Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate

by Rick Bowers, Johnny Heller (Translation)

This book tells a group of intertwining stories that culminate in the historic 1947 collision of the Superman Radio Show and the Ku Klux Klan. It is the story of the two Cleveland teenagers who invented Superman as a defender of the little guy and the New York wheeler-dealers who made him a major media force. It is the story Ku Klux Klan's development from a club to a huge money-making machine powered by the powers of fear and hate and of the folklorist who--along with many other activists-- took on the Klan by wielding the power of words. Above all, it tells the story of Superman himself--a modern mythical hero and an embodiment of the cultural reality of his times--from the Great Depression to the present.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Comics, Superheroes, Teen, American History, Audiobook

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Hillari Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I am glad that I came across this book - what an interesting view on how Superman was created and what he had to do with the Ku Klux Klan. Who knew there was a correlation?!

I enjoyed how this text balanced the information between Superman and his creators/supporters and the growth of the KKK. They went back-and-forth between the two, alternating each chapter. I wish however, that there hadn't been quite so many lulls in the story, as many times I started to breeze over the information with a lack of enjoyment on the way it was presented. Just as I felt that way, however, something rather intriguing would be mentioned and I would be "all in" once more.

Overall, a quick, easy read that boosted my knowledge on civil rights and how a [seemingly] unconnected child's character could influence sensitivities of the world.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year for almost as long as I've been been a full-time Youth Services Librarian (9 years as of this writing), I've visited local middle schools to promote a list of around 12 books. Middle school is a critical time in a person's life. For many reasons, middle school is often a time when people start deciding not to read for pleasure. I'm there to revive the fervor around choosing to read.

I try to take a variety of books on these visits. Different genres, different mediums - I always make a point of taking at least a couple of nonfiction works.

This is a year when the selection of which books to promote in this context is extra IMPORTANT.
As far as nonfiction goes, I'm taking Every Falling Star. I'm taking Spinning. And I'm taking this.

When you're faced with horrible things, sometimes we instinctively avert our eyes.
We Can Not Afford to Do This Anymore.

This book surveys the history of 1. the creation of Superman, and 2. the KKK, leading up to one episode of the radio program "The Adventures of Superman" called "Clan of the Fiery Cross." The book is all about giving context to that piece of work. The climax of the book is a chapter which describes the episode itself. The book has quite a few black and white (with a few color pages in the middle) photographs and poster replicas from the period, bringing home the fact that this is true history.

Did you know the Klan originated in the 1800s, but was revived in the early 20th century as a money-making pyramid scheme? Ugly ugly reality is all over this book.


One issue I had here: A book about the history of the KKK is inherently charged with Race.
Bowers does a great job of humanizing the major players in both the Superman and KKK narratives. However, none of those people were black. As such, black people end up feeling a little like an objectified mass of humanity. That needs saving. By superman. And not like individual human beings.
There's also at least one use of the word "negro" that felt unnecessary to me (page 129, second paragraph).
It is important to me that we are all sensitive to missteps in this area.

However, I strongly feel that this book does more good than harm.
Teens need to know the history of white supremacy. I am sad that the KKK is more than a footnote in a history book. But they are not a thing of the past. And we need to make eye contact with this ugly face.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Old Time Radio. :) I listen to every old radio show I can....super heroes, detectives, suspense stories....I love it all. And I loved this book!

In 1947, the Superman radio show pitted the iconic hero against the ku klux klan. This book outlines the history of Superman, antisemitism and other racial issues of the depression era into the 1940s, history of the klan, and the radio show that pitted the super hero against a racist organization.

I detest the klan with every fiber of my being. They didn't just hate people of color and Jews. My grandmother, whose sons were overseas fighting in World War II, was awakened one night to hooded klansmen burning a cross in her front yard. My family is of German descent and Catholic....so they decided to victimize a woman and her children on a rural farm while she was fearing for the lives of her four sons fighting in a war for their country. Bastards. Cowardly bigots. Hiding under hoods and robes....spewing hate. My father taught me well....he instilled in me the knowledge that judging others by their color, creed, nationality or sexual orientation is not just wrong, but small-minded and weak. Hate is a weak person's weapon. Period.

This book brought together my love of super heroes, old radio and history. I learned some facts about the creators of Superman that I didn't know before...did my best to listen to the history of the klan without throwing up....and enjoyed the history of the Superman radio show and information on the radio show episodes.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Narrated by Johnny Heller, the audio is about four hours long. Heller reads at a nice pace and has a pleasing voice. I have hearing loss but was easily able to hear and understand the entire book. I'm going to buy a print copy of this book because I read some other reviews that mentioned photos and artwork that I missed by listening to the audio. My husband is a big comic book fan, so this book will find a place on our keeper shelf.

Great book! Filled with a lot of topics I love! (and one group I detest). Full stars from me. Can't wait to see the print edition with all the art!

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast and enjoyable read--Superman takes on the Klan. A book for Young Adults, it gives us the story of the Superman radio shows which aired in 1946 as "Operation Intolerance." In these programs, the Man of Steel stands up not only for truth and justice but for tolerance and against hate and bigotry. I thought I knew the story of Superman, but I did not know this story. And an inspiring one it is as told by Rick Bowers.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of how the Superman Radio Show incorporated the hate group Ku Klux Klan into its catalogue of villains, making a statement of anti-racism that those behind the series hopes would resonate with its impressionable young audience. In addition to this, Rick Bowers gives a mini origin story of the Superman character and follows his creators' career trajectory up to and beyond his encounter with homicidal racists. This is a short book that can be read in the space of a day and tells an interesting story. It doesn't quite establish if its subject broadcast really had any tangible long-term impact on the public perception of the KKK but, in any case, it's always good to read stories of influential men and women - be they real people or fictional superheroes - standing up to the forces of bigotry.

Listen to the "Clan of the Fiery Cross" series here

[Asuna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly interesting book about How superman was created, and how the new editions of the comic and radio show(ya, superman was on the radio) helped battle the KKK.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great (brief) history of Superman and of the KKK. Includes a bit of origins of the comic book, Supermsn fighting neo-nazis, protests over children's entertainment, the collecting of American folklore & WPA, and radio dramas. Enjoyed the American history lesson framed through these lenses.
Includes citations and myth-busting clarifications.
Also interesting reading this in 2021.

[Brett Van Gaasbeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

My school librarian assembles a cart of books that mirror the topics that I am covering within my history curriculum at the time. The books range in topics and lexile levels, so as to peak the interest of the students and encourage them to delve into the curriculum in a deeper level. I attempt to model that positive behavior by reading one from the cart and this title jumped out at me. I am not a Superman, or any superhero, fan or a comic book reader of any kind. However, I thought it interesting to read how a fictional character could be used to combat a real life hate group. This book provides a basic background of both the Superman origin as a comic and the KKK as both a post-Civil War fraternity and modern-day hate group. The author does well to develop a solid understanding of each before linking them together in the struggle for the minds of the American teenager during the 1940s and 50s. The book is certainly not a comprehensive history of either, but is a good and quick read that will leave the reader with interesting pieces of knowledge about both Superman and the KKK. Well done.

[Sue Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a lot of history on many different topics that you wouldn't really expect to be together in one book -- the development of the comic book industry, the rise of Superman as the ultimate superhero, the development of the Ku Klux Klan and how the organization has ebbed and flowed at different points in history, and more. The radio serial that the title refers to isn't really until the end but everything builds toward it. Excellent complement to Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang!

[MichaelM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was ok. To me it was kinda dry, but it did teach me lots about the kkk. It wasn't that but but I don't think I would read it again.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

'Superman Versus The Ku Klux Klan' would have made a great article. Unfortunately Bowers wrote a book - and while it might not be very long, it's 1/3 history of Superman and 1/3 history of the KKK. I was fascinated by the title but disappointed and bored with what was hiding behind it. Of course there were some parts that were strictly about Superman's fight with the Klan but it was not enough for a higher rating.

[Sean O · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good story about the creation of Superman, the birth and growth of the KKK, and how they ended up clashing during a 16-part radio drama.

It was a pretty good story, and told in a very readable style entirely appropriate for middle-school readers.

I was a little disappointed at how short it was and how there wasn't a significant payoff, construction-wise. It was a good book though.

Recommended to Superman fans and Klan haters.

[Barbaraleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting middle school level account of how Superman began and how his character was used to work against the Ku Klux Klan. It was a quick read that I found relevant to what is happening in our world today with the hate groups that have been encouraged by many of the political figures of our times. I guess it gives me hope that they can be beaten back again.

[Mayaj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting, if rather shallow look at this moment in American history. It's the type of book that primarily makes me want to recommend other books on the same or similar topics that did it better: first and foremost, Gene Luen Yang's version of Superman Smashes the Klan which includes a good bit of historical context in the backend. As for the origins of Superman, the superhero genre, comics, and their connection to American Jewry, you're better off with: From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books or Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero or even The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.

This was a nice bit of supplementary reading that could nicely decorate your coffee table. Nice.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm plumping up my class library to include more books on social justice, a unit for this year's class. While this book was on my radar, I didn't have an excuse to buy it until now.

I loved it. There are so many origin stories in this book: the origins of Superman, comic books, the KKK, writers, etc. There are so many ways I could take this book in the classroom! As I finished I immediately wanted to add stickers to the back of the book of "If you liked this book, read...." with so many books in mind.

As a teacher, this book inspired me. As an American, it inspired me. As a human, it demonstrated (once again) how ugly we humans can be and reminded me that we don't have to be that way.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some part of me knew that this was aimed at teens/younger readers, but at the same time it didn't really click until I actually started the book. I appreciate any work that takes a clear stance against the KKK, but definitely preferred reading Gene Luen Yang's Superman Smashes the Klan for the story that they talk about here. I would love to read about this more in-depth, but this is a fine place to start.

[Rikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I enjoyed the book overall but I think it spent too much time rehashing the irigins of Superman. Much of the audience for this particular book is well aware of the tale of how Joe and Jerry created the Man if Steel. It frustrated me because I really wanted to get into the parts of the story that I didn't already know much sooner.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very easy to read but not very engaging. It was nice to know the background of superman and how he came about, also the troubles the creators had to go through. I recommend this book for someone who likes super man and would like to learn the details in how it came about.

[Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some decent information buried in there, but this is very much an interesting article of 10-15 pages which someone tried to bulk out to a book with entirely useless and unneeded fluff and filler.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title may very make you think it's B Movie superhero nonsense. But it's actually a true story that connects the plot lines of the 1940's Superman radio show with informants' inside scoop on the evils of Atlanta's Ku Klux Klan. And for Clevelanders, the story of Superman's creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two young men from Cleveland's Jewish Glenville neighborhood.

[Joseph Hodge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a huge fan of the radio show love this book learned a lot from it! Well written thank you.

[Makayla D · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book not very intriguing and was not interested in various parts. Sometimes I would have to sit down and force myself to read the book. It talks about Superman but in a typical point of view. It talks about how the Klan started to develop. It is mainly about two teenagers who created Superman as a defender of the little guy. The way the author put the book together was not very interesting for me and probably wouldn't recommend.

[Lenox · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book but it was annoying to read about the fantasy of the Superman versus the KKK. The book wasn't my favorite but it was good.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dual Biography of Sorts

Published by National Geographic in 2012.
Note: This is a YA book aimed at 5th graders and above. This adult enjoyed the book also.

From time to time the dual biography comes back into vogue. Dual biographies are a great way to compare and contrast two people's lives and, in this case, this style is used to compare and contrast two different organizations: The Ku Klux Klan and Superman, Inc. and see how these two radically different groups interacted.

There is, of course, so such thing as Superman, Inc. - I made that up. Superman is owned by D.C. Comics, but there are people who make all sorts of decisions on how to present Superman. What will he stand for and stand against? What will the next comic be like? How about the next movie? Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan tells the story of the creation of Superman (and the two young Jewish boys from Ohio who created him) and how Superman quickly caught on once a publisher finally took him on in 1938.

By 1946 Superman was an established fixture in American culture. His comics had been sent all over the world courtesy of American soldiers in World War II, the character was in newspapers, comic books and even had a daily radio show. The producers of the radio show decided, in the aftermath of World War II and Holocaust that Superman would take a stand against racism...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a truly interesting book. It gives the history of both Superman and the Ku Klux Klan. The histories are told in alternating chapters. The collision between the Man of Steel and the Ku Klux Klan does not actually take place until fairly late in their history and the last quarter of the book, but the journey leading up to their collision is an interesting one. I thought Superman's history was especially fascinating. He has always been a champion for the people and his history shows that. I found it ironic that someone who championed the little guy was created by little guys who lost their rights to the Superman legacy. I believe they are still fighting to regain those rights today. The history of the KKK was only surprising in how powerful and widespread their popularity was at one time. We are so used to them being a secretive and fringe organization and that was not always the case. This is definitely a worthwhile read and an interesting look at our country's history.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher at the 2012 PLA Conference.

[Gerry Sacco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, interesting book. There was a lot more thought and care put into the radio show than I realized.

Also kinda sad that not only do I not believe if this was created again that it would be the most popular kids show, I don't even think it would be made in the first place.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read a lot about the history of comic books, so I was already familiar with pretty much everything written about that side of things up to and including the KKK episodes of the Superman radio show. And seeing how the author simplified and summarized that material made me a little dubious about how much I was really learning about the history of the Ku Klux Klan.

And then in the closing pages, the author admits that the impact of the radio broadcasts on stopping a contemporary revival of the KKK may have been minimal at best and was greatly exaggerated by a self-aggrandizing and sensationalizing journalist. Now I just feel like I've bamboozled by a thin book with a catchy title.

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. I started reading this thinking that it had been published for teens, but it's actually more suited for adults. I knew a little bit about Siegel and Shuster's story but wasn't as familiar with the history of the Superman radio show and knew nothing about the exploits of Stetson Kennedy versus the KKK. The book moves smoothly and has some great photos and reproductions of the classic comic covers. Overall, a pretty fascinating slice of pop culture.

[RachelvlehcaR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating is 4.5

This is a quick read and great history on how Superman (did you know Superman is of Jewish origin? I didn't.) came to be and how the Ku Klux Klan formed and how it caused lots of trouble. Superman comes to the rescue and the way it happens was due to many different people with a vision. We can all take note about this time in history because some of those issues are still happening today.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parallel stories of the history of the Klan and Superman collide in 1949, when the writers of the popular Superman radio show decide to tackle hate groups. From the beginning, Superman stood for the underdog and sought justice, but it was after World War II that social issues became a main focus of his stories.