QUARANTINE BLOG # 417

May 21, 2021

With all of the things QB has featured over the last 417 days – maybe normal is around the corner – it is interesting to note that the Visitor from Krypton has never appeared.  But interestingly, another caped super hero was featured in QB 329.

“Faster than a speeding bullet!  More powerful than a locomotive!  Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!”

“Look! Up in the sky!”

“It’s a bird!”

“It’s a plane!”

“It’s Superman!”

“Yes, it’s Superman – strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.  Superman – who, disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way.”

If you missed it yesterday, or even if you didn’t, here again is that familiar introduction to Superman.

It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in the comic book Action Comics #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and published April 18, 1938).

Jack Liebowitz, who already had a publication known as Detective Comics, was preparing to produce a comic  anthology magazine called Action Comics.  Siegel and Shuster had just had a deal with McClure Newspaper Syndicate for Superman collapse.  They forwarded their Superman strips to Liebowitz who was impressed by the strips, and asked Siegel and Shuster to develop the strips into 13 pages for Action Comics.  Having grown tired of rejections, Siegel and Shuster accepted the offer; at least now they would see Superman published.   Siegel and Shuster submitted their work in late February and were paid $130 (equivalent to $2450.00 today) for their work ($10 per page).  In early March 1938 they signed a contract, at Liebowitz’s request, in which they gave away the copyright for Superman to Detective Comics.  

Superman became far more popular and valuable than they anticipated and they much regretted giving him away.  Detective Comics retained Siegel and Shuster, and they were paid well because they were popular with the readers.  Between 1938 and 1947, DC Comics paid them together over $400,000 (equivalent to $6,140,000 today).

A little over one month ago, an issue of Action Comics #1 went for $3.25 million in a private sale.  It narrowly bested the previous record for the comic, set in the auction of another copy in 2014 for $3.21 million.  83 years since the debut of Superman, out of the 200,000 copies originally printed, there are now about 100 copies of Action Comics #1 that exist today according to the authorities in comic book collecting.  

And for those readers with a connection to 117 Shenandoah Avenue in Loch Lynn, Maryland, there is a personal note.  Martin’s Store, located across the railroad tracks in Mountain Lake Park, received a supply of Action Comics #1, but did not sell them all.  Skinny Pappy, who worked there at the time, said he stripped the top 3 inches – which displayed the title – and sent those back to the publisher for credit.  He took “10 or 12” of them out to the garbage barrel and burned the remainder of the books.  Who knew?

More of Superman tomorrow.

👉  It’s one of the most quoted lines from the Star Wars saga: “Luke, I am your father!”  There is just one thing wrong – Darth Vader, played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones – never said it.  This is not the quote you are looking for.  One of the most famous pop culture quotes of all time must be the result of a Jedi mind trick.  In The Empire Strikes Back Darth, Vader hacks off Luke Skywalker’s hand, then drops a Force bomb: “I am your father.”  He doesn’t say “Luke” beforehand, though.  Before-HAND!  I wish I had been the originator of that pun, but here is the Luke-less scene.

👉  You gotta love it:

👉  And with school in these parts about finished for the year:

👉  Today’s close is by Bob Christopher.

“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit”(John 19:30).

A victory cry pierced the darkest moment in human history. What the powers and authorities of the day thought would defeat the movement of Christ Jesus was instead the beginning of the New Covenant and new life to all who would believe.

Just three words uttered from a Roman cross – It is finished! Three words that changed everything. Sin, your sin, my sin, had been dealt with once and for all – sent away for ever.

The powers and authorities that once controlled you had been disarmed and totally defeated by Jesus. The curtain guarding the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom opening the way into God’s presence for everyone who believes.

Here is what “it is finished” means to you today. You stand as a forgiven person, free from the control of sin and death. You are fully alive and living in the love of God. And it’s all yours because of Christ’s victory at the cross.

Today, let ‘it is finished’ be your victory cry.

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