New Mankiewicz Interview (I think!)

[Melv]

Anyone seen this?

www.empireonline.com/interviews/interview.asp?IID=1109

[Jimbo]

Do you believe that the true identity of the character is Superman or Clark Kent?

See that’s something that Chris, Dick and I would talk about a lot. Obviously, the real person is Superman because that’s the person that arrived on Earth. The little baby that held up the car is Superman. But that little baby who grew up, went to school, who met Lana Lang, who moved to Metropolis and became a reporter, that’s Clark Kent. We never wanted to get into one of those anxiety-ridden, “I have a split personality” situations. We wanted it to make it more fun. He exists in the everyday world as Clark Kent. But who knows what happens when he goes into the bathroom? Does Superman shit? I don’t know. He does eat that meal, but he’s not human. There are questions along these lines that it’s best to stay away from.

;D

[Knight]

Hmmm,that was a good link. I enjoyed reading that,they got asked back to fix III? Interesting.

I have seen Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby and it IS Clark Kent. Excellent film too.

[Rod]

Very nice interview.
R.I.P


"If Superman has a political view, Superman can make that political view a reality, by himself, and that’s why you shouldn’t touch it."

It seems correct to me.
I wonder if Nolan-Snyder would change this...

[Kamdan]

I've always been conflicted about the whole "S on his chest" discussion. It's a little too convenient that his family crest resembles an "S." Maybe if it was inspired by the crest (the real thing looking like Alex Ross' Superman in Kingdom Come), I'd follow it better.

[ye5man]

Very enjoyable read, thanks for the link

[dmwc]

I've always been conflicted about the whole "S on his chest" discussion. It's a little too convenient that his family crest resembles an "S."

In the "Superman Returns" novelization, Marv Wolfman attempted to explain why the family crest looked like an "S". At least in the novel, it's supposed to represent a serpent. This is from the return to Krypton sequence in the novel:

"He hovered for a long time before the third tower. Sor-El's tower. The tower built by the first of his own family. This belonged to him. This was his heritage.

He stared for longer than he probably realized at its diamond crest with the winding serpent that looked so very much like the 'S' insignia on his own chest.

His mother, his earth mother, had seen that symbol engraved in the crystals in his ship, and somehow, instinctively, she understood its importance. Using the brightly colored threads of his baby blanket, she ever so carefully embroidered its likeness into the Superman outfit she designed for him."

I think there's more about the symbol, but I can't remember where it is and it's been 4 years since I read the book. But I think that's a pretty good explanation for the 'S' shield's appearance. Since he was not given the name "Superman" until after he had already appeared wearing the "S", it makes sense that maybe Lois had the symbol in mind when she thought up the name. It looked like an "S" to her and everyone else, but on Krypton it's just a snake inside a diamond shape.

[Valentine Smith]

Great read! Thanks!