Reading and Superman Comics.

Superman/DC comics have played an important role in my life. I remember getting my first 10 cent Superman comic from a cousin. He took me and my dad to the corner candy store in Boro Park. I fell in love with the character of Superman and pretended to read the words. I think that the TV show with George Reeves had an influence on my putting the printed word and the sounds together.(I also remember mourning the apparent suicide of George Reeves and the bad jokes people made about him thinking that he was Superman) I read with my father and somehow I actually started to read. I think that I was the only kid in first grade who could actually spell "invulnerable" and 'indestructible"
Reading comics actually helped my vocabulary. My mom started a deal with me-that I could get a new comic if I looked up ten words in the dictionary from the comics. My vocabulary and reading levels were pretty good. Batman,Flash,Green Lantern and The Justice League of America became part of my life as well. One closet in our house became my comic book closet. From Flash comics I actually learned about physics-about what happens when some thing moves very fast like actually defying gravity or what happens when molecules move and vibrate at super speeds. (eg being able to pass through solids-similar to when you see a piece of straw passing into a tree from the strenght of a hurricane) I recently reread one of the first new Barry Allan/Flash comics (Barry Allan was a police scientist) and couldn't believe the level of science inside a comic book. It read like text.
Green Lantern was like a Zen master. Nothing was impossible-you were only limited by your creativity, will power and the management of your fears and doubts. There were guardians of the universe that guided the Green Lantern Corp. The guardians were emotionally detached in many ways. The conflict between them and Hal Jordan..earth's Green Lantern was of the balance between intellect, a still inner world with passion. This also had an impact on my learning.
As a nine year old I wrote a letter to Justice League of America about an issue of JLA where Superman was teamed with Wonder Woman. I thought that they made a good couple and suggested they should get married-the romantic side of me was developing as well. The letter was printed in Justice League number 3 1961. I have a beat up copy of this issue. My love of comics and learning about loss from Batman also continued my education)
A few months after my letter was published, I was in an accident which cost me part of a finger. (These were the days long befor micro-surgery-which made this seemingly minor event a big deal. The surgeon tried to reattach my finge. When that didn't work they tried to reattach a part of it, via a skin graft. Needless to say, this was a rough experience for a little boy)
My parents,(two Polish survivors) in a moment of sheer enligtenment-) ,decided to call DC comics,and tell them about what had happened to me. Whoever answered the phone told them to bring me down for a visit-that day. DC was located at 575 Lexingon Avenue at that time-an address I will never forget. When I got there the first thing I saw was a huge oil painting of Superman and a room filled with comics. One gentleman led me around as my parents lovingly watched. The scared little boy was now in comic book heaven. I was introduced to comic book icons Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino. As soon as I heard their names I said 'you're the editor of Justice League and you draw Flash". I can still hear the giggles of the people around me. I spoke to one of the editors of Superman and pointed out about 5 or 6 mistakes in the last issue. It was the faces of my parents now that had the color of crimson and not Superman.
As the day continued the amazingly kind people at DC treated me and my parents for lunch but fed me in many ways as well. They gave me original Superman art works and slides of new characters called The Metal Men-again a comic that taught about science,about the qualities of different metals..how lead protects from radioactivity, the pliabilty of gold, how mercury is liquid at room temperature,etc..the characters personalities were a combination of their human traits and those in nature..good story telling)
For this day,I don't even remembering looking at my hand,the sling or thinking at all about the sight of what happened to my finger) I just remember the joy of that day and the kindness of people who made comics. What I remember as well was how the comics were never dummied down to kids my age and how they stimulated my reading in a lot of areas.