The Superman Radio Scripts, Vol. 1: Superman vs. the Atom Man

by Ben Peter Freeman

On February 12, 1940, The Adventures of Superman hit the airwaves in a new syndicated radio series. An instant hit, the program ran thoughout the 1940s, with Bud Collyer playing Superman. The show introduced many of the characters and concepts that later became fixtures in DC's comic book stories, including Superman's first encounter with the deadly kryptonite and his adventures teaming up with fellow DC characters Batman and Robin. Released first on CD and audiocassette in special boxed sets by Radio Spirits, in association with the Smithsonian Institution Press, the radio scripts of these shows are now being published for the first time in book form. The first volume of this series contains the classic 1945 "Superman vs. The Atom Man," which pitted the Man of Steel against his deadliest foe, a radioactive Nazi agent within whose veins flowed deadly kryptonite. Volume One also includes 16 sidebars focusing on such topics as Superman's comic book history as it relates to the radio scripts, the actors who performed in the series, the significance of the introduction of kryptonite, and the sociological context of the work given its airing during World War II.

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

Ben Peter Freeman wrote for the Saturday Evening Post and The New York Times prior to creating television and radio scripts for the wildly popular Superman series of the 1940s and 1950s. After leaving the program in 1953, he served as a sales manager for a Chicago Construction Company until his retirement. Freeman died on December 11, 1992, at the age of 91.

Reviews

[Bmj2k · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume (there were more intended)covers the epic run where Superman battles the Kryptonite-powered, Nazi scientist produced, Atom Man. That run is one of the famous, and best, arcs of the radio show. If you do not know the radio show, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen... or at least read this book.Remember- It was on the radio that Kryptonite and Jimmy Olsen were introduced, long before they appeared in the comics.

[Joshlynn]

Ben Peter Freeman, writer of these radio scripts and many of the teleplays for the Adventures of Superman series starring George Reeves, is one of the great forgotten architects of the Superman mythos. From what my research has gleaned, it appears that he fucking invented Kryptonite. I'm insanely glad I found this book.