Getting Older
Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been busy with many things, including moving into a new place. But first, I must gush over the excitement of the Amazon delivery that came the other day!
I went a little nuts because of the Black Friday sales and bought 4 seasons of Smallville and 2 seasons of Lois and Clark (for $15 each). They arrived, and I was pretty pumped. I've only been reading Superman comics for a couple years, and now that I know more about the many interpretations of his story, it's interesting to go back and watch this stuff.
I always thought Superman was too big of a character, but maybe his various interpretations make him more approachable. While lesser heroes have gotten their butts embargoed and had cartoon after cartoon end in cliffhanger, Superman has a LOT of continuous Man of Steel and some overlap. Just look at this list since Lois and Clark first began:
1993 - Lois and Clark
1994 - Lois and Clark
1995 - Lois and Clark
1996 - Lois and Clark, Superman the Animated Series
1997 - Lois and Clark, Superman the Animated Series
1998 - Superman the Animated Series
1999 - Superman the Animated Series
2000 - Superman the Animated Series
2001 - Smallville, Justice League
2002 - Smallville, Justice League
2003 - Smallville, Justice League
2004 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited
2005 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited, Krypto The Superdog
2006 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited, Krypto The Superdog, Superman: Brainiac Attacks, Superman Returns, Legion of Super Heroes
2007 - Smallville, Legion of Super Heroes
2008 (presumably) - Smallville, Legion of Super Heroes
And each Superman series tackled the mythos differently (to varying degrees of success). It's fun to compare. I ordered the Ultimate Superman Collection from DeepDiscount, but it hasn't arrived yet (so, sadly, I won't be able to see it until around Christmas time).
I watched the first couple episodes of Lois and Clark, and it was actually better than I remembered (I always liked the show, but I remember not liking Sexy!Clark, Shea!Luthor, or the lame effects...but those don't bother me as much now).
What really surprised me was they state that Lois Lane is 26 and Clark was a baby in 1966, which would make him about 27. Were the characters really that young? Oh man, Teri Hatcher was 29 and Dean Cain was 27.
That feels young. I remember thinking Brandon Routh was young. Born in 1979 (only 3 years older than me), he was 27. Younger than Tom "1977" Welling, who was 24 when Smallville started. Is EVERY actor who played Superman in their mid-to-late 20's?! Holy crap! Christopher Reeve was born in 1952, making him 26 for the first Superman movie! Whoa...
Either that's young or I'm getting old. I never thought I'd be the same age as Superman (or at least the guys that play him). It's...a crushing realization. Should I be viewing myself as an adult now? I may not be a farmboy, but I am moving to the big city. Is this something I'm ready for? Is being ready a matter of age or experience? Am I going to be okay with this or will I miss the security of living at home?
Needless to say, a lot's been on my mind. At least I can take comfort in the fact that George Reeves was 37 when he played Superman. I can still consider him older than my age group.
I went a little nuts because of the Black Friday sales and bought 4 seasons of Smallville and 2 seasons of Lois and Clark (for $15 each). They arrived, and I was pretty pumped. I've only been reading Superman comics for a couple years, and now that I know more about the many interpretations of his story, it's interesting to go back and watch this stuff.
I always thought Superman was too big of a character, but maybe his various interpretations make him more approachable. While lesser heroes have gotten their butts embargoed and had cartoon after cartoon end in cliffhanger, Superman has a LOT of continuous Man of Steel and some overlap. Just look at this list since Lois and Clark first began:
1993 - Lois and Clark
1994 - Lois and Clark
1995 - Lois and Clark
1996 - Lois and Clark, Superman the Animated Series
1997 - Lois and Clark, Superman the Animated Series
1998 - Superman the Animated Series
1999 - Superman the Animated Series
2000 - Superman the Animated Series
2001 - Smallville, Justice League
2002 - Smallville, Justice League
2003 - Smallville, Justice League
2004 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited
2005 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited, Krypto The Superdog
2006 - Smallville, Justice League Unlimited, Krypto The Superdog, Superman: Brainiac Attacks, Superman Returns, Legion of Super Heroes
2007 - Smallville, Legion of Super Heroes
2008 (presumably) - Smallville, Legion of Super Heroes
And each Superman series tackled the mythos differently (to varying degrees of success). It's fun to compare. I ordered the Ultimate Superman Collection from DeepDiscount, but it hasn't arrived yet (so, sadly, I won't be able to see it until around Christmas time).
I watched the first couple episodes of Lois and Clark, and it was actually better than I remembered (I always liked the show, but I remember not liking Sexy!Clark, Shea!Luthor, or the lame effects...but those don't bother me as much now).
What really surprised me was they state that Lois Lane is 26 and Clark was a baby in 1966, which would make him about 27. Were the characters really that young? Oh man, Teri Hatcher was 29 and Dean Cain was 27.
That feels young. I remember thinking Brandon Routh was young. Born in 1979 (only 3 years older than me), he was 27. Younger than Tom "1977" Welling, who was 24 when Smallville started. Is EVERY actor who played Superman in their mid-to-late 20's?! Holy crap! Christopher Reeve was born in 1952, making him 26 for the first Superman movie! Whoa...
Either that's young or I'm getting old. I never thought I'd be the same age as Superman (or at least the guys that play him). It's...a crushing realization. Should I be viewing myself as an adult now? I may not be a farmboy, but I am moving to the big city. Is this something I'm ready for? Is being ready a matter of age or experience? Am I going to be okay with this or will I miss the security of living at home?
Needless to say, a lot's been on my mind. At least I can take comfort in the fact that George Reeves was 37 when he played Superman. I can still consider him older than my age group.