Thanks. I have a question: The 1973 origin on this site- the one by Bridwell/Infantino that shows Superboy leaving Smallville and baking a giant cake for the townspeople- where is this story originally from?
I believe this story was originally done for the treasury-sized "World of Superman" comic published by (or for) the folks in Metropolis, IL. Notice how Ma and Pa Kent's gravestones are
in the back yard - that's because the people
designing the theme park planned to place the gravestones in the backyard.
More explanation
here:
... In 1973, plans were made for a Superman Park in Metropolis, Illinois. A book was produced for the park which included a new origin for Superman - the same origin which you have just read. In this version, two deviations were made from the traditional legend: Superbaby's rocket did not explode after he was taken away from it, since the rocket was to be on display in the park; and the Kents were buried in their own back yard, rather than in a cemetery, as that was where the park planners had the grave situated.
All the stories in "The World of Superman" were presented in a B&W wash. I think this one was finally colored for publication in "
The Great Superman Comic Book Collection" (and/or one of the original "Superman in the 70s/80s" books), which is where I got it from.
... the story I'm proudest of is the 1973 version I illustrated of "The Origin of Superman" - showing the last days of Krypton, the baby Kal-El rocketing to earth and being found in a cornfield by Jonathan and Martha Kent, then young Clark discovering his superpowers as a boy and going off to Metropolis to serve the world as Superman.
Carmine Infantino did the layout on that story, planning the way it was to unfold, panel by panel. It was so good. We included it in The Amazing World of Superman, one of those special large editions we put out for $2 a shot while Infantino was publisher. I am very fond of that one.
Its upcoming reprint in the "Superman Returns" comic will be the first time it's been printed in a conventional comic-book.
The fact that the rocket doesn't explode does a great job of merging the traditional comic-book origin with the movie origin, a fortuitous happenstance.