Biographic - Sunday May 15, 2011 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

For seven decades, two sets of superheroes have been battling to capture the public's imagination-and disposable income! The Marvel Comics universe may have given birth to the likes of Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and Thor, but rival publishing group DC Comics gave the world Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and a cast of characters that has soared from the printed page to conquer movies, TV, gaming and beyond! The DC Comics empire was built on two characters who first saw the light of day in the late 1930s. Superman was introduced in a 1938 edition of Action Comics, and was an immediate sensation. (In 2010, a copy that first issue sold for $1 million) A newspaper comic strip, a radio show and a series of animated shorts soon followed, as well as a merchandising bonanza that put "The Man Of Steel" on everything from jigsaw to bubble gum. His popularity was only challenged by that of Batman, who debuted in 1939 edition of Detective Comics. The 1950s brought the long-running "Superman" tv series starring George Reeves, and the 1960s "Batman" tv series sparked worldwide bat-mania! By then, the DC Universe was home to a legion of superheroes, including the female warrior Wonder Woman, played in a popular mid-70s tv series by Lynda Carter. The first big-budget superhero movie was the 1978 blockbuster "Superman" starring Christopher Reeve, who went on to play the role in three successful sequels. 1989's "Batman" was the start of a "Dark Knight" movie frachise that has gone so far generated more than $2.5 billion at the box office. Over the years, Superman and Batman have spawned dozens of TV shows, both animated and live action- including starring vehicles for support characters ranging from Batgirl to Krypto The Super Dog! Other DC characters to grace the small screen have included Aquaman, Swamp Thing, Teen Titans, The Justice League, and The Flash. From the DC of imprints came such movies as "The Road To Perdition" and "V For Vendetta." Now, hot on the heels of recent big-budget DC comics movies "Watchmen" and "Jonah Hex" the latest DC character to hit movie theatres is "Green Lantern" portrayed by Ryan Reynolds." At the heart of movies, TV, games and licensing phenomenon are still the books that have captivated readers for more than 70 years. To this day, Dc and great rival Marvel together share over 80% of the U.S. comic book market.

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