Jor-El

I've always loved "Superman: The Movie," especially the first 15 minutes or so. There's enough cool stuff packed in the beginning (Jor-El, the Phantom Zone villains, the destruction of Krypton) to fill an entire movie.

I also love those crazy glowing Kryptonian outfits. They didn't make some kind of complicated electric clothes-- they were made out of the same reflective material used on highway signs to make them glow in your headlights. They just shined a light on the clothes and filmed the result. A simple and elegant solution.

Marlon Brando made movie history when he became the highest paid actor in history (up to that time) for his part in "Superman." He reportedly nabbed $16 MILLION dollars for 15 minutes of screen time. And we're talking 1978 dollars too!

One thing I always wondered: Was it really necessary to call the film "Superman: The Movie?" Were they afraid we'd confuse it with "Superman: The Laundry Detergent Commercial?" "Superman: The High School Play?" "Superman: The Billboard?" Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I'm here all week.

Drawn in Photoshop on the graphic tablet.



Here's the original digital sketch of Jor-El.