Should they make Superman half Canadian?

[DochaDocha]

As for "if it aint broke, don't fix it" if that was the case wouldn't the Kent's still be dead?

You know there are a lot of fans on this site who prefer the deceased Kents?

That said, there's a tangible difference in storytelling between having the Kents alive vs. dead. I consider making one of the Kents Canadian to be at worst low risk, but at best only low reward, and such a payoff just doesn't seem worthwhile.

[Jon Clark]

I'm in the "no need to jump through hoops for a footnote" camp. If the idea was to make Superman actively Canadian, then it is at least worth debating. But if it is just making his origin mention Canada just have it play no role in any other story, why bother?

They need to develop pa and ma anyways. Flesh out pa's background and past. They do this kind of thing with alfred who was an intelligence agent. I am so done with ma and pa being used just for handing down Clark's morality on a silver platter and nothing else. Have pa be some kinda travelling photographer or sleuth, back in his day.I also think the motorcyclist origin for pa and clark meeting was way better. Have Jonathan and martha be actually not married when Jonathan finds clark. Theh were sortof in relationship. Lo and behold! Jonathan is a father and martha a mother.

Jonathan Kent was a farmer. Martha is a farmer's wife. That is their background and past. Jonathan inheritted the farm from his parents and has worked it either form them or himself since childhood. Martha Clark was a Smallville girl who married Jonathan just after high-school and has been involved with the Kent farm since. That is their background. No travelling sleuth, photog, race-car driver, soldier ... needed. Not every character needs a complicated backstory.

There are more people in reality who just go through life without doing anything interesting than there are with complex backstories.

[Jim Kelly]

Since Glenn Ford played Jonathan Kent (Ford was born in Quebec and in fact he's the great nephew of our first Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald), I'd like Jonathan to be Canadian born, but this seems unlikely if the Kent family has held that farm for generations. Martha Clark seems more likely, given that she's been portrayed as someone who came from elsewhere and moved to Smallville when she married Jonathan.

It blows my mind that fans have a problem with this. Canadians do actually move to the United States and Americans move to Canada. Why shouldn't that be a fact in the comics? Why so little of Canada in the DC books? There are very few characters from there. Yet the comics are full of characters from Russia, China, India, Japan, Ireland, England, France, Australia. Canada is on the same continent--and many Canadians live within a few miles of the States, in some cases right across the street from the USA.

Joe Shuster was born in Toronto. He was a paper boy for the Daily Star. He was Jewish. His father, Julius, came from the Netherlands and his mother, Ida, came from the Ukraine. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was about ten years old. At Glenville High School, he met Jerome Siegel and the two started up a science fiction fanzine. While Julius moved to the United States, his brother remained in Toronto and the two sides of the family kept in touch, with Joe often going back to Toronto for visits. Joe's cousin was Frank Shuster--one half of the popular comedy duo, Wayne & Shuster, who had their own comedy specials on the CBC for decades. Wayne & Shuster influenced many of the Canadian comedians we know and Frank's daughter Rosie was a writer for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Joe Shuster said that he modelled Metropolis after Toronto.

Margot Kidder was born in Yellowknife, NWT. Jack Warner (one of the Warner Brothers) was born in London, Ontario. Win Mortimer was born in Hamilton, Ontario and was a Canadian soldier in WWII, before coming to the USA and working for DC. Alvin Schwartz was an American, but moved to Canada after he left his job at DC, and in Canada he got a job working for the National Film Board. Curt Swan was born in the USA, but his grandparents lived in Canada before moving to the States. Marty Pasko claims to have been born in Quebec. Erica Durance, Kristin Kreuk, Shawn and Aaron Ashmore are all Canadian. Tom Grummett, Canadian. Darwyn Cooke, Canadian. Ty Templeton, Canadian. John Byrne was born in England, moved to Canada when he was 8, became a comics artist-writer in Calgary and years later moved to the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1988.

The first three Christopher Reeve Superman movies were filmed in part in Canada. MAN OF STEEL was filmed partly in Canada. The SMALLVILLE and SUPERGIRL TV shows are both Canadian productions (filmed in Vancouver).

[Jackalope89]

Since Glenn Ford played Jonathan Kent (Ford was born in Quebec and in fact he's the great nephew of our first Prime Minister, John A. MacDonald), I'd like Jonathan to be Canadian born, but this seems unlikely if the Kent family has held that farm for generations. Martha Clark seems more likely, given that she's been portrayed as someone who came from elsewhere and moved to Smallville when she married Jonathan.

It blows my mind that fans have a problem with this. Canadians do actually move to the United States and Americans move to Canada. Why shouldn't that be a fact in the comics? Why so little of Canada in the DC books? There are very few characters from there. Yet the comics are full of characters from Russia, China, India, Japan, Ireland, England, France, Australia. Canada is on the same continent--and many Canadians live within a few miles of the States, in some cases right across the street from the USA.

Joe Shuster was born in Toronto. He was a paper boy for the Daily Star. He was Jewish. His father, Julius, came from the Netherlands and his mother, Ida, came from the Ukraine. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was about ten years old. At Glenville High School, he met Jerome Siegel and the two started up a science fiction fanzine. While Julius moved to the United States, his brother remained in Toronto and the two sides of the family kept in touch, with Joe often going back to Toronto for visits. Joe's cousin was Frank Shuster--one half of the popular comedy duo, Wayne & Shuster, who had their own comedy specials on the CBC for decades. Wayne & Shuster influenced many of the Canadian comedians we know and Frank's daughter Rosie was a writer for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Joe Shuster said that he modelled Metropolis after Toronto.

Margot Kidder was born in Yellowknife, NWT. Jack Warner (one of the Warner Brothers) was born in London, Ontario. Win Mortimer was born in Hamilton, Ontario and was a Canadian soldier in WWII, before coming to the USA and working for DC. Alvin Schwartz was an American, but moved to Canada after he left his job at DC, and in Canada he got a job working for the National Film Board. Curt Swan was born in the USA, but his grandparents lived in Canada before moving to the States. Marty Pasko claims to have been born in Quebec. Erica Durance, Kristin Kreuk, Shawn and Aaron Ashmore are all Canadian. Tom Grummett, Canadian. Darwyn Cooke, Canadian. Ty Templeton, Canadian. John Byrne was born in England, moved to Canada when he was 8, became a comics artist-writer in Calgary and years later moved to the United States, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1988.

The first three Christopher Reeve Superman movies were filmed in part in Canada. MAN OF STEEL was filmed partly in Canada. The SMALLVILLE and SUPERGIRL TV shows are both Canadian productions (filmed in Vancouver).

Its not so much a problem, for me at least, its more that it would be little more than a throwaway line that would probably get more traction in fanfics then in any actual DC content.

[llozymandias]

I'm in the "no need to jump through hoops for a footnote" camp. If the idea was to make Superman actively Canadian, then it is at least worth debating. But if it is just making his origin mention Canada just have it play no role in any other story, why bother?



Jonathan Kent was a farmer. Martha is a farmer's wife. That is their background and past. Jonathan inheritted the farm from his parents and has worked it either form them or himself since childhood. Martha Clark was a Smallville girl who married Jonathan just after high-school and has been involved with the Kent farm since. That is their background. No travelling sleuth, photog, race-car driver, soldier ... needed. Not every character needs a complicated backstory.

There are more people in reality who just go through life without doing anything interesting than there are with complex backstories.

Totally agree with your first point. Your second point, sorry I disagree. This reminds me of something that has happened in many families. Everyone in the family thought grandpa lived an uninteresting life. All he did was raise a family & work an average job. Then one day grandpa dies. The family goes through his papers, & other things. They start to think that they barely knew him at all.

[Jon Clark]

Totally agree with your first point. Your second point, sorry I disagree. This reminds me of something that has happened in many families. Everyone in the family thought grandpa lived an uninteresting life. All he did was raise a family & work an average job. Then one day grandpa dies. The family goes through his papers, & other things. They start to think that they barely knew him at all.

I think those stories about "grandpa" stand out not because they happen so often as because when they do happen they are unusual enough to catch people's attention. I'm just burned out on every supporting cast member needing to be extraordinary. Lois' dad can't be a plain military man (or even a farmer) but has to be a spymaster. Lana can't be the girl-next-door Clark used to date, but has to be a trouble-shooting engineer or part of the media. the Olsens were an old money Metropolis family. Now we need to make Jonathan more than just a guy who led an ordinary life as a farmer before the rocket arrives. And Martha needs to be an immigrant (who will be Canadian just for a quick meta-moment). Can we have Clark actually know people who aren't regular Janes and Joes ?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

If they wanted to say that either Martha or Jonathan came from Toronto or something it certainly wouldn't bother me in the slightest. In that way he'd have an adoptive connection. Or maybe the family lives there for a time or something, that wouldn't really bother me either. Yet at the same time the fact that the character is the global icon it is approaching the century mark is a huge continual shout out to both creators as it is.

I like the idea that Martha is Canadian. Head canon!

[manwhohaseverything]

Jonathan Kent was a farmer. Martha is a farmer's wife. That is their background and past. Jonathan inheritted the farm from his parents and has worked it either form them or himself since childhood. Martha Clark was a Smallville girl who married Jonathan just after high-school and has been involved with the Kent farm since. That is their background. No travelling sleuth, photog, race-car driver, soldier ... needed. Not every character needs a complicated backstory.

There are more people in reality who just go through life without doing anything interesting than there are with complex backstories.

That's great. Then what? Show Jonathan's farming techniques. How he brilliantly handles flooding and other stuff.if they do that, then ok. If they aren't willing to do that.if they cannot make farming exciting then,Jonathan being a farmer is a name tag. A name tag that doesn't bring in any excitement to the character. I am not being sarcastic, they make shows on cooking, sports.. Etc. Farming can be made exciting as well. Furthermore, the use of pa and ma was pure nonsense and deserves the end.It not only degraded ma and pa, but also superman. That's not acceptable.

How is it complicated? He was travelling motorcyclist who found a baby, orginally. Later on decided to adopt. A person who has lived that long and seen stuff, is bound to be wise. They are bound to have experiences as well. There is no reason for postcrisis pa kent to be wise.Nobody likes being stuck in same, place and doing the same thing entire life.it isn't "with age, comes wisdom". But, "with experience comes wisdom".

[Jon Clark]

That's great. Then what? Show Jonathan's farming techniques. How he brilliantly handles flooding and other stuff.if they do that, then ok. If they aren't willing to do that.if they cannot make farming exciting then,Jonathan being a farmer is a name tag. A name tag that doesn't bring in any excitement to the character. I am not being sarcastic, they make shows on cooking, sports.. Etc. Farming can be made exciting as well. Furthermore, the use of pa and ma was pure nonsense and deserves the end.It not only degraded ma and pa, but also superman. That's not acceptable.

How is it complicated? He was travelling motorcyclist who found a baby, orginally. Later on decided to adopt. A person who has lived that long and seen stuff, is bound to be wise. They are bound to have experiences as well. There is no reason for postcrisis pa kent to be wise.Nobody likes being stuck in same, place and doing the same thing entire life.it isn't "with age, comes wisdom". But, "with experience comes wisdom".

It's complicated because it adds a layer not needed for his role in most stories. He's there to be Superman's dad, not an exciting character in his own right. And some people do like doing the same thing in the same place their whole lives. They aren't the heroes of most stories, but neither of the Kents really should be the heroes of stories. Not every character connected to Superman needs to have untold stories to tell.

[manwhohaseverything]

It's complicated because it adds a layer not needed for his role in most stories. He's there to be Superman's dad, not an exciting character in his own right. And some people do like doing the same thing in the same place their whole lives. They aren't the heroes of most stories, but neither of the Kents really should be the heroes of stories. Not every character connected to Superman needs to have untold stories to tell.

I disagree, every character needs to be as exciting as they can be for superman's world to be exciting. For a character like superman his world needs to be a exciting as it can be, it's cruciual. They don't need to be heroes for that. The panel space just needs to be reprioritised. Instead of wasting panels on pa kent giving nonsensical sermons to clark and idiotic flashbacks .Just Flesh out the characters.For me, superman writers should be world builders. Every character should be well developed and fleshed out. So that people actually feel something. We were just talking about Superman sword in jon thread . There is so much unused lore and it's wasted currently.Why? Who knows?

[Matrik]

I think they should make him a red Indian with the ability transform into a wolf.

[Jim Kelly]

I don't know about in 2020, but it seems to me that the regular, non-powered, supporting cast of characters used to be the mainstay of Superman comics. Stories about the families of Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Cat Grant, Lex Luthor, Clark Kent. And there were times past stories, too. Is it really that hard to write such stories and make them interesting? As regular human beings, I think we like to read about other regular human beings. It provides a context for all the super-hero shenanigans.

[DochaDocha]

I disagree, every character needs to be as exciting as they can be for superman's world to be exciting. For a character like superman his world needs to be a exciting as it can be, it's cruciual. They don't need to be heroes for that. The panel space just needs to be reprioritised. Instead of wasting panels on pa kent giving nonsensical sermons to clark and idiotic flashbacks .Just Flesh out the characters.For me, superman writers should be world builders. Every character should be well developed and fleshed out. So that people actually feel something. We were just talking about Superman sword in jon thread . There is so much unused lore and it's wasted currently.Why? Who knows?

What if the point of Jonathan or Martha (or Mary) that the writer was trying to make was that they're each about as ordinary of a character as possible, so that when Superman goes out to explore the world he doesn't have anyone's personal account to go off?

EDIT: Of course, they didn't live ordinary lives as parents. Nobody else in the world raised a Kryptonian baby.

[manwhohaseverything]

What if the point of Jonathan or Martha (or Mary) that the writer was trying to make was that they're each about as ordinary of a character as possible, so that when Superman goes out to explore the world he doesn't have anyone's personal account to go off?

EDIT: Of course, they didn't live ordinary lives as parents. Nobody else in the world raised a Kryptonian baby.

Define ordinary? A photographer or travelling medical student are pretty ordinary. As said, being farmer isn't something i have an objection with. Almost anything and everything can be made exciting with imagination. With clark's ma and pa, there is a serious lack of it to flesh the characters out.

[DochaDocha]

Define ordinary? A photographer or travelling medical student are pretty ordinary. As said, being farmer isn't something i have an objection with. Almost anything and everything can be made exciting with imagination. With clark's ma and pa, there is a serious lack of it to flesh the characters out.

I'm not going to tell you what to like and what not to like, but in general, having supporting characters that don't have exotic tales to tell isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if they're juxtaposed against other characters. If you want an interesting tale about the Kents' past, I understand, but I just don't find it all that necessary (perhaps part of the reason I prefer them deceased). And specific to this thread, making a point that one of them is Canadian just doesn't have any beneficial pay off for me.