Happy Birthday, Lois Lane

According to Superman lore, today is the birthday of Lois Lane, star reporter of The Daily Planet, former girlfriend, and now wife of Superman/ Clark Kent/ Kal-El.  And all-around troublemaker/ kick-ass character.  

It's no secret we're big fans of Lois here at The Signal Watch.  She burst into comics on the sixth page of Action Comics #1, then going on a date with Clark where she was immediately kidnapped by a mobster - leading to her first meeting with The Man of Steel.

She's been a part of Superman's adventures since that moment, and continues to appear alongside him in his adventures in comics, radio, books, television, movies, video games and more. 

This year has been dense with great takes on Lois, in the movies, TV and comics.

Whatever is going on here is something a psychologist could have a field day exploring 

Lois has been many things over the years.  Fast talking city-gal reporter.  Sob sister trying to break into real reporting.  Problematic portrayal of a woman getting in trouble because she's in over her head.  Second-wave feminist truth-seeker.  Cynical city-dweller.  Third-wave feminist bad-ass.  Pulitzer-prize winning serious journalist.  Occasionally a super powered co-equal to Superman.   And, a take I like - a detective/journalist on par with Batman himself.

Her relationship to Superman has been all sorts of things, from the classic dynamic of Lois rolling her eyes at Clark and in love with Superman, to comedic character obsessed with Superman, to simply co-workers and occasionally assisting Superman, to wife and partner.  

And, now, a mother.  

Pal Danny Horn has stated that Lois is an endless story-machine, and he's right.  As long as Lois is out there and remains the same driven character, the more stories she generates for herself and Superman.  After all, she did carry her own series for 137 issues.  

I'd love to see a rebooted Superman one day where we can get back to the secret identity bit, but I get why they want Lois to know who Superman is.  It makes her look dumb if she doesn't know, and a Lois in-the-know gives Superman someone to talk to now that we've eliminated thought bubbles in comics.

Pretty snazzy duds, Lois

On television and in movies, we've been getting Loises that are reflective of the take in the comics the past two decades, and whose take on the screen impacts the writing of the comics.  And all of it pushes Lois's profile as maybe the most important person not in a cape in superherodom.  And Lois does need some exposure from time to time so people remember why she's important.  After all, we went through a few years where Lois was sidelined almost completely for a variety of reasons, from man-boys afraid to write strong women, to legal issues making Lois a potential legal liability if DC lost the Superman rights, to some editorial decision that Superman should date Wonder Woman (sigh).  

Since Superman hit the radio and appeared in the cartoons produced by the Fleischers, a line of actors as long as your arm have voiced and acted as Lois.  Joan Alexander kicked it off with the cartoons and radio show.

Noel Neill played Lois in the movie serials and then on the TV series The Adventures of Superman starting in Season 2.  

For a single season, Phyllis Coates played the role.

My Lois was Margot Kidder, who played Lois in 4 feature films starting in 1978.

But rather than bore you with all the Loises, of which there are many...  Here's a quick rundown of some of my faves.  Delaney and Hatcher were my Loises of the 90's, Kate Bosworth the one-shot feature film Lois of the 00's, Erica Durance our Smallville Lois, and Amy Adams the second banana Lois of Man of Steel, et al...  I'll move on to feeling fortunate that we just came off of Bitsie Tulloch's run on Superman and Lois - playing a veteran of the press room and with the same reckless pursuit of truth of the best versions of Lois, but this one tempered by also being a mother in a new phase of life.  

And, of course, we now have Rachel Brosnahan, who - like Tulloch - looks like she fell out of a Lois Lane press.  And who was, frankly, great in the role as an earlier-career Lois in Superman this summer.

Anyway, we're on to a new batch of stories in the Superman titles, and we've got a great Lois at the movies right now.  And a great animated take on My Adventures With Superman.  It's an ideal time to be a Lois fan.

I happen to have a Lois shrine I'll share some time, with pics thanks to JimD who has made it his life's goal to secure me signed pics since Loises don't tend to come to Austin.

Happy Birthday, Lois!