posted May 09, 2003 04:36 PM               

So there must be a way to cash in on this show's popularity, and give us Weisinger fans what we crave, right? My first inclination would be a "Superboy - the Smallville Archives", starting in 1958. But with the number of volumes involved, the archive series will outlive the TV series in all likelihood, and it's doubtful the casual fan would have that kind of commitment.

So how about a trade paperback, focusing on the characters, settings, and situations that apparently inspired the TV show, and calling it something like "Superboy - Tales from Smallville"?

My knowledge of the show is limited - I know Clark, Lana, Lex, Pete Ross and Red Kryptonite have been introduced, so here's what I threw together for the contents:

Superboy #10 (Sep/Oct 1950) “The Girl In Superboy’s Life” (12 pages) by John Sikela [First appearance of Lana Lang]

Superboy #22 (Oct/Nov 1952) “The New Clark Kent” (10 pages) by John Sikela [Clark's first attempt at a “he-man” image to impress Lana]

Adventure #255 (Dec. 1958) “The Splitting of Superboy” (13 pages) by Otto Binder & George Papp [Red K splits Superboy into his 2 separate identities - first display of its bizarre effects]

Adventure #261 (Jun. 1959) “Superboy Meets Lois Lane” (13 pages) by Otto Binder & George Papp [Teenager Lois Lane goes to Camp Hiawatha and meets Clark and Lana for the first time]

Superboy #80 (Apr. 1960) “The Shyest Boy In Town” (9 pages) by John Sikela [Smallville High’s psychologist attempts to bring Clark out of his shell]

Adventure #271 (Apr. 1960) “How Luthor Met Superboy” (13 pages) by Jerry Siegel & Al Plastino [Pivotal story of how Luthor met Superboy, providing for the 1st time his motive for hating him]

Adventure #275 (Aug. 1960) “Origin of the Superman-Batman Team” (13 pages) by Jerry Coleman & George Papp [Superboy meets young Bruce Wayne, who teams up with him as "the Flying Fox"]

Superboy #86 (Jan. 1961) “The Boy Who Betrayed Clark Kent” (8 pages) by Leo Dorfman & George Papp [1st appearance of Pete Ross]

Adventure #284 (May 1961) “Clark Kent Goes To Reform School” (13 pages) by Curt Swan & George Klein [Amnesia induced by Red K causes Clark to fall in with the wrong crowd]

Superboy #90 (Jul. 1961) “Pete Ross’s Super-Secret” (9 pages) by Leo Dorfman & George Papp [Pete Ross discover's Superboy's secret identity, but keeps it to himself]

Superboy #96 (Apr. 1962) “The New Boy of Steel” (25 pages) by Jerry Coleman, George Papp (Part 1) & Al Plastino (Part 2) [Luthor’s ray inadverdently transfers Clark’s powers to Pete Ross]

Adventure #297 (Jun. 1962) “Lana Lang, Superboy’s Sister” (14 pages) by George Papp [Lana must move in with the Kents when her parents are presumed killed on an expedition]

Adventure #301 (Oct. 1962) ““Lex Luthor and Clark Kent: Cell-Mates” (13 pages) by Curt Swan & George Klein [Clark is framed by Lex]

Superboy #161 (Dec. 1969) “The Strange Death of Superboy” (23 pages) by Frank Robbins, Bob Brown & Wally Wood [Clark relinquishes his powers in an attempt to become "normal"]

I know I have a strong bias toward the 1958-62 era, which I consider to be the prime Weisinger Superboy territory, but I'm sure that there are other stories to consider from later on that escape me - so feel free to offer up any suggestions.

And anyone who's a fan of the series, chime in as well.

posted May 12, 2003 01:22 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Osgood Peabody:
The earlier Superboy episodes were set initially in Metropolis, then a nondescript small town outside of Metropolis.

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posted May 12, 2003 09:18 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by NecessaryImpurity:
Explain that, Roy Thomas!

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That's easy - you see there is the urban City of Metropolis and the much larger rural Township of Metropolis....

I'm wondering how Metropolis in the the JL cartoon is a ocean port when I thought it was in the mid-west....