I never do this, but: Seen on Facebook

[REP]

I never repost crap I've seen on Facebook but I'm making an exception, because this graphic from the '50s is exceptional. Well, I guess not really if one is familiar with the creators of Superman and the early stories ... but we need a lot more of this.

[ljm2002]

1. Great find! K&R n/t

[peacebird]

2. That is awesome!

[99th_Monkey]

3. Wow. How quaint, but sadly so.

Today some would scream bloody murder with outrage, that this is downright Liberal or
Progressive or some such; back then it was just a widely-shared ethic of common decency.

Not to overly glamorize the 50s -- esp. given the racism & segregation, and violent responses
to the civil rights movement -- but I spent much of my younger years in that decade and recall
when super-heros had a ethics and there was good v. evil, good guys & bad guys, and there
was an air of common decency afoot.

[Beartracks]

39. Right. Forcing American values on Americans....

... and demanding that they uphold American ideals is just fascism!!!11!eleventy-one!!

So sayeth the GOP.

=============

[mountain grammy]

4. From the 50's, should add "unless they're a commie."

But, seriously, this is a great poster.Oh how we try to get it right.

[REP]

8. I have nothing to back this up, but think it might've been issued to fight

the "unless they're a Commie" xenophobia of the era, because it stresses that xenophobia is UN-American. I could be wrong.

[mountain grammy]

12. And you just might be right..

there was a lot of xenophobia then. Really, the 50's are touted as a golden age, but I remember bomb drills in elementary school. Scared all us kids to death with that crap. This a a great, positive message.

[murielm99]

38. "truth, justice and the American way"

I remember that from the TV show. It sounds odd now.

This is a great message, though. Thanks.

[japple]

5. I saw that on fb. One person commented that the copyright date is 1960something which is just

under Superman's feet. I think that it really must be from the 50s (or earlier). Don't copyright holders have to renew for later printings? It looks much more like 1950s than 1960s, IMHO.

Great poster nonetheless.

[HubertHeaver]

7. The copyright date is 1936.

Judging from the manner of dress and the fat-tire bicycle I think 1936 is accurate.

[REP]

9. You're right - it's 1936

I did a bit of research before posting because DU.

[MurrayDelph]

15. That would be a neat trick

considering that the first appearance of Superman was in Action Comics 1,which has a cover date of June, 1938.

[REP]

17. Your eyes are better than mine!

I may be familiar with the story of Superman's creation but am obviously foggy on dates I could see that it was a "3" and not a "6" in the third position but messed up on the fourth.

[japple]

23. Your eyes are better than mine, too. I guess they're better than that person who posted

on FB that it was 1966 (or 68 or whatever they said it was.)

[X_Digger]

29. No, not 1936..

I'd say '62-'66..

[JHB]

33. Copyright 1949

Last edited Sat Dec 26, 2015, 12:25 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.snopes.com/superman-1950-poster-diversity/

While we haven't been able to pinpoint the exact origins of the colorized version of the poster shown above, we were able to confirm that this is a genuine piece of comic book art that was originally released in 1949.

According to a 2008 Hakes auction, the above-displayed comic was released as a school book cover in 1949 and was distributed by the The Institute For American Democracy Inc:

12x18" brown paper with black art images and text. ©1949 Nat'l Comics Pub. Inc. Distributed by The Institute For American Democracy Inc. Book cover features art image of Superman that appears to be by noted Superman comic book artist Wayne Boring showing Superman standing with group of children, text balloon reading "... And Remember, Boys And Girls, Your School — Like Our Country — Is Made Up Of Americans Of Many Different Races, Religions And National Origins. So ..." and continues underneath "... If YOU Hear Anybody Talk Against A Schoolmate Or Anyone Else Because Of His Religion, Race Or National Origin &Amdahl; Don't Wait: Tell Him THAT KIND OF TALK IS UN-AMERICAN. HELP KEEP YOUR SCHOOL ALL-AMERICAN!" Book cover has handling wear, mostly along center vertical fold line, resulting in numerous small creases not greatly infringing into art area. Fine. Art area featuring Superman remains VF. Scarce.

Second item on the list in a Google search for the terms: superman school poster "un-american". Just a gentle reminder.

EDITED TO ADD: It's possible the poster has a different (updated) copyright date from when it was printed. Impossible to tell without a picture with better resolution.

[3catwoman3]

34. I remember those 'duck and cover"...

...drill quite clearly, and also remember wondering how hiding under my desk was going to protect me from a nuclear blast.

[pinboy3niner]

6. Still Super, after all these years

[spanone]

10. in other words, trump is UN-AMERICAN

[REP]

11. Yup.

In the worst possible ways.

[mountain grammy]

13. According to Superman

and certainly in my book.

[DFW]

14. Superman was one of the first intergalactic border babies

Sent to Smallville with no papers or documents, he was adopted, assimilated quickly.

He was apparently a quick learner, became a member of his community, and was embraced by them in spite of his complete lack of documentation or financial means. In part, it was probably due to his European-appearing ethnicity, but being able to fly, faster than sound, being immune to gunfire, and having X-ray vision probably didn't weigh in as negatives, either.

[REP]

21. Jews were not regarded as white when Superman arrived

Especially not immigrant Jews.

[DFW]

24. Louis Brandeis was appointed to the SCOTUS in 1916

Superman arrived in 1939. That rule was not absolute.

[REP]

25. No rule is

Except that no rule is absolute.

[madokie]

16. Our strength

is our diversity.

[REP]

18. Absolutely

It makes some things more complex, but ultimately, it is our greatest strength.

[madokie]

20. complexity is beauty

[airplaneman]

19. I remember watching a show

and being surprised to see superman give a speech about buying US Savings Bonds at the end of the show.
-Airplane

[barbtries]

22. i immediately found it and shared it on fb too

can't help wondering what seeing that does to the haters...hopefully it makes them think for a minute at least.

[Kalidurga]

26. They start hating Superman?

I really don't know. I can't see one single poster actually making them think.

[yuiyoshida]

27. Wow, Superman has his hand on the head of an Asian kid..

Good for him!

[REP]

30. I noticed that, too

Superman is serious when he says to keep it All American for all Americans!

[jomin41]

37. Maybe he's covering the kid's ears?

[Stuart G]

28. I taught in a place like that 50 languages, all religions etc..(high school)

A couple of days after the Oklahoma City Bombing in April of 1995. We discussed it for a while..After class, a couple of Muslim students who were very kind, and A students by the way, came up to me to discuss this. They said that their version of their religion would never tolerate that kind of violence. So a few days later, it turned out to be a white former soldier who had a revenge motive for another ugly incident of killing. But, I do recall that the media went after the Muslim religion directly after the bombing..there was some kind of suspect..who happened to be "Muslim"..

..Tim McVeigh, if I recall was the terrorist..,..

[REP]

31. I live in a place like that - the USA

I really do believe that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Yes, it can make some things complex, but that's not a bad thing. And yes, there's some stupid in that mix, but that can be found everywhere in the world. We're not special in that case.

[kairos12]

32. Trump is Kraptonite to American Goals and Ideals

[3catwoman3]

36. Kraptonite -

- a most excellent neologism, which I shall be borrowing.

[3catwoman3]

35. From post #3 above -

"Today some would scream bloody murder with outrage, that this is downright Liberal or
Progressive or some such; back then it was just a widely-shared ethic of common decency."

Like common sense, common decency has become most uncommon.