Byrne Robotics: Superman Changing in a Phone Booth

The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum

Topic: Superman Changing in a Phone Booth (

Topic Closed)

Author

Message

Roy Johnson
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 19 May 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 1323

Posted: 22 September 2014 at 5:05am \| IP Logged \| 1

While looking for something else, I stumbled upon this page

LINK

describing the 'history' of Superman changing in a phone booth.

Would that cartoon have had that much influence on public perceptions of the character?

profile | search

Brian O'Neill
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 13 November 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 1964

Posted: 22 September 2014 at 9:48am \| IP Logged \| 2

Yes, the Fleischer brothers cartoons of the 30s and 40s, featuring Popeye and Betty Boop, as well as Superman, were all very popular, and influenced the public perception of all those characters for years to come(obviously Betty had the shortest amount of time in animated cartoons, but all later animated versions of both Superman and Popeye were judged against the Fleischer versions).

The 'open phone booth scene' in SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE may have been influenced by a gag in the 1976 SUPERMAN VS. SPIDER-MAN tabloid, when both Peter Parker and Clark Kent, separately looking for someplace to change clothes, comment can how hard it is to find a 'real' phone booth, with all those 'open' models.

I think the first time I saw a 'Superman phone booth' reference, it was on the cover of CRAZY magazine, with Clark's suit on the floor, and Irving Forbush yakking away on the phone, keeping an anxious-looking Superman from getting back inside.

Jack Davis had done gags similar to this in MAD (and one for SUPERMAN #400 in 1984), involving generic 'little old ladies' who were oblivious to Clark/Superman outside the booth.

Edited by Brian O'Neill on 22 September 2014 at 9:54am

profile | search

Roy Johnson
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 19 May 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 1323

Posted: 22 September 2014 at 10:01am \| IP Logged \| 3

I would guess any parodies that latched onto the idea helped form the impression as well.

profile | search

Brian Hague
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8515

Posted: 22 September 2014 at 10:43pm \| IP Logged \| 4

Off-topic perhaps, but the Crazy Magazine character was not Irving Forbush, but rather The Nebbish. Ol' Honest Irv was seen in the original Crazy comic and Not Brand Ecch as "Forbush-Man." As far as I know, we've never seen what he looks like without his helmet.

profile | search e-mail

Eric Smearman
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 5804

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 2:37am \| IP Logged \| 5

I think I had that one! Can't make out the signature. Who did that?

profile | search e-mail

Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4549

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 3:17am \| IP Logged \| 6

Bob Larkin.

profile | search

Petter Myhr Ness
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 July 2009
Location: Norway
Posts: 3840

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 5:43am \| IP Logged \| 7

profile | search

Brian O'Neill
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 13 November 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 1964

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 9:18am \| IP Logged \| 8

Thanks for he correction, Brian. That cover is the one I remember, although I don't recall there being any dialogue(did they reprint it for one of their 'Super Specials'?)

I could have sworn I once saw a reference to 'Irving Nebbish' in a letter column(after he'd been replaced by Obnoxio the Clown), so I guess I assumed it was a typo for Irving Forbush.

profile | search

Jason Czeskleba
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 30 April 2004
Posts: 4549

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 11:33am \| IP Logged \| 9

Actually, it was Snafu Magazine (Marvel's 1955 Mad Magazine imitation) where Irving Forbush first appeared. I've never read an issue, but a search found a few images of him:

profile | search

Brian Hague
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8515

Posted: 23 September 2014 at 4:48pm \| IP Logged \| 10

Another secret identity blown in this, the Mighty Marvel Era of Masklessness! You realize, Jason, that all of Forbush-Man's enemies are going to see this, right? :-)

It is cool to finally peer under the pot, however. Irving Nebbish was another name for the Crazy mascot who appeared alongside Forbush-Man on this cover and may have been based on the character Harvey Kurtzman drew for the cover of Mad Magazine #4.

Edited by Brian Hague on 23 September 2014 at 4:53pm

profile | search e-mail

Sorry, you can NOT post a reply.
This topic is closed.

Printable version

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum