In 1978 my little world was already engulfed by the phenomenon known as “Star Wars.” I lived, slept, ate and breathed it. I pestered my parents for every figure, ship and playset (and they obliged). Time inched by at a crawl as I awaited birthdays and Christmas for those inevitable gift-related payoffs, but the worst was the three-year wait in between films. However, for a brief moment circa December 1978, “Star Wars” got trumped by the Man of Steel.
Although I’m a huge comics fan Superman, never really did it for me. At the time, I was a dyed in the wool “Marvel zombie,” and didn’t have much use for the DC canon of heroes. I wouldn’t embrace them until I was a teenager, thanks to the intervention of a friend who loved DC as much as I loved Marvel. Superman had long since lost his relevance and, if anything, I was more inclined towards Batman if it had to be DC. Of course, I followed the Man of Steel's adventures on Saturday morning ‘toons.
My father loved “The Adventures of Superman” as a kid and the show was still being syndicated when I was young so I watched it. I enjoyed it, but still preferred Batman. Then, in 1978, posters started appearing – stating with conviction that, “You will believe a man can fly.” I still had “Star Wars” on the brain, so I don’t remember much else about the build-up to “Superman: The Movie,” but I remember the first time I viewed it in a theater.
