Elements of Superman lore created outside the comics

[Bored at 3:00AM]

The Fleischer Cartoons

They came up with the idea of Superman flying because he looked silly leaping around

The Radio Show

Jimmy Olsen, so Superman would have someone to talk to that wasn't an icky girl like Lois

Kryptonite (although technically K-Metal predated it)

The George Reeves TV Show

The more assertive, less milquetoast Clark Kent

Jimmy calling Perry "Chief" and him not wanting to be called that.

Inspector Henderson (who finally returned in Superman Smashes The Klan)

Novels

The spelling of Jor-El, instead of Jor-L.

The idea of Luthor using his genius to run a multinational conglomerate.

Super Friends

I actually can't think of anything that the 1960s Filmmation or 1970s & 80s Hanna Barbara cartoons created. They were pretty faithful to the comics. Maybe the Super-Mobile? But I assume that was created by a toy company.

Jesus Christ Superstar

I think this is where the whole Superman = Christ stuff began, right?

Superman The Movie

It might be easier to list the stuff from this movie that didn't become a recurring element, but here
are the main ones.

The idea that the S-Shield is the El Family Crest.

Krypton's crystal technology

Zod being the main Phantom Zone baddie, along with Ursa and Non, who were created for the movie (although Ursa is clearly a knock off of Faora)

Lois giving Superman his name and being the first person to interview him.

Lois being a bad speller.

There are more, I'm sure.

The Superboy and Lois & Clark TV shows

Frankly, I can't think of anything these shows added.

Superman The Animated Series

Brainiac being the central computer on Krypton and the 3 interconnected circles as a visual motif.

Lois calling Clark "Smallville".

Darkseid becoming Superman's ultimate baddie.

The Smallville TV show

The younger Ma & Pa Kent

Lionel Luthor

Anything else I've missed?

[Gaius]

I think Perry White was also a radio show creation.

With the movie, guess you could also Lex having some female hanger-on or henchwoman which would later turn into Mercy.

[Uncanny Mutie]

I think Perry White was also a radio show creation.

With the movie, guess you could also Lex having some female hanger-on or henchwoman which would later turn into Mercy.

Great call on both of those.

[Vakanai]

The George Reeves TV Show

Superman The Movie

The idea that the S-Shield is the El Family Crest.

I could swear I remember Superman's space dad wearing the S back in the Reeves show too...

[Jim Kelly]

Henderson was also on the radio show first--voiced by Matt Crowley and later Earl George.

[Jim Kelly]

Professor Pepperwinkle appeared on THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN television series (six times), played by Phil Tead. He then showed up in the Superman comics in the 1970s.

Many plots from the T.V. series were recycled for the comics--but usually with the names of characters changed.

On the radio show, Clark has no adoptive parents, given he arrives on Earth full grown (unless they changed that later). On the television series, Pa Kent dies but Ma Kent survives. This seems to influence other T.V. shows and movies, where Pa is a goner but Ma carries on. Such that some comic book writers try to do the same thing--dividing the couple between life and death.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I could swear I remember Superman's space dad wearing the S back in the Reeves show too...

I could've sworn he had the Saturn symbol, but it's been years since I saw it

Nope, we're both wrong. It was a star on his chest

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Great List everyone.

People who complain that Superman is hard to adapt need to look at this list since a lot of the stuff that people complain about Superman was stuff that adaptations added to him. He was quite easy to adapt for the longest time.

Justice League Unlimited with the "World of Cardboard Speech" added the concept that Superman always holds back his power because if he cuts loose people will die. (not sure if this is popular among Superman boards but I thought it was neat).

[Jim Kelly]

Actually Jor-El (Robert Rockwell) is wearing a costume borrowed from Flash Gordon (Buster Crabbe).

[Gaius]

Movie also made it Kansas was Smallville's location.

Guess visually because of the Reeve films, Zod nowadays is usually drawn to look like Terrance Stamp if he took a lot of steroids.

[Jim Kelly]

Eve Teschmacher pops up in the comics from time to time.

On SMALLVILLE, Lex's mommy was Lillian Luthor--which seems to have stuck on other T.V. shows. In the comics, I know that she was once Letitia Luthor--but has that now been changed to Lillian?

[BBally]

The Fleischer Cartoons

They came up with the idea of Superman flying because he looked silly leaping around

Actually the character's ability to fly was thought up by the crew behind the radio show because they couldn't find a way to use the power of leaping sound convincing on radio. The radio show was also where the phrase "Up, Up and Away" was popularized.

I believe the radio show was also where the phrase "This looks like a job for Superman" came from.

[Powerboy]

Superman the Movie is where the Christ symbolism started.

Jor-El: "They can be a great people, Kal-El. They only need the light to show them the way. That is why I have sent them you, my only son."

Also, Jor-El appearing to Clark as an AI program.

[Jim Kelly]

Actually the character's ability to fly was thought up by the crew behind the radio show because they couldn't find a way to use the power of leaping sound convincing on radio. The radio show was also where the phrase "Up, Up and Away" was popularized.

I believe the radio show was also where the phrase "This looks like a job for Superman" came from.

I always assumed he was flying, but being radio it's hard to tell. What he was doing in the comics looked a lot like flying--so he could have made that rushing air sound with his fantastic leaps. The Fleischer Brothers cartoons were really based on the radio series as much as they were on the comic book, since they used the same voice talent.

Apparently, Jay Morton wrote “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound ... “ for the cartoon first (I always thought it had come from the radio series).

[Vakanai]

I could've sworn he had the Saturn symbol, but it's been years since I saw it

Nope, we're both wrong. It was a star on his chest

Ah. Been years since I last saw it too. Should give season 1 of the show a rewatch...and get around to getting the rest of the series on DVD too.