Category Archives: Clark Kent

A Daily Planet contest saves the world

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Bob Stepno

Less than a year after the United States dropped the first atomic bombs on Japan, young listeners to “The Adventures of Superman” radio serial heard of another dictatorship’s threat to destroy American cities with 100 planes loaded with atom bombs. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, detectives, Lois Lane, newspaper crusades, newspaper readers, newspapers, Perry White, reporters, reporting, Superman | Leave a comment

The Case of Exploding Dolls

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Bob Stepno

The opening episode of this six-part Superman story from 1940 shows reporters Kent and Lane on assignment, tracking down a fatal industrial explosion at an unlikely place — a doll factory. Hans Honin’s Doll Factory, episode one Hans Honin’s Doll … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Perry White, reporters, reporting, Superman, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Clark Kent finds swell story via turtle

Posted on March 26, 2016 by Bob Stepno

In 1940, Superman didn’t need a world-threatening super villain or a city-destroying duel with another “hero” to be an entertaining role model. In this early “Adventures of Superman” radio tale, Clark Kent’s reportorial curiosity gets the better of him — … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Superman | Leave a comment

Hate mongers vs. refugees and minorities

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Bob Stepno

In the wake of World War II, radio’s fictional journalists were defenders of immigrants and religious and ethnic minorities. A Big Town Christmas episode about a Polish refugee newspaper editor, and Superman and The Daily Planet’s fight against “The Klan … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Brotherhood, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Superman, World War II | Leave a comment

Calling Clark Kent — not Superman — to the rescue

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Bob Stepno

News stories about September 2015 death of Jack Larson — “Jimmy Olsen” on the 1950s Superman television series — often mentioned the actor’s dislike for story-lines that repeatedly had “Jimmy” dripping wet, threatened by rising tides or torture-rooms filling with water. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, adaptations, adventure, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, reporters, reporting, Superman, television | 1 Comment

What a reporter can do…

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Bob Stepno

Clark Kent may have been Superman, but most of his early radio adventures opened with him hard at work as a newspaperman — in this case driving dangerously rain-soaked mountain roads in fog and hail to interview a scientist, on … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, ethics, Lois Lane, Superman | Leave a comment

Clark Kent’s Nuclear Meltdown

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Bob Stepno

There isn’t a lot of journalism in the epic 39-part Atom Man vs. Superman radio story, but it did provide a glimpse of employee relations at the Daily Planet — when Clark Kent was twice suspected of having a mental … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Clark Kent, editors, Lois Lane, Perry White, reporting, Superman, World War II | Leave a comment

A Christmas story – Superman versus the Nielsen racket

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Bob Stepno

December 1946 — The bad guy in this Superman story isn’t threatening the world, but he could cost Clark Kent his job, and right before Christmas too! Yes, as the headline above suggests, the villain is a racketeer named Nielsen, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, comics, editors, Jimmy Olsen, journalism, newspaper crusades, newspapers, Perry White, reporting, Superman, World War II | Leave a comment

Jimmy Olsen, ‘absolutely fearless’ newspaperman

Posted on June 15, 2013 by Bob Stepno

From its first scene, the 1949 Superman adventure  The Mystery of the Flying Monster demonstrates how radio reminded its audience of the culture of 20th century American newspapers. The story doesn’t start with the clack of typewriters, the clatter of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, newspapers, Perry White, Superman | Leave a comment

Superman reboots… and Lois suffers?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Bob Stepno

With the new “Man of Steel” movie opening today, I have to point out that the keepers of the Superman flame have seen fit to “reboot” the storyline many times in its history, and the role of journalism in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, adventure, Clark Kent, editors, Lois Lane, Perry White, Superman | Leave a comment