First, this will be my last Superman related editorial for a while. I'm sure some of you are sick of my talking about Superman and my theory surrounding him. Second, it took a while to make the row of drawn Superman and put it together. It illustrates my point as well as the picture of the actor playing Supes/Clark.
Okay, let's beg. Superman was created back in the 1930's. Upon his, release his physical from was very different to how he is portrayed today by fans. Originally, Superman wasn't as buff as a tank, but closer to the average size of a man who lifts heavy stuff for work ( i.e. factory and dock work implied to those who do not know who Superman actually is). I believe there was a common reason for this being the fact that comics at the time were aimed to and bought for children of the ages of 5 to 14. For them to see a Superman about the size of their father who would more than likely be a dock or factory worker, would allow the kid to look onto his father with admiration, thinking "My dad looks as buff as Superman! I bet he's a hero just like him" mentality into the minds of young children.
Honestly, I don't entirely believe in that excuse for his size in late 30's. It fits pretty well seeing as we were getting out of the Great Depression and the Dust bowl was about to end. Upon viewing the physical stature of Superman until the mid to late 60's a common physique was established. Superman was about as physically big as an average hard working American on a good diet. This assisted me in the idea of his being super. I've always enjoyed the idea of a person who's not physically imposing being able to lift a car suspending the belief of a human mind, which works in many ways for someone like Spider-Man. With Superman, this is how I wish it was.
Why should Superman look like he could pick up a car when we know he can? Wouldn't it be more fun and creative and suspend the belief more if he was average sized in muscles? I mean it seems more unexpected and more fantastic. I enjoyed his physical stature in “Earth One” by JMS, because Superman was about an average sized guy in his 20's that (unlike me) doesn't embrace the dollar menu of Burger King or McDonalds. It really allows me to absorb this fantastic world where it seems anything can be possible. if some people, especially Superman, don't look big enough to lift something huge. I think it really draws back to the underdog sensibility. Seeing Superman as an underdog would cause us to root for him more, because the victory would be all the sweeter. For some reason the majority of the artists at DC have decided that Superman should look like if he hits you with even a fraction of his real strength that you'll be on a vacation to the moon. It takes me out of the story and makes little sense to see Superman looking like he’s staring without the heat vision will feel like you've been hit by a semi. Am I the only person who feels this way? I hope not. I like to see artists try new things. With Superman he doesn't need to look colossal. Look at the picture of the actors who've played Clark/Supes. Do they actually look like they’re big enough to kick a person into outer space?
I don't think so. To be honest Reeve was the biggest physically of the actors and yet he was only about averaged size for a person who jogs and works out on an average basis back in the 70's. George Reeves and Kirk Allyn and Dean Cain all look like averaged sized workers and yet they did some decent renditions of the character. George Reeves especially. Heck, for some people, George Reeves is Superman. Yet these actors don't look physically imposing, at least not to me. My favorite for physicality is Brandon Routh, my second favorite Superman. He has the body of a swimmer which gave give the flying scenes a natural feel that worked on every level. And even more so, it's stunning in “Superman Returns” when he lifts that huge Kryptonite mountain. Yet he doesn't look like he could. There was a moment in the theater when I was caught completely in "AWE" and ended up being the reason why I love Routh as Superman.
I understand many of you have clung to the idea of Superman having to be buff. I understand that. Don't think I'm trying to get people to make Superman a bean pole here. I just want to see Superman not being so big that he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the 60's. Instead, I’d rather see his being an average size so that there is some suspended belief in the grandeur of his doing something spectacular and beyond that of mortal men. It gives the story a unique subtext to it that really reaches into our minds and allows us to want to root for that character more.
Am I the only one who wants to see Superman not being the man with a thousand large muscles and instead looking of average exercises routinely looking strength? I'm for an average sized Superman and hopefully some others share my perspective.