Source: Mad Comics #4 (1954)
Type: Pastiche
Long before Superman II, Wally Wood and Mad Comics did it first - have Superman tell Lois his secret identity, that is! Guess what, she still thinks he's a creep.
While the early days of Mad are generally well regarded - in a way that reminds me of how SNL apparently lost its edge after the Belushi years - I'm not sure this story is as subversive as it wants us to believe. Superduperman exaggerates the actual Superman's tropes (Clark Bent is more pathetic, Lois hotter and more aloof, etc.), but the all-mighty dollar is represented by Captain Marbles who is determined to cash in. That the pathetic and creepy Superduperman beats the Big Red Cheese analog makes me wonder on which side Mad is on.
On the one hand, it's the leftist message Business and Money are Bad. On the other, the lefty champion is an ineffectual pervert who only wins because Marbles punches himself out. The message then, if there is one beyond just taking the piss out of superhero comics, seems to be that Big Business will eat itself, while liberal values are ineffectual grand-standing against it. Yeah, I suppose that could work. As a corollary, the chicks only like real (conservative) men. There's so little in the way of subtle satire in media these days, I guess I've lost the ear for it.
Am I making sense or am I Mad?
Type: Pastiche
Long before Superman II, Wally Wood and Mad Comics did it first - have Superman tell Lois his secret identity, that is! Guess what, she still thinks he's a creep.While the early days of Mad are generally well regarded - in a way that reminds me of how SNL apparently lost its edge after the Belushi years - I'm not sure this story is as subversive as it wants us to believe. Superduperman exaggerates the actual Superman's tropes (Clark Bent is more pathetic, Lois hotter and more aloof, etc.), but the all-mighty dollar is represented by Captain Marbles who is determined to cash in. That the pathetic and creepy Superduperman beats the Big Red Cheese analog makes me wonder on which side Mad is on.
On the one hand, it's the leftist message Business and Money are Bad. On the other, the lefty champion is an ineffectual pervert who only wins because Marbles punches himself out. The message then, if there is one beyond just taking the piss out of superhero comics, seems to be that Big Business will eat itself, while liberal values are ineffectual grand-standing against it. Yeah, I suppose that could work. As a corollary, the chicks only like real (conservative) men. There's so little in the way of subtle satire in media these days, I guess I've lost the ear for it.Am I making sense or am I Mad?
Comments
I was wondering, do you know if Roddenberry wrote anything else for print?
Also, I replyed at:
http://operationox.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-have-you-read-by-gene-roddenberry.html