Honoring Jerry Siegel
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Twelve years ago today, the writer and creator of Superman, Jerry Siegel, died.
Siegel and his artist friend, Joe Shuster, were the pioneers behind everyone’s favorite superhero. These days, it seems hard to believe that the character was initially rejected by all of the major newspaper syndicates at the time. Who would’ve guessed that an alien superhero sent to Earth in a space capsule and raised by an ordinary human family would resonate in the hearts and imaginations of the world?
After a long career as a comic book, then a newspaper strip, a radio series, a TV series, another TV series, a movie franchise and countless remakes, Superman remains one of the most iconic comic figures in history. All thanks to you, Mr. Siegel.
Today in 1984, Jermaine Jackson did what was all too firmly engrained in his once show biz kid ways — he knew the show had to go on. That, or he was completely oblivious to the fact that in the background of a Pepsi commercial shoot, his superstar brother, Michael, was aflame — literally. Michael Jackson’s hair burst into flame during a take and there was Jermaine–strumming and rocking away. And this wasn’t a closed set, mind you–it was a live performance with 3,000 Michael lovers, experiencing some serious dramatic irony when they saw their beloved turn victim to malfunctioning pyrotechnics as his brother kept the show going. MJ turned out ok though, didn’t he…sigh…
Happy 25th, David Firth!
Today in 
In 1916, only seven years after its inception, The National Board of Review, otherwise known as the National Board of Censorship, once the watchdog of the industry, covering filmmakers’ backs from the evil censorial ways of the powers that be, became on this day the National Ball Vice of America, saying no to pee-pees and boobies on camera.
After having been tracking it for some time, we are pleased to announce we have finally found the beginning of the end. Ladies and gentlemen, today in 1955, the very first presidential news conference was filmed for television and newsreels. All that business with the media skewing coverage for political gain these days really couldn’t have started without the help of Dwight Eisenhower, his 33 minute conference, and the cameras of NBC, CBS, ABC and the Dumont Network (the 50’s version of UPN or WB before the CW merge).
Today in 1974, Lee Majors starred as Steve Austin, the world’s first bionic man, when the Six Million Dollar Man debuted as a regular series on ABC. Based on Martin Caidin’s novel Cyborg, the show created an explosion of superhero trends in TV, spawning the likes of Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk and The Bionic Woman, which was just revived in 2007. And yes, there was even a comic from Charlton back in the day.
