Well,
this is curious. I really must know what about. “The first thing they
complained about was my use of the word virgin. At first it was just
the word itself, then they said that Lois Lane is not a virgin and I
shouldn’t imply that she is. I said I’m not implying anything,
a kibitzer in the office is making a joke. One of the editors actually
started screaming at me over the phone. But anyway, I can’t use
the word virgin. In another scene Perry is not allowed to be drinking
alcohol. He’s pulling out a bottle of scotch from his desk drawer
and offering a swig to Lois. Lois declines, and that’s the point
behind it. In fact, the whole thing is that everybody’s got their
faults. And, as the story progresses we see that even Superman has his
faults, if you can call humanism a fault.”
“Lois Lane
is privileged to have the very first interview with the red and blue
flying man and she, along with everybody else, cannot help but regard
him as a god of some kind, but Superman is really just trying to show
her
and the readers of The Daily Planet that as a person he is just as human
as they are, you know, he’s trying to demystify himself. But in
order for that premise to work, I had to show all the principle players’ faults.
There’s two for Perry. First he’s an unwitting sexist, a
chauvinist, and also he likes the occasional nip of scotch at the office.
But now it
has to be changed to Pepto Bismol. Obviously that trashes my character
study of Perry White right there, and if I use only his “back-up” fault,
his sexism, it can hardly be considered offensive because the boys at
DC have yet to complain about it.”
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This
is the problem with iconic characters that serve to create much in
the way of licensing and merchandising revenue for their owners. But
it is true that you can have one set of books for children and one
for adults, and humans can tell the difference, so I can’t help
but think that this censorship is stupid.
“It is. I’m glad
you understand this. I presented this story as a sophisticated work
in its context and format, yet within just the
first few pages the editorial hatchet is cutting out its heart.”
Alex
chimes in, “It’s not just DC. MONSTERS started out
as a Hulk book in 1984 and Marvel wouldn’t publish it because one
of the secondary characters said the word ‘goddamn’. They
said you could say ‘god’ and you could say ‘damn’ but
you couldn’t say ‘goddamn’. And this wasn’t just
Jim Shooter (head of Marvel in 1984) because we took it about three years
ago to Bobbie Chase (an editor at Marvel) and she said it was great,
we want to publish it, but we don’t allow ‘goddamn’.” We
all nod knowingly and sadly.
Windsor-Smith
turns back to the art and script. “It’s Perry
and one of his failings, but he’s still a good man. He says to
Lois ‘A guy just flies up to your 30-story window like that. Phew!’ Lois
says ‘I was stammering, Perry. I lost it.’ ‘You want
a shot? Calm the nerves?’ ‘No, I’m falling apart. I
need to talk to you straight, Perry.’ It’s a good scene.
It shows their mutual compassion. All in one panel. But, no. I can’t
do it.” |