic noir towards
more of a playful romp.
388
00:20:00,674 --> 00:20:04,647
The DC character
roster expanded,
389
00:20:04,745 --> 00:20:07,150
but it lacked a female touch.
390
00:20:07,248 --> 00:20:08,784
- What's your story, lady?
391
00:20:08,884 --> 00:20:10,586
- Story?
- Okay.
392
00:20:10,685 --> 00:20:12,455
Suppose we start with your name.
393
00:20:12,553 --> 00:20:14,790
- Wonder Woman.
- Sure.
394
00:20:14,888 --> 00:20:19,828
That's the last name Woman,
first name Wonder, right?
395
00:20:19,928 --> 00:20:21,164
- Right.
396
00:20:25,233 --> 00:20:27,270
- The beautiful thing
about Wonder Woman
397
00:20:27,368 --> 00:20:29,372
is that she's so many things.
398
00:20:29,470 --> 00:20:31,007
She's very righteous.
399
00:20:31,106 --> 00:20:32,875
She's all about justice.
400
00:20:32,974 --> 00:20:36,045
She's the greatest warrior ever.
401
00:20:39,447 --> 00:20:41,850
- She has this spark in her.
402
00:20:41,950 --> 00:20:46,422
She's... she has this
fire in her eyes.
403
00:20:47,822 --> 00:20:50,026
Narrator: The creator
of Wonder Woman,
404
00:20:50,125 --> 00:20:51,660
William Moulton Marston
405
00:20:51,759 --> 00:20:54,697
was a radical figure
who led many lives.
406
00:20:54,796 --> 00:20:56,076
- We're are now going to test...
407
00:20:56,131 --> 00:20:57,533
narrator: As a psychologist,
408
00:20:57,632 --> 00:20:59,602
he paved the way for
the lie detector test
409
00:20:59,701 --> 00:21:03,106
through a series of
bizarre experiments.
410
00:21:04,372 --> 00:21:05,708
- Dr. Marston and science show
411
00:21:05,807 --> 00:21:08,411
blondes are easiest to scare.
412
00:21:08,510 --> 00:21:10,579
Narrator: Marston was
also a staunch critic
413
00:21:10,678 --> 00:21:12,181
of the comic book industry.
414
00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:14,183
He challenged them to
confront what he called
415
00:21:14,282 --> 00:21:17,453
the bloodcurdling
masculinity of superheroes.
416
00:21:21,523 --> 00:21:25,128
DC agreed and invited him to
create a female character.
417
00:21:25,226 --> 00:21:28,364
He hired editorial
cartoonist H.G. Peter
418
00:21:28,462 --> 00:21:30,900
to design her signature look.
419
00:21:32,833 --> 00:21:35,704
- I always go back to
that original drawing
420
00:21:35,803 --> 00:21:37,373
of the character of Wonder Woman
421
00:21:37,472 --> 00:21:40,409
where she was
beautiful, approachable,
422
00:21:40,508 --> 00:21:42,845
very feminine, very strong.
423
00:21:42,943 --> 00:21:45,181
There was an everywoman
quality to it,
424
00:21:45,279 --> 00:21:49,652
which was intrinsic to why
she succeeded as she did.
425
00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:53,689
- She is an Amazon.
426
00:21:53,788 --> 00:21:55,524
She has connections
to Greek mythology.
427
00:21:55,623 --> 00:21:58,194
Her people were children
of Aphrodite and Athena,
428
00:21:58,293 --> 00:22:00,029
of love and wisdom.
429
00:22:00,127 --> 00:22:03,499
And Wonder Woman asks us
to grapple with questions
430
00:22:03,598 --> 00:22:06,002
about how we feel about gender,
431
00:22:06,101 --> 00:22:07,436
how we feel about sex,
432
00:22:07,535 --> 00:22:10,039
and how we feel about
war and conflict.
433
00:22:10,138 --> 00:22:12,408
What makes Wonder
Woman interesting
434
00:22:12,506 --> 00:22:14,643
are the politics of feminism.
435
00:22:19,113 --> 00:22:21,884
Narrator: Marston was
an ardent feminist ally,
436
00:22:21,983 --> 00:22:23,886
even if his fight
for women's equality
437
00:22:23,985 --> 00:22:27,090
revealed itself in
subversive ways.
438
00:22:27,188 --> 00:22:30,659
Wonder Woman's lasso compelled
people to tell the truth.
439
00:22:30,758 --> 00:22:33,529
However, the frequent
images of restraint
440
00:22:33,628 --> 00:22:37,000
also evoked sexual bondage.
441
00:22:37,099 --> 00:22:40,536
That wasn't Marston's
primary intent.
442
00:22:40,635 --> 00:22:42,366
He chose imagery that reflected
443
00:22:42,470 --> 00:22:46,976
the women's suffrage movement
and symbolized emancipation.
444
00:22:47,074 --> 00:22:49,645
- The myth of it was that
William Moulton Marston was
445
00:22:49,745 --> 00:22:51,180
cranking out all these stories.
446
00:22:51,279 --> 00:22:53,316
The reality was that he
was surrounded by women,
447
00:22:53,415 --> 00:22:55,884
he was in an open
relationship with his wife
448
00:22:55,983 --> 00:22:58,154
and another woman, and
they were all contributing
449
00:22:58,253 --> 00:22:59,755
to the Wonder Woman mythos.
450
00:22:59,853 --> 00:23:01,324
They're working under the radar,
451
00:23:01,422 --> 00:23:03,292
they're working under
pseudonyms and so forth.
452
00:23:03,391 --> 00:23:07,896
But their impact is huge.
453
00:23:07,995 --> 00:23:10,633
- All of them really
believed in putting this out
454
00:23:10,731 --> 00:23:15,071
into the world, a female who
was just as strong as men
455
00:23:15,170 --> 00:23:17,173
as a woman in every way.
456
00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:21,210
Narrator: That strength
allowed Wonder Woman
457
00:23:21,309 --> 00:23:23,179
to transcend time.
458
00:23:23,277 --> 00:23:25,982
Storytellers continued to
build upon her foundation
459
00:23:26,079 --> 00:23:29,085
and populate her world
with new characters,
460
00:23:29,184 --> 00:23:32,188
ones that reflect a
more modern audience.
461
00:23:34,883 --> 00:23:38,327
- I adore Wonder Woman,
and I adore Diana Prince.
462
00:23:38,426 --> 00:23:44,133
But I can never aspire to be
a perfect woman or a symbol
463
00:23:44,232 --> 00:23:45,701
like that without any flaws.
464
00:23:47,835 --> 00:23:49,572
Wonder Woman, when she came out,
465
00:23:49,665 --> 00:23:51,908
she's the first woman
through the door.
466
00:23:52,005 --> 00:23:55,511
She had to be perfect
and good at everything.
467
00:23:55,610 --> 00:23:57,880
But there's more
nuance to the character
468
00:23:57,980 --> 00:24:00,116
that I didn't see before.
469
00:24:01,615 --> 00:24:03,987
I really wanted to
create Wonder Girl
470
00:24:04,084 --> 00:24:08,091
in response of discovering
the world of Wonder Woman.
471
00:24:08,188 --> 00:24:12,761
I wanted somebody that's more
human and not as disciplined.
472
00:24:12,860 --> 00:24:15,098
You rarely see female characters
473
00:24:15,196 --> 00:24:17,200
that wear their flaws
on their sleeve.
474
00:24:17,298 --> 00:24:20,769
I'm like, "Come on, I can
barely get through a day.
475
00:24:20,868 --> 00:24:24,040
I want to see somebody
struggle too."
476
00:24:24,139 --> 00:24:27,010
These are some really
early concepts,
477
00:24:27,108 --> 00:24:29,212
playing with, like,
hairstyle, body type,
478
00:24:29,311 --> 00:24:31,514
random old ladies I see on TV
479
00:24:31,613 --> 00:24:35,018
'cause I have very
busy hands.
480
00:24:35,115 --> 00:24:37,553
The female characters that
I've always responded to
481
00:24:37,651 --> 00:24:39,923
or wanted to be like
when I was young
482
00:24:40,020 --> 00:24:43,159
owned their sexuality in
a way that empowered them
483
00:24:43,258 --> 00:24:46,095
as opposed to took
power away from them.
484
00:24:46,193 --> 00:24:48,597
So like with Wonder Girl, I
got called out a few times
485
00:24:48,696 --> 00:24:50,066
for her not having pants.
486
00:24:50,164 --> 00:24:52,135
First of all, I
love the silhouette.
487
00:24:52,234 --> 00:24:53,937
So I'm not changing it.
488
00:24:54,036 --> 00:24:56,372
But Beyoncé doesn't
have to wear pants.
489
00:24:56,471 --> 00:24:59,675
There's something
about Yara that speaks
490
00:24:59,774 --> 00:25:02,645
to women's history
that's moved a little
491
00:25:02,744 --> 00:25:04,680
further down the road.
492
00:25:04,780 --> 00:25:07,116
She gets to be more herself.
493
00:25:07,215 --> 00:25:09,318
That strikes me as
a little bit more
494
00:25:09,417 --> 00:25:14,057
of a modern struggle than
what Diana had to deal with.
495
00:25:21,562 --> 00:25:24,133
Narrator: During World War
II, Wonder Woman symbolized
496
00:25:24,232 --> 00:25:26,769
a cultural wave of
tough, assertive women
497
00:25:26,868 --> 00:25:29,238
in the workforce.
498
00:25:29,337 --> 00:25:32,375
A call for truth, justice,
and the American way
499
00:25:32,474 --> 00:25:34,110
rallied the masses.
500
00:25:34,209 --> 00:25:36,112
The industry
enlisted superheroes
501
00:25:36,209 --> 00:25:38,881
to support the war effort
and spread propaganda
502
00:25:38,980 --> 00:25:41,817
but often laced with racism.
503
00:25:41,916 --> 00:25:44,253
- The heroes had
to become patriots.
504
00:25:44,352 --> 00:25:46,155
The need for the
characters to stand up
505
00:25:46,254 --> 00:25:49,325
for American values
rather than oppose them
506
00:25:49,418 --> 00:25:51,094
changed them
completely, but also,
507
00:25:51,192 --> 00:25:54,130
I think, made them
even more popular.
508
00:25:54,229 --> 00:25:56,933
- Comic books were being
prepared for sailors
509
00:25:57,031 --> 00:25:59,602
who not only needed to
be taught how to read
510
00:25:59,700 --> 00:26:03,072
but taught how to do their job.
511
00:26:03,171 --> 00:26:04,807
Narrator: During
the early '40s,
512
00:26:04,905 --> 00:26:07,310
comic book sales shot
up to an industry high
513
00:26:07,408 --> 00:26:09,913
of 25 million copies per month.
514
00:26:10,010 --> 00:26:13,616
An explosion of new heroes
heralded a golden age.
515
00:26:13,715 --> 00:26:16,019
DC brought the fan
favorites together
516
00:26:16,117 --> 00:26:17,620
and formed the first team-up:
517
00:26:17,719 --> 00:26:20,823
the Justice Society of America.
518
00:26:22,255 --> 00:26:25,929
But by war's end, with no
Axis villains left to fight,
519
00:26:26,027 --> 00:26:30,333
a period of postwar
blues hit DC.
520
00:26:30,431 --> 00:26:32,568
Superhero popularity
faded further
521
00:26:32,667 --> 00:26:36,940
as a shiny new object
invaded living rooms.
522
00:26:37,039 --> 00:26:38,641
- My babysitter as a kid,
523
00:26:38,739 --> 00:26:40,209
along with most
of my generation,
524
00:26:40,308 --> 00:26:41,344
was television.
525
00:26:41,437 --> 00:26:42,677
We had the "Mickey Mouse Club."
526
00:26:42,744 --> 00:26:44,280
We had "Howdy Doody."
527
00:26:44,379 --> 00:26:47,650
But we also had the
"Adventures of Superman."
528
00:26:47,749 --> 00:26:50,353
- Faster than a speeding bullet,
529
00:26:50,452 --> 00:26:52,989
more powerful than a locomotive,
530
00:26:53,087 --> 00:26:56,359
able to leap tall buildings
in a single bound.
531
00:26:56,457 --> 00:26:57,826
- Look, up in the sky!
532
00:26:57,926 --> 00:26:59,295
It's a bird!
- It's a plane!
533
00:26:59,394 --> 00:27:00,729
- It's Superman!
534
00:27:05,065 --> 00:27:07,370
Narrator: DC responded to
the threat of television
535
00:27:07,469 --> 00:27:09,072
by embracing it.
536
00:27:09,171 --> 00:27:12,008
For six seasons, B-movie
star George Reeves
537
00:27:12,106 --> 00:27:15,444
donned the cape and became
the face of Superman
538
00:27:15,543 --> 00:27:16,712
for a generation.
539
00:27:16,811 --> 00:27:18,314
- Every day you go to school,
540
00:27:18,413 --> 00:27:20,883
we were all talking
about the same shows
541
00:27:20,982 --> 00:27:23,586
that we saw and
could discuss them.
542
00:27:23,685 --> 00:27:25,454
And what that provided us with
543
00:27:25,548 --> 00:27:28,191
was a commonality of experience.
544
00:27:28,289 --> 00:27:30,654
- My friend and I
were watching a show,
545
00:27:30,759 --> 00:27:32,295
then at the end, it said,
546
00:27:32,393 --> 00:27:34,530
"Superman is based on
the copyrighted character
547
00:27:34,629 --> 00:27:37,133
appearing in 'Action
Comics' and 'Superman.'"
548
00:27:37,231 --> 00:27:39,402
And the two of us got
up, walked to the corner,
549
00:27:39,501 --> 00:27:43,739
and bought our first
comics and never stopped.
550
00:27:43,838 --> 00:27:45,669
- You asked for
it, now here it is,
551
00:27:45,773 --> 00:27:47,944
the new official
Superman T-shirt
552
00:27:48,041 --> 00:27:51,347
with the official
Superman insignia.
553
00:27:51,445 --> 00:27:54,117
Narrator: As kids sought out
Superman at the newsstand,
554
00:27:54,214 --> 00:27:57,086
the lurid covers and
gory art of horror comics
555
00:27:57,184 --> 00:28:01,657
also drew their eye and
the concern of parents.
556
00:28:11,331 --> 00:28:14,337
- '50s America was afraid
of the Russians, number one,
557
00:28:14,435 --> 00:28:18,574
but it was also afraid
of the Martians,
558
00:28:18,672 --> 00:28:23,012
it was afraid of giant ants
and jellyfish.
559
00:28:23,111 --> 00:28:24,914
It was afraid of gay people
560
00:28:25,013 --> 00:28:27,450
and subterranean sailors
writing beat poetry.
561
00:28:29,350 --> 00:28:31,754
There's hardly anything
you can name that Americans
562
00:28:31,853 --> 00:28:33,789
weren't afraid of in the '50s.
563
00:28:37,491 --> 00:28:39,295
- "Confidential File."
564
00:28:39,393 --> 00:28:41,530
One of the nation's
distinguished news reporters
565
00:28:41,629 --> 00:28:44,728
brings you a factual
report on America today.
566
00:28:44,832 --> 00:28:48,404
- This comic book describes a
sexual aberration so shocking
567
00:28:48,502 --> 00:28:50,873
that I couldn't mention
even the scientific term
568
00:28:50,972 --> 00:28:52,909
on television.
569
00:28:53,007 --> 00:28:55,844
I think there ought to
be a law against them.
570
00:28:58,112 --> 00:29:01,150
- There was a growing
undercurrent that was
571
00:29:01,249 --> 00:29:04,087
on the precipice of
becoming a tsunami,
572
00:29:04,185 --> 00:29:10,359
and that was that comic
books were morally depraved,
573
00:29:10,458 --> 00:29:14,497
the root cause of the
post-World War II rise
574
00:29:14,596 --> 00:29:18,234
of juvenile
delinquency in America.
575
00:29:18,333 --> 00:29:19,969
- Most comics are killers:
576
00:29:20,068 --> 00:29:23,372
they kill time, they
kill imagination,
577
00:29:23,471 --> 00:29:26,142
they make the rule of
violence the only rule.
578
00:29:27,808 --> 00:29:30,213
Narrator: Parental discord
reached a fevered pitch
579
00:29:30,311 --> 00:29:32,815
with the publication of
"Seduction of the Innocent"
580
00:29:32,915 --> 00:29:34,850
by Dr. Fredric Wertham.
581
00:29:34,949 --> 00:29:37,086
He preached the
depravity of comics
582
00:29:37,184 --> 00:29:40,056
and the threat they
posed to American youth.
583
00:29:41,389 --> 00:29:43,092
- Wertham was trying so hard.
584
00:29:43,191 --> 00:29:46,295
He would find an image of
Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson
585
00:29:46,394 --> 00:29:50,934
and somehow map a ton of
homosexual overtones to that.
586
00:29:51,031 --> 00:29:56,672
- Dr. Wertham decided there
is no reason why two young men
587
00:29:56,771 --> 00:30:00,409
should be living together
and working out together
588
00:30:00,508 --> 00:30:03,212
and dressing up
in tight costumes
589
00:30:03,311 --> 00:30:06,082
unless there was something
going on between them.
590
00:30:08,149 --> 00:30:10,153
- "Seduction of the
Innocent" claimed that
591
00:30:10,251 --> 00:30:12,855
comic books like "Batman"
and "Wonder Woman"
592
00:30:12,954 --> 00:30:15,959
would encourage their
readers to be gay.
593
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:22,365
In the case of "Wonder Woman,"
maybe not entirely untrue.
594
00:30:22,463 --> 00:30:26,002
- There were comic book
burnings across America.
595
00:30:26,101 --> 00:30:28,337
Siblings were
ratting out siblings
596
00:30:28,436 --> 00:30:31,374
to their parents who were
then uncovering stashes
597
00:30:31,472 --> 00:30:33,476
of hidden comic
books under the bed
598
00:30:33,574 --> 00:30:36,345
or hidden away in
the garage or attic.
599
00:30:38,246 --> 00:30:40,249
- There were about 400...
600
00:30:40,348 --> 00:30:42,952
narrator: Fears of a
federal investigation
601
00:30:43,051 --> 00:30:45,321
and government
regulation drove DC
602
00:30:45,420 --> 00:30:47,823
and other publishers to act.
603
00:30:47,922 --> 00:30:51,827
In 1954, they formed the
Comics Code Authority
604
00:30:51,926 --> 00:30:55,598
in an effort to self-censor
and preserve their livelihood.
605
00:30:55,697 --> 00:30:57,500
- You couldn't
publish any comics
606
00:30:57,599 --> 00:31:00,904
with the word horror or terror
in the title or even crime.
607
00:31:01,003 --> 00:31:02,571
They had to make
sure that, you know,
608
00:31:02,670 --> 00:31:05,108
good always triumphed over evil.
609
00:31:07,441 --> 00:31:09,001
- Like, you couldn't
talk about divorce,
610
00:31:09,044 --> 00:31:11,014
you couldn't present
law enforcement
611
00:31:11,112 --> 00:31:13,316
in a negative light.
612
00:31:14,682 --> 00:31:17,853
- Women should not be
featured in comic books
613
00:31:17,953 --> 00:31:19,622
in prominent roles.
614
00:31:19,721 --> 00:31:22,391
No zombies, no ghosts.
615
00:31:22,490 --> 00:31:26,029
It was a creative stranglehold.
616
00:31:26,128 --> 00:31:27,430
Narrator: The
strict censorship
617
00:31:27,529 --> 00:31:29,598
lobotomized the superhero genre.
618
00:31:29,697 --> 00:31:33,569
Many publishers folded as
a generation of creators
619
00:31:33,669 --> 00:31:35,371
scrambled for work.
620
00:31:35,469 --> 00:31:38,942
- What the code and what the
persecution of comics did
621
00:31:39,041 --> 00:31:40,876
was to make the people
who were producing
622
00:31:40,976 --> 00:31:43,046
the comics feel oppressed.
623
00:31:43,144 --> 00:31:46,549
Was not a very happy
time in comics.
624
00:31:46,648 --> 00:31:49,152
- They didn't wear their
job on their sleeve.
625
00:31:49,250 --> 00:31:51,754
I mean, it was not a
respected profession.
626
00:31:51,853 --> 00:31:54,190
So these men in their suits
627
00:31:54,289 --> 00:31:55,959
who could pass for
insurance agents
628
00:31:56,052 --> 00:31:57,626
would go in and
secretly do comics
629
00:31:57,725 --> 00:31:59,137
for eight hours a day
and then get on the train
630
00:31:59,161 --> 00:32:00,396
and come home.
631
00:32:00,494 --> 00:32:02,098
- It's a very lonely business.
632
00:32:02,196 --> 00:32:04,733
You work all alone
for hours on end,
633
00:32:04,832 --> 00:32:07,370
and you get strange
machinations in your head
634
00:32:07,468 --> 00:32:09,438
because you think about
the world outside.
635
00:32:09,537 --> 00:32:11,407
And you're really not
a part of it, you know?
636
00:32:11,505 --> 00:32:13,176
And your world is
that fantasy world
637
00:32:13,275 --> 00:32:16,212
you're creating on paper.
638
00:32:16,311 --> 00:32:18,147
- And we were kind of concerned,
639
00:32:18,246 --> 00:32:21,217
where is the comic book
business going to go?
640
00:32:21,315 --> 00:32:24,587
So we used to hold meetings
641
00:32:24,685 --> 00:32:26,589
to plot what our
next move would be.
642
00:32:26,687 --> 00:32:30,793
We had to come up
with new ideas.
643
00:32:30,891 --> 00:32:32,929
Narrator: While the
imagination of artists
644
00:32:33,028 --> 00:32:34,497
and writers knew no bounds,
645
00:32:34,595 --> 00:32:36,365
the editors
shouldered the burden
646
00:32:36,464 --> 00:32:40,503
of shepherding creativity
from concept to profit.
647
00:32:41,569 --> 00:32:45,108
- I was an editor and a
freelance writer for them.
648
00:32:45,207 --> 00:32:47,610
But it was all male.
649
00:32:47,708 --> 00:32:51,547
It was difficult to be
friendly with these men
650
00:32:51,646 --> 00:32:55,418
because they looked at me
like, "What is she doing here?"
651
00:32:55,517 --> 00:32:59,222
They were very,
very hard on artists
652
00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,290
because they wanted
good stories,
653
00:33:01,389 --> 00:33:03,826
they wanted good artwork,
654
00:33:03,925 --> 00:33:07,196
and they could yell
655
00:33:07,295 --> 00:33:09,565
if they weren't getting
what they wanted.
656
00:33:12,300 --> 00:33:15,138
- An editor's like the
general of an army.
657
00:33:15,236 --> 00:33:19,003
He lays out a plan for the army
658
00:33:19,107 --> 00:33:20,676
being victorious over the enemy.
659
00:33:20,775 --> 00:33:22,511
In my case, I had
to lay out a plan
660
00:33:22,610 --> 00:33:25,848
for me being victorious
over the public out there.
661
00:33:25,946 --> 00:33:30,386
I had to get them to spend 10
cents to buy that magazine.
662
00:33:30,485 --> 00:33:32,121
Narrator: Desperate
for success,
663
00:33:32,220 --> 00:33:34,157
Julius Schwartz
decided to revitalize
664
00:33:34,256 --> 00:33:37,460
a long-forgotten
superhero, the Flash,
665
00:33:37,558 --> 00:33:40,596
a character who moved
at lightning speed.
666
00:33:47,135 --> 00:33:48,537
- My name is Barry Allen.
667
00:33:48,636 --> 00:33:51,074
I am the fastest man alive.
668
00:33:52,374 --> 00:33:55,278
Whoa!
669
00:34:09,123 --> 00:34:12,428
- Julie said, "We're gonna
be doing superheroes again."
670
00:34:12,527 --> 00:34:14,230
I'm like, "Oh, my God."
671
00:34:14,329 --> 00:34:16,399
And I wasn't thrilled
about the idea.
672
00:34:16,498 --> 00:34:17,698
I didn't like the superheroes.
673
00:34:17,765 --> 00:34:19,143
That was a hell of
a thing to admit,
674
00:34:19,167 --> 00:34:20,970
but I didn't like doing them.
675
00:34:21,069 --> 00:34:22,438
I don't know.
676
00:34:22,536 --> 00:34:25,774
They were a little
flamboyant for me, you know?
677
00:34:25,873 --> 00:34:27,476
Narrator: Despite
his resistance,
678
00:34:27,575 --> 00:34:29,878
Carmine Infantino's
sleek artwork
679
00:34:29,978 --> 00:34:31,314
and sense of scale clicked
680
00:34:31,412 --> 00:34:33,116
with the science
fiction approach.
681
00:34:33,209 --> 00:34:35,952
It proved irresistible
to a generation
682
00:34:36,051 --> 00:34:37,921
raised on chemistry sets.
683
00:34:38,018 --> 00:34:41,390
- Julie brought a science
angle to these characters
684
00:34:41,484 --> 00:34:44,493
in what was, you know, the
Jet Age, the Space Age.
685
00:34:44,592 --> 00:34:47,530
He tapped into the
kids who wanted
686
00:34:47,628 --> 00:34:50,900
to be astronauts, the kids
who wanted to be scientists.
687
00:34:50,998 --> 00:34:55,138
- "The Flash" and "Flash Facts"
were because of Julie Schwartz
688
00:34:55,237 --> 00:34:56,772
and him caring about
689
00:34:56,871 --> 00:34:58,841
the science part
of science fiction.
690
00:34:58,940 --> 00:35:00,676
It worked for me.
691
00:35:00,775 --> 00:35:03,846
I would rather learn my
science from a comic book
692
00:35:03,945 --> 00:35:06,082
than from going to school.
693
00:35:08,683 --> 00:35:10,486
narrator: The
Flash's alter ego,
694
00:35:10,585 --> 00:35:14,357
police scientist Barry Allen,
was more down-to-earth,
695
00:35:14,456 --> 00:35:18,061
unlike the mythic
stature of DC's Trinity.
696
00:35:18,159 --> 00:35:19,395
- Superman was Superman.
697
00:35:19,494 --> 00:35:20,871
He was an alien
from another planet.
698
00:35:20,895 --> 00:35:22,698
You couldn't be Superman.
699
00:35:22,796 --> 00:35:25,668
Batman had stuff, but he
was a really rich guy,
700
00:35:25,762 --> 00:35:27,131
you know, who had stuff.
701
00:35:27,230 --> 00:35:28,812
But the Flash was sort
of like us, you know?
702
00:35:28,836 --> 00:35:30,556
He was just an average
guy who just happened
703
00:35:30,638 --> 00:35:32,741
to get struck by
lightning, and I remember
704
00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:34,210
thinking as a little kid, like,
705
00:35:34,308 --> 00:35:35,352
"I could get struck
by lightning.
706
00:35:35,376 --> 00:35:36,779
"That could happen.
707
00:35:36,878 --> 00:35:39,815
I could actually become
a superhero that way."
708
00:35:39,914 --> 00:35:41,725
- When I read "The Flash,"
it wasn't just about
709
00:35:41,749 --> 00:35:45,521
a guy ran fast, it was
about a man who could travel
710
00:35:45,620 --> 00:35:48,491
through time and go through
different dimensions
711
00:35:48,590 --> 00:35:50,154
and parallel worlds.
712
00:35:50,258 --> 00:35:54,730
So the Flash's canvas was,
like, all of space and time.
713
00:35:57,799 --> 00:36:01,837
Narrator: 1961 marked a
big bang of creativity.
714
00:36:01,935 --> 00:36:04,740
Julius Schwartz introduced
a groundbreaking idea
715
00:36:04,839 --> 00:36:09,678
to comics... the existence
of parallel worlds.
716
00:36:09,777 --> 00:36:11,547
The theory allowed
different versions
717
00:36:11,645 --> 00:36:14,517
of the same characters
to meet one another.
718
00:36:14,615 --> 00:36:17,486
From that concept
grew a multiverse
719
00:36:17,585 --> 00:36:21,524
that defined superhero
stories for years to come.
720
00:36:22,990 --> 00:36:25,261
- Now everybody talks
about parallel universes.
721
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:27,080
Not a lot of people
were talking about that.
722
00:36:27,161 --> 00:36:30,266
And certainly for a kid coming
across concepts like that,
723
00:36:30,365 --> 00:36:31,968
that was incredible.
724
00:36:32,066 --> 00:36:34,537
It was like someone stuck a
stick of dynamite in your ear
725
00:36:34,635 --> 00:36:36,105
and lit it and
blew up your head.
726
00:36:38,406 --> 00:36:40,910
- It's this idea
that we're not alone.
727
00:36:41,004 --> 00:36:42,311
Yes, we live in this reality,
728
00:36:42,410 --> 00:36:44,880
but there are infinite
multiple realities
729
00:36:44,979 --> 00:36:48,251
that basically sit
side-by-side one another.
730
00:36:48,350 --> 00:36:49,885
And in those
alternate realities,
731
00:36:49,984 --> 00:36:52,121
we have our iconic
versions of our characters,
732
00:36:52,220 --> 00:36:54,357
but on other Earths,
they might be villains
733
00:36:54,455 --> 00:36:56,993
or they might be
married with kids.
734
00:36:57,091 --> 00:36:59,662
It really expands our ability
to tell different kinds
735
00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:02,932
of stories but still
keep our core nucleus
736
00:37:03,031 --> 00:37:04,400
of iconic characters.
737
00:37:07,602 --> 00:37:09,405
Narrator: DC plunged
into a catalogue
738
00:37:09,504 --> 00:37:11,074
of unused characters
739
00:37:11,171 --> 00:37:14,277
in what became a rapid
procession of reinvention.
740
00:37:14,376 --> 00:37:18,614
This renaissance marked a
silver age for the industry,
741
00:37:18,713 --> 00:37:21,484
an era defined by
mind-bending artwork
742
00:37:21,583 --> 00:37:23,786
and eye-catching covers.
743
00:37:23,884 --> 00:37:26,789
Many were crafted by
artist Joe Kubert,
744
00:37:26,888 --> 00:37:29,025
a Polish immigrant who
pushed the envelope
745
00:37:29,124 --> 00:37:31,995
of visual storytelling.
746
00:37:32,092 --> 00:37:35,031
- Storytelling sounds very easy
to do, but let me tell you,
747
00:37:35,130 --> 00:37:37,466
it is really hard.
748
00:37:37,565 --> 00:37:39,702
It's really, really difficult.
749
00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:41,470
My father could
draw with a stick,
750
00:37:41,569 --> 00:37:43,606
and you could still
tell what was going on.
751
00:37:43,704 --> 00:37:46,442
He was the type of person,
when you're growing up,
752
00:37:46,541 --> 00:37:48,144
that wouldn't put up
with a lot of stuff.
753
00:37:48,243 --> 00:37:52,949
You know, he was kinda like
growing up with Sgt. Rock.
754
00:37:58,186 --> 00:38:00,623
narrator: Joe Kubert's
dirty, scratchy artwork
755
00:38:00,721 --> 00:38:03,960
brought vitality and
emotion to DC war comics,
756
00:38:04,057 --> 00:38:07,063
a genre for those that
preferred grounded reality
757
00:38:07,162 --> 00:38:09,032
over superhero fantasy.
758
00:38:09,130 --> 00:38:11,867
Set against the backdrops
of the World Wars,
759
00:38:11,965 --> 00:38:15,471
their popularity grew with the
introduction of Sergeant Rock,
760
00:38:15,570 --> 00:38:17,840
a stoic John Wayne
figure that represented
761
00:38:17,938 --> 00:38:21,444
the moral side of war
and the internal conflict
762
00:38:21,543 --> 00:38:23,712
that soldiers face.
763
00:38:24,978 --> 00:38:27,250
- Eventually, every single
war comic ended with a title
764
00:38:27,348 --> 00:38:29,052
that said, "Make war no more."
765
00:38:29,150 --> 00:38:31,754
And they became not war stories
about the glorification of war,
766
00:38:31,852 --> 00:38:35,591
but they became war stories
about the tragedies of war.
767
00:38:35,690 --> 00:38:39,695
- My father's style was
very impressionistic.
768
00:38:39,794 --> 00:38:42,198
I mean, he would get the
emotions in the characters,
769
00:38:42,297 --> 00:38:47,003
their feelings, what
they were emoting, down.
770
00:38:47,101 --> 00:38:51,440
- You've got to kind of feel
the drawing that you're doing.
771
00:38:51,539 --> 00:38:54,377
And that's not an
easy thing to do.
772
00:38:54,476 --> 00:38:56,179
And I try to invest
myself completely
773
00:38:56,277 --> 00:38:59,015
and totally into the story.
774
00:38:59,114 --> 00:39:01,417
And I learned early
on that that's what
775
00:39:01,515 --> 00:39:03,319
this whole business is about.
776
00:39:03,418 --> 00:39:05,554
It's not a matter of
doing pretty pictures.
777
00:39:05,653 --> 00:39:08,324
It's great if you could do that.
778
00:39:08,423 --> 00:39:12,356
But the whole call for our
business is telling a story.
779
00:39:12,455 --> 00:39:14,931
We're communicators.
We're storytellers.
780
00:39:19,933 --> 00:39:22,171
- Comic is a medium
like no other.
781
00:39:22,270 --> 00:39:25,308
There is an intimacy
there that is not present
782
00:39:25,407 --> 00:39:27,710
in movies and TV or whatever.
783
00:39:27,808 --> 00:39:31,147
With comics, you get
to decide the pace
784
00:39:31,246 --> 00:39:33,182
at which you absorb the story.
785
00:39:33,281 --> 00:39:36,019
There's something about
the comics that allows you
786
00:39:36,118 --> 00:39:40,189
to really be an
intimate part of that.
787
00:39:40,287 --> 00:39:44,127
- It could explain why fans are
so ravenous, like, you know,
788
00:39:44,224 --> 00:39:47,496
and they take it so personal
because it is personal to them.
789
00:39:47,595 --> 00:39:49,565
They've had a
personal interaction
790
00:39:49,665 --> 00:39:51,000
with these stories.
791
00:39:51,099 --> 00:39:53,536
You can see why people
love it so much.
792
00:39:55,737 --> 00:39:57,573
narrator: In the
1950s and '60s,
793
00:39:57,666 --> 00:40:00,509
love and desire brought
young girls in droves
794
00:40:00,608 --> 00:40:04,480
to a genre in full
bloom: romance.
795
00:40:05,914 --> 00:40:07,583
- They were drawn beautifully,
796
00:40:07,682 --> 00:40:10,453
and the stories were relatable.
797
00:40:12,648 --> 00:40:14,757
Who hasn't gone
through heartbreak?
798
00:40:14,855 --> 00:40:17,560
Who hasn't loved someone and not
799
00:40:17,658 --> 00:40:20,196
had somebody return that love?
800
00:40:22,897 --> 00:40:26,769
Tony Abruzzo, who was
a wonderful artist,
801
00:40:26,868 --> 00:40:28,905
I wanted him just to work for me
802
00:40:29,003 --> 00:40:34,438
because he did such beautiful,
sensitive characters.
803
00:40:35,643 --> 00:40:38,847
Narrator: In 1962, DC
artist Tony Abruzzo
804
00:40:38,946 --> 00:40:43,186
drew a girl drowning in
issue 83 of "Secret Hearts."
805
00:40:43,284 --> 00:40:46,450
One year later, a New
York City based pop artist
806
00:40:46,554 --> 00:40:49,558
named Roy Lichtenstein
turned that same drawing
807
00:40:49,657 --> 00:40:52,028
into one of his
most famous works.
808
00:40:53,661 --> 00:40:56,199
- I go through comic books
looking for material which
809
00:40:56,297 --> 00:40:59,168
seems to hold possibilities
for a painting
810
00:40:59,267 --> 00:41:02,671
both in its visual
impact and in the impact
811
00:41:02,770 --> 00:41:05,308
of its written message,
which I rarely make up.
812
00:41:05,407 --> 00:41:07,471
I don't think I'd be
capable of making them up.
813
00:41:07,575 --> 00:41:10,313
I know that my work has
been accused of looking
814
00:41:10,411 --> 00:41:13,549
like the things that I copy,
and it certainly does look
815
00:41:13,648 --> 00:41:15,218
like the things that I copy.
816
00:41:15,317 --> 00:41:18,521
- "The Drowning Woman" was
straight out of that book,
817
00:41:18,621 --> 00:41:20,189
"Secret Hearts."
818
00:41:20,288 --> 00:41:24,460
First you feel flattered,
and then you feel used.
819
00:41:24,559 --> 00:41:28,764
Since nobody interpreted
it as a stolen thing,
820
00:41:28,864 --> 00:41:30,866
it was his artwork.
821
00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:37,773
- 35 million, 36 million, with
Mark still at $36 million,
822
00:41:37,873 --> 00:41:40,643
37 million, 38 million.
823
00:41:40,742 --> 00:41:42,778
At $38 million.
824
00:41:42,871 --> 00:41:45,915
- You've taken these panels
that these guys have drawn,
825
00:41:46,014 --> 00:41:48,451
we're making, like,
15 bucks a page,
826
00:41:48,549 --> 00:41:52,355
and you're basically just
blowing up their work.
827
00:41:52,453 --> 00:41:57,893
That was a tough nut to swallow
for a lot of those artists.
828
00:41:57,992 --> 00:42:00,196
Narrator: Whether
highbrow or lowbrow,
829
00:42:00,294 --> 00:42:02,999
Americans chased one
artistic trend after another
830
00:42:03,097 --> 00:42:05,368
with a speed greater than ever.
831
00:42:10,070 --> 00:42:12,141
Throughout the '60s,
counterculture pushed
832
00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:14,777
pop culture to
reflect the times.
833
00:42:14,875 --> 00:42:18,647
And in so doing proved
DC was out of touch.
834
00:42:20,548 --> 00:42:24,853
A growing competitor tapped
into that reality, Marvel.
835
00:42:24,952 --> 00:42:28,157
Editor-in-chief Stan
Lee made sure his heroes
836
00:42:28,256 --> 00:42:30,026
looked current on
the sales racks,
837
00:42:30,124 --> 00:42:33,396
which set the stage
for a lifelong rivalry.
838
00:42:33,494 --> 00:42:35,999
- Years ago, the readers
were just interested
839
00:42:36,097 --> 00:42:38,101
in regular fantasy,
and our villains
840
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:40,736
were just some mad men who
wanted to rule the world.
841
00:42:40,836 --> 00:42:42,705
But today, our readers,
842
00:42:42,803 --> 00:42:44,540
they're interested
in real problems,
843
00:42:44,639 --> 00:42:46,783
and we find that our villains
today are the kind of people
844
00:42:46,807 --> 00:42:50,513
who might be causing race
riots or fermenting trouble
845
00:42:50,612 --> 00:42:52,648
between different classes.
846
00:42:55,350 --> 00:42:58,454
- Marvel was coming
into its own.
847
00:42:58,553 --> 00:43:02,025
This was a time of change.
848
00:43:02,123 --> 00:43:05,694
And their superheroes
had quirks.
849
00:43:05,794 --> 00:43:07,830
And they were a little nutty.
850
00:43:07,929 --> 00:43:09,532
- They were weird.
851
00:43:09,630 --> 00:43:12,135
They weren't even
particularly heroic at first.
852
00:43:12,233 --> 00:43:14,570
They fought with each
other, They bickered.
853
00:43:14,669 --> 00:43:16,105
They were petty.
854
00:43:16,204 --> 00:43:18,107
You know, they caught colds.
855
00:43:18,206 --> 00:43:19,875
They were jealous of each other.
856
00:43:19,973 --> 00:43:22,711
These characters are
characters that could be you.
857
00:43:22,805 --> 00:43:25,781
Marvel was very much
focused on being,
858
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:27,850
you know, the world
outside your window.
859
00:43:27,943 --> 00:43:31,921
All their stories take
place in New York City.
860
00:43:32,020 --> 00:43:35,858
- DC established all
of the conventions
861
00:43:35,958 --> 00:43:37,493
of the superhero genre,
862
00:43:37,592 --> 00:43:39,662
and Marvel made a
name for themselves
863
00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:41,697
by breaking those conventions.
864
00:43:41,796 --> 00:43:45,668
They couldn't have done
that had DC not first said,
865
00:43:45,766 --> 00:43:47,078
"This is what a
superhero looks like.
866
00:43:47,102 --> 00:43:49,505
This is what a superhero does."
867
00:43:49,604 --> 00:43:51,740
- DC looked at Marvel like,
868
00:43:51,839 --> 00:43:54,443
"Ah, it's a passing fad,
they'll come and go."
869
00:43:54,542 --> 00:43:58,014
They would look at the comics
and go, "Well, this art's bad.
870
00:43:58,111 --> 00:44:01,017
I mean, I guess that's what
selling comics is... bad art."
871
00:44:03,017 --> 00:44:06,322
- I don't think DC,
as a group, got it.
872
00:44:06,420 --> 00:44:08,524
I don't think they had
any real understanding
873
00:44:08,623 --> 00:44:10,667
of what Marvel was doing
well that they weren't doing.
874
00:44:10,691 --> 00:44:14,297
It was a company that had
been the dominant player.
875
00:44:14,395 --> 00:44:16,532
But the Marvel stuff
was gaining strength
876
00:44:16,631 --> 00:44:20,036
and the DC stuff was not.
877
00:44:20,135 --> 00:44:21,971
- Superman and Batman
and Wonder Woman
878
00:44:22,070 --> 00:44:24,941
during this era were
especially bland.
879
00:44:25,039 --> 00:44:28,211
The heroes became more like
jolly authority figures,
880
00:44:28,310 --> 00:44:30,379
you know, they became paternal.
881
00:44:30,478 --> 00:44:33,216
Narrator: Originally
conceived as a vigilante
882
00:44:33,314 --> 00:44:36,085
that struck fear into
the hearts of criminals,
883
00:44:36,184 --> 00:44:38,287
the Batman of the '50s and '60s
884
00:44:38,386 --> 00:44:42,025
played in a colorful,
juvenile world of fantasy.
885
00:44:42,123 --> 00:44:44,360
Interest and sales plummeted.
886
00:44:44,458 --> 00:44:48,097
As its cancellation
neared, a lifeline was cast
887
00:44:48,195 --> 00:44:51,968
when DC licensed the rights
to a live-action TV show.
888
00:44:53,769 --> 00:44:55,204
- ♪ Batman! ♪
889
00:44:56,838 --> 00:44:59,408
♪ Batman! ♪
890
00:44:59,507 --> 00:45:01,477
- When the "Batman"
TV show came on
891
00:45:01,576 --> 00:45:05,881
on that cold winter
night in January of 1966,
892
00:45:05,981 --> 00:45:10,086
I was 14 1/2 years old.
893
00:45:10,185 --> 00:45:13,222
I was an ardent comic book fan.
894
00:45:13,321 --> 00:45:16,720
Nobody was more excited
about the "Batman" show
895
00:45:16,825 --> 00:45:18,394
coming on TV than I was.
896
00:45:18,492 --> 00:45:20,863
- ♪ Na-na-na-na,
na-na-na-na, na ♪
897
00:45:20,962 --> 00:45:22,498
♪ Batman! ♪
898
00:45:22,597 --> 00:45:26,002
- Remember, Robin,
always look both ways.
899
00:45:26,094 --> 00:45:29,172
- There was nothing that
creative on television,
900
00:45:29,270 --> 00:45:31,774
and that show showed
up fully blown.
901
00:45:31,872 --> 00:45:35,178
It had its look figured out.
It had its tone figured out.
902
00:45:35,276 --> 00:45:38,581
The acting was exactly what
that show was supposed to be.
903
00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:41,817
- Push yourself away, Robin.
904
00:45:41,916 --> 00:45:43,386
- I took that as a
very serious show.
905
00:45:43,484 --> 00:45:44,988
I didn't realize it
was funny at all.
906
00:45:45,087 --> 00:45:47,023
There was no comedy in
it for me, I thought.
907
00:45:47,122 --> 00:45:48,624
And so it was a
great introduction
908
00:45:48,723 --> 00:45:50,159
into the world of Batman.
909
00:45:50,258 --> 00:45:52,395
- Holy human pearls, Batman.
910
00:45:52,493 --> 00:45:54,964
- Correction, Robin...
Pearls come from oysters.
911
00:45:55,063 --> 00:45:57,866
You came out of that clam.
912
00:45:57,966 --> 00:46:01,637
- About 20 minutes
in, it hits me.
913
00:46:01,736 --> 00:46:03,339
Pow.
914
00:46:03,438 --> 00:46:05,508
Zap.
915
00:46:05,608 --> 00:46:08,477
Whamm.
916
00:46:08,577 --> 00:46:09,678
Oh, my God.
917
00:46:09,778 --> 00:46:12,348
This is a comedy.
918
00:46:12,447 --> 00:46:15,985
They are making a
joke out of Batman.
919
00:46:16,084 --> 00:46:19,923
The whole world is
laughing at Batman.
920
00:46:20,021 --> 00:46:22,658
And that killed me.
921
00:46:25,659 --> 00:46:28,231
- William Dozier, you know,
who's the executive producer
922
00:46:28,330 --> 00:46:31,034
of "Batman," had never
read a "Batman" comic
923
00:46:31,132 --> 00:46:32,535
when he got that job.
924
00:46:34,335 --> 00:46:36,800
- Well, the fairly obvious idea
925
00:46:36,905 --> 00:46:39,875
was to make it so square
926
00:46:39,975 --> 00:46:42,545
and so serious and
so cliché-ridden
927
00:46:42,644 --> 00:46:47,917
and so overdone and yet do
it with a certain elegance
928
00:46:48,016 --> 00:46:50,886
and style that it
would be funny,
929
00:46:50,979 --> 00:46:53,589
that it would be
so corny and so bad
930
00:46:53,689 --> 00:46:55,458
that it would be funny.
931
00:46:55,557 --> 00:46:57,860
- Holy jack in the box!
932
00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:01,164
- For a lot of folks,
the bright, happy,
933
00:47:01,262 --> 00:47:03,266
TV Batman was a distraction,
934
00:47:03,365 --> 00:47:05,234
and that's a good distraction.
935
00:47:05,333 --> 00:47:07,236
We all need distractions
at some times
936
00:47:07,335 --> 00:47:10,173
from what's going on
outside in the real world.
937
00:47:13,475 --> 00:47:16,412
- Here was this
completely ludicrous show,
938
00:47:16,511 --> 00:47:20,917
they made it colorful, they
made it larger than life,
939
00:47:21,016 --> 00:47:23,252
and they made it a
little bit subversive.
940
00:47:23,351 --> 00:47:25,354
- The flower children
think we're cool, man.
941
00:47:25,453 --> 00:47:26,889
Like, we turn them on, you know?
942
00:47:26,988 --> 00:47:28,132
- Although it may
not be understood
943
00:47:28,156 --> 00:47:30,326
by more literal minds,
944
00:47:30,425 --> 00:47:32,495
in their own way, they're
doing what they can
945
00:47:32,593 --> 00:47:37,400
to correct the world's
woes with love and flowers.
946
00:47:37,498 --> 00:47:39,310
Narrator: While the high
adventure and Bat-Gadgets
947
00:47:39,334 --> 00:47:42,338
appealed to kids,
adults got their kicks
948
00:47:42,437 --> 00:47:44,673
from the humor and
sexual innuendo.
949
00:47:44,773 --> 00:47:45,975
- Would you like to come in
950
00:47:46,074 --> 00:47:48,177
for a glass of milk and cookies?
951
00:47:48,276 --> 00:47:51,948
- Man cannot live by
crimefighting alone.
952
00:47:59,553 --> 00:48:01,757
narrator: Even though
"Batman" caused a flurry
953
00:48:01,857 --> 00:48:03,559
of short-lived excitement,
954
00:48:03,658 --> 00:48:06,295
the TV show became
a parody of itself,
955
00:48:06,394 --> 00:48:08,631
and viewers tuned out.
956
00:48:08,730 --> 00:48:11,034
The network cancelled
the pun-filled madness
957
00:48:11,133 --> 00:48:13,436
after only three seasons.
958
00:48:13,534 --> 00:48:16,605
No one recognized the show's
true creative discovery
959
00:48:16,704 --> 00:48:20,309
until decades later... That
each rendition of Batman
960
00:48:20,408 --> 00:48:22,979
could have a different tone.
961
00:48:23,078 --> 00:48:24,347
- If you look at Batman,
962
00:48:24,445 --> 00:48:26,115
the Batman that
was created in 1966
963
00:48:26,214 --> 00:48:29,318
is not the same Batman
that exists today.
964
00:48:29,417 --> 00:48:32,956
There were always moments
where the creatives
965
00:48:33,055 --> 00:48:35,558
wanted to do
something different.
966
00:48:47,535 --> 00:48:50,239
- Yeah. Look at
that. That is great.
967
00:48:50,338 --> 00:48:52,375
I wanted to do a story where
968
00:48:52,473 --> 00:48:54,510
the character Batman had an arc.
969
00:48:54,609 --> 00:48:56,545
I wanted to do an
imperfect Batman.
970
00:48:59,414 --> 00:49:03,319
And I wanted to
set him into a mode
971
00:49:03,418 --> 00:49:05,188
that hadn't been quite done,
972
00:49:05,287 --> 00:49:07,690
which was to lean hard
into the noir side
973
00:49:07,788 --> 00:49:10,493
of the story and make him the
world's greatest detective.
974
00:49:12,826 --> 00:49:14,830
The first days of
shooting, they were really
975
00:49:14,929 --> 00:49:18,101
about figuring out
how Batman sounded,
976
00:49:18,200 --> 00:49:20,403
how the other characters
related to him.
977
00:49:22,971 --> 00:49:25,208
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
978
00:49:25,306 --> 00:49:27,010
Police section.
979
00:49:27,109 --> 00:49:30,613
- How does a masked
man with a cape
980
00:49:30,713 --> 00:49:32,081
walk into a crime scene,
981
00:49:32,180 --> 00:49:35,318
and how do you make
that feel real?
982
00:49:35,416 --> 00:49:38,021
And shooting this scene was
really, really challenging
983
00:49:38,118 --> 00:49:42,891
and, ultimately, sort of set
the tone of the whole movie.
984
00:49:46,695 --> 00:49:47,992
- Don't make me hurt you.
985
00:49:48,096 --> 00:49:50,266
You better watch it.
986
00:49:50,365 --> 00:49:52,601
You know my reputation.
987
00:49:54,202 --> 00:49:55,738
- There's certain things you get
988
00:49:55,838 --> 00:49:57,540
to do on a Batman movie.
989
00:49:57,639 --> 00:49:59,283
You kind of have to pinch
yourself 'cause you're, like,
990
00:49:59,307 --> 00:50:00,985
going, "Oh, well, we're
gonna need our version
991
00:50:01,009 --> 00:50:02,445
of the Batmobile."
992
00:50:03,978 --> 00:50:07,750
As a kid, I loved "Batman"
'66. I loved Adam West.
993
00:50:07,849 --> 00:50:10,586
And that Futura Batmobile,
that concept car,
994
00:50:10,685 --> 00:50:12,488
I thought that was
the coolest car ever
995
00:50:12,587 --> 00:50:14,657
with the fire that
came out of the back.
996
00:50:14,755 --> 00:50:19,328
And I knew what I wanted
to do was a muscle car.
997
00:50:19,427 --> 00:50:21,764
I wanted you to feel
it was totally real.
998
00:50:26,767 --> 00:50:29,772
- The strength of this
film is that it delivers
999
00:50:29,871 --> 00:50:31,507
in all of these big moments,
1000
00:50:31,606 --> 00:50:33,910
but it really all
feels grounded.
1001
00:50:34,008 --> 00:50:36,779
He's really dedicated
to it feeling real
1002
00:50:36,878 --> 00:50:39,615
and being motivated by emotion.
1003
00:50:41,416 --> 00:50:43,519
- The story is a very
psychological one.
1004
00:50:43,618 --> 00:50:45,088
He's basically
coping with things
1005
00:50:45,186 --> 00:50:46,789
that happened to him as a child.
1006
00:50:46,888 --> 00:50:50,326
And he's driven to try and
make sense of his life.
1007
00:50:50,424 --> 00:50:52,202
And for me, that's what
moviemaking is, right?
1008
00:50:52,226 --> 00:50:54,797
You go and you try to tell
stories because, in doing so,
1009
00:50:54,895 --> 00:50:59,168
you're kind of making order
and sense of the world.
1010
00:51:12,113 --> 00:51:15,484
narrator: The America of
1968 fell into turmoil.
1011
00:51:15,583 --> 00:51:18,254
In a society plagued
by the Vietnam War,
1012
00:51:18,347 --> 00:51:21,925
civil rights unrest
and social injustice,
1013
00:51:22,022 --> 00:51:23,826
the DC characters
seemed tone-deaf.
1014
00:51:23,925 --> 00:51:26,395
They faced their
own real danger:
1015
00:51:26,494 --> 00:51:28,064
becoming a relic.
1016
00:51:29,930 --> 00:51:32,468
- The money is being
made from licensing,
1017
00:51:32,567 --> 00:51:35,338
the money is being
made off toys.
1018
00:51:35,436 --> 00:51:36,739
The money is not in the comics.
1019
00:51:36,838 --> 00:51:40,643
It's a loss leader
for the merchandising.
1020
00:51:40,741 --> 00:51:44,147
Narrator: DC cashed
in $75 million worth
1021
00:51:44,246 --> 00:51:45,714
of Batmania merchandising,
1022
00:51:45,813 --> 00:51:47,550
a whopping amount for the time,
1023
00:51:47,649 --> 00:51:50,114
and a number that
business savvy president
1024
00:51:50,218 --> 00:51:52,321
Jack Liebowitz seized upon.
1025
00:51:53,921 --> 00:51:56,960
In 1969, a corporate
takeover targeted DC
1026
00:51:57,057 --> 00:52:01,197
for its licensing
potential, not its comics.
1027
00:52:02,664 --> 00:52:06,269
- It was a whole other
ballgame that was coming,
1028
00:52:06,367 --> 00:52:08,304
and people were afraid,
they really were.
1029
00:52:08,402 --> 00:52:10,134
They didn't know what
their jobs were going
1030
00:52:10,238 --> 00:52:13,910
to be as a result of that.
1031
00:52:14,008 --> 00:52:16,779
Narrator: Liebowitz forced
out a number of DC legends,
1032
00:52:16,878 --> 00:52:19,448
including Batman
co-creator Bill Finger,
1033
00:52:19,547 --> 00:52:23,147
who died destitute in 1974.
1034
00:52:23,251 --> 00:52:24,653
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
1035
00:52:24,752 --> 00:52:27,590
no longer worked at the company.
1036
00:52:27,689 --> 00:52:30,326
Several acrimonious lawsuits
over rights and credit
1037
00:52:30,425 --> 00:52:32,895
for Superman soured
the relationship.
1038
00:52:32,993 --> 00:52:35,364
The family atmosphere
surrendered
1039
00:52:35,463 --> 00:52:36,933
to corporate structure.
1040
00:52:37,031 --> 00:52:39,602
The power once held
by the superheroes
1041
00:52:39,700 --> 00:52:42,305
shifted to the new
executives in charge,
1042
00:52:42,403 --> 00:52:44,840
Warner Communications.
1043
00:52:44,939 --> 00:52:50,279
- The reason they bought
DC Comics was very simple:
1044
00:52:50,378 --> 00:52:52,581
they wanted the
rights to Superman.
1045
00:52:52,680 --> 00:52:55,952
They felt that was the
only comic book character
1046
00:52:56,051 --> 00:52:59,522
capable of sustaining
a blockbuster movie
1047
00:52:59,620 --> 00:53:03,259
and the merchandising that
would go along with it.
1048
00:53:03,358 --> 00:53:06,829
Only if you look at it
through the lens of the times
1049
00:53:06,928 --> 00:53:08,932
can anything
possibly make sense.
1050
00:53:09,029 --> 00:53:12,135
Nobody understood the
value of these characters
1051
00:53:12,233 --> 00:53:14,570
or thought they had any worth.
1052
00:53:14,669 --> 00:53:16,672
They looked down their
nose at the creators,
1053
00:53:16,771 --> 00:53:22,245
generally speaking, and
saw no value, saw no value.
1054
00:53:23,539 --> 00:53:26,115
Narrator: The days of
DC Comics were numbered,
1055
00:53:26,213 --> 00:53:29,852
and the fate of its universe
hung in the balance.
1056
00:53:29,950 --> 00:53:32,688
If America could land
a man on the moon,
1057
00:53:32,787 --> 00:53:37,693
how hard could it be to make
superheroes relevant again?
1058
00:53:37,792 --> 00:53:39,963
This looked like a job for...
1059
00:53:42,264 --> 00:53:43,566
Fans.82741
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