Superman versus the Ku Klux Klan

December 15, 2011
In 1946, The Adventures of Superman radio show took on the Ku Klux Klan in an effort to teach young listeners lessons about tolerance and standing up to bigotry. The first episode of the 16-part "Clan of the Fiery Cross" aired on June 10, 1946, to "dramatiz[e] the realities of the Ku Klux Klan to a generation of young radio listeners." From the beginning, Superman had a social conscience, and one thread of this narrative traces the origins of Superman and his rise to stardom as a comic-book and radio hero. The other thread examines the history and mid-20th-century resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan. But it's not until late in the volume that the collision between Superman and the KKK occurs, making it seem like a work that isn't quite sure of what it wants to be, or for whom it was written. With sentences such as, "Brown even got inside a secret subunit of the Kavalier Klub that called itself the Ass-Tearers and printed on its calling card the image of a corkscrew--its implement of choice for torturing and disemboweling its victims," this often reads more like journalism than children's literature. A fascinating twin narrative, though not quite the story the title suggests. (bibliography, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

Starred review from March 1, 2012

Gr 5 Up-This engrossing book chronicles the creation of Superman comics and its surprising effectiveness in combating prejudice. Bowers weaves this story with many strands, including a look at Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as highly relatable, 1930s high school nerds. The story of Stetson Kennedy, a Southern writer who agitated against the KKK and harnessed Superman's power, is equally well drawn. Bowers delineates the social conscience of Superman from its inception, helping readers appreciate how comics-indeed, all art-can change the world. Gracefully written, this book is an inspiring testament to the power of the human spirit to fight evil. It is a well-researched, compulsively readable history that will appeal to a broad audience, including reluctant readers. Throughout, readers will be wondering how, exactly, Superman fought the KKK. The author builds up to this conclusion gradually, keeping his audience in suspense until the very end. The rich visual panels of comics in the middle of the volume beautifully illustrate how Superman communicated social messages through his stories. Readers may find the earlier chapters that focus on the visual side of the Superman empire more accessible than the later ones, a less-familiar medium. Teachers can easily remedy this by playing old shows, available online. This is an ideal text for classes exploring media studies, graphic novels, and civil rights. Librarians must buy this brilliant book-faster than a speeding bullet.-Jess deCourcy Hinds, Bard H.S. Early College, Queens, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2012
Grades 6-10 In 1946, with the racism of WWII fresh in people's minds, the powers behind the Superman franchise decided to use the superhero (in his radio incarnation) to take on a growing concern: the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan. How did that happen? Bowers, author of Spies of Mississippi (2010), begins with the story of Superman's creators, two Jewish kids who grew up in Cleveland. In alternating sections, he also follows the evolution of the Klan, from its beginnings after the Civil War to its renaissance, thanks to the keen efforts of a PR team, in the 1920s and beyond. A dual biography of both the hero and the hate group, this book also chronicles the early years of comics, introduces those responsible for Superman'sand the Klan'smeteoric rise, and discusses how both Superman and the Klan came with values they wanted to impress upon young people. That all makes for plenty of compelling buildup to the radio showdown, which gets a bit lost when finally discussed near the book's end. Great archival photos, but the imageless cover could use a little Superman.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2012
This crackerjack work of nonfiction uses the appeal of popular culture to illuminate social movements, mass media, and historical research. For superhero fans, Bowers (Spies of Mississippi, rev. 5/10) starts with the creation of Superman and his publisher, DC Comics; a four-page color insert shows the Man of Steel through the years to 2011. The book then leads readers through the rise, fall, and resurgence of the K.K.K. and introduces Stetson Kennedy, a progressive Floridian determined to stymie the hate group. In 1946, in the aftermath of World War II, the producers of the Superman radio show deployed their character's popularity in a campaign against bigotry, using information Kennedy had collected about the Klan -- though not, as he and the Anti-Defamation League claimed shortly afterward, revealing secret passwords. The book thus also shows a historian at work: Bowers explains how he dug through past myths, examined original archives, and reached tentative conclusions about what most likely happened and why. The result is not a simplistic tale of a few heroes banding together to fight evil but a complex history of organizations guided by both ideology and profit, people both well-meaning and flawed, and shifts in popular sentiment. Bibliography, sources, and index. j. l. bell

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
In 1946, the producers of the Superman radio show deployed their character's popularity in a campaign against bigotry. Bowers explains how he dug through myths, examined original archives, and reached tentative conclusions about what most likely happened and why. A complex history of organizations guided by both ideology and profit, people both well-meaning and flawed, and shifts in popular sentiment. Bib., ind.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)