"To Ralph Schoenstein, his father was the New York version of Superman: 'Not a mild-mannered reporter who put on a cape in a telephone booth, but a commanding editor who could use a telephone booth to get tickets to any sold-out Broadway show.'  Father Paul was city editor of Hearst's New York Journal-American, the U.S.'s biggest evening paper through the '40s and '50s. . . . This affectionate memoir evokes a giant of great animal magnetism. . . a filial, funny book that Superman would have loved--and that anyone might admire."--Time Magazine 

"Enjoy a sneaking look back at the days when newspapering was a game as well as a trade, when the world paraded through a newspaper's door without security passes, when scoop-hungry city editors not only breathed fire, they inhaled, Schoenstein's gem of a memoir brings it all back in a rush of wit and longing."--Columbia Journalism Review

"Father and son literature goes back to the Bible . . . but I doubt whether there has ever been anything quite like Schoenstein's memoir. Certainly nothing as funny, warm, and poignant all at once."--Los Angeles Times

Publisher's Note: This book was previously titled Citizen Paul: The Story of Father and Son, published in 1978 and out of print for many years. It was an Alternate Selection of the Book of the Month Club.

After debuting in 1938, Superman soon became an American icon. But why has he maintained his iconic status for nearly 80 years? And how can he still be an American icon when the country itself has undergone so much change?

Superman: Persistence of an American Icon examines the many iterations of the character in comic books, comic strips, radio series, movie serials, feature films, television shows, animation, toys, and collectibles over the past eight decades. Demonstrating how Superman’s iconic popularity cannot be attributed to any single creator or text, comics expert Ian Gordon embarks on a deeper consideration of cultural mythmaking as a collective and dynamic process. He also outlines the often contentious relationships between the various parties who have contributed to the Superman mythos, including corporate executives, comics writers, artists, nostalgic commentators, and collectors.     

Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of Superman’s appearances in comics and other media, Gordon also digs into comics archives to reveal the prominent role that fans have played in remembering, interpreting, and reimagining Superman’s iconography. Gordon considers how comics, film, and TV producers have taken advantage of fan engagement and nostalgia when selling Superman products. Investigating a character who is equally an icon of American culture, fan culture, and consumer culture, Superman thus offers a provocative analysis of mythmaking in the modern era.