The K-Metal From Krypton!

[Super Monkey]

The most famous Superman story never seen, will soon be completed at long last, This is the holy grail of Superman Stories!

Check out the project as well as the history of this story here:

http://k-metal.cc

Some info:

"The K-Metal From Krypton!" was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster and his studio back in 1940.

For various reasons that we can only speculate about, the story was never published. Most of Shuster's completed pages have been lost, with only a handful known to be in existence.

It is now also the latest "project" here at Superman Through the Ages!. Fan gallery contributor Angel Criado is illustrating the missing pages, and Bob Rivard, from Big Bang Comics, is doing the inking and coloring.

This is a work in progress and we will be releasing new pages as we complete them.


Enjoy Superfans!

[Lurker]

Very Cool.

This one's the ultimate "what-if" that might have changed the course of comics history akin to Germany winning WWII if it would have been published. Not that this is something hidious like that, just providing a real world comparison of the appropiate magnitude.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I always thought it was interesting that even the creators of Superman realized that disolving the Clark-Lois-Superman triangle was a bad idea....and also that they came up with Kryptonite before anybody else.

[PatrickG]

Where did you get Siegel's script, out of curiousity?

I'd like to see it.

[Criadoman]

That would be an "ancient Chinese secret" - but needless to say, we pulled it off.

[PatrickG]

Well, in any case, does anybody have Rao's ear?

I'd like to give the Golden Age Superman Site I started over there a facelift of some kind and investigate getting a couple of new interviews up.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

The most famous Superman story never seen, will soon be completed at long last, This is the holy grail of Superman Stories!

Check out the project as well as the history of this story here:

http://superman.ws/k-metal/?page=1

Some info:

"The K-Metal From Krypton!" was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster and his studio back in 1940.

For various reasons that we can only speculate about, the story was never published. Most of Shuster's completed pages have been lost, with only a handful known to be in existence.

It is now also the latest "project" here at Superman Through the Ages!. Fan gallery contributor Angel Criado is illustrating the missing pages, and Bob Rivard, from Big Bang Comics, is doing the inking and coloring.

This is a work in progress and we will be releasing new pages as we complete them.


Enjoy Superfans!

WOW!

Damn cool. I'm checking it out. Thanks for the info.

[Criadoman]

Hey Patrick G.,

If you want, e-mail me as I've got a few of Rao's direct addresses - I have to as I'm the illustrator of the project. I was wondering about the GA Superman site - so it would be cool to see it get updated a bit with what's been going on in IC so far.

[sirgod]

I always thought it was interesting that even the creators of Superman realized that disolving the Clark-Lois-Superman triangle was a bad idea....and also that they came up with Kryptonite before anybody else.


Didn't I recently read here, that the Kryptonite thing came from the old Radio Shows? Something about sups wanting a Vacation and The Batman taking over for two weeks?

Still, way too cool Project guys, Thumbs up from your resident Okie.

Stephen

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Didn't I recently read here, that the Kryptonite thing came from the old Radio Shows? Something about sups wanting a Vacation and The Batman taking over for two weeks?

Still, way too cool Project guys, Thumbs up from your resident Okie.

Stephen

Yes, Kryptonite first appeared in the radio show in the late 1940s, but "K-Metal" pre-dates that by several years. So, while Seigel & Shuster were never given credit for the idea, we know that they actually came up with the exact same concept, but the story was never publised.

[sirgod]

Ahh I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the clarification.

Stephen

[Super Monkey]

Page two is up!

http://superman.ws/k-metal/?page=2

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Hell yeah!

Thanks for the news.

[Criadoman]

Hi all,

For some breaking news - we have recently discovered the original page 1 from the K-Metal from Krypton and are in process of restoring it (it's pretty rough). I am taking great pains to be very exact on this restoration because this page was done by none other than JOE SHUSTER himself (according to Bob Hughes!)

Also - Superman artist, Jon Bogdanove has also joined the team to produce the Superman action pages himself!!! If there was ever one thing I ever agreed with with Wizard magazine - it was that Jon was Shuster's spiritual successor.

Come check it out at www.k-metal.cc.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

This is most awesome news! Thanx for sharing.

SUPERMAN FOREVER!!!!

[Bored at 3:00AM]

I'm shocked that DC Comics isn't doing this, to be honest.

This is the Holy Grail of Comics.

Glad to hear Jon Bog is helping out with the art. He was the only guy outside of Stuart Immonmen who drew Superman with long hair instead of the the Dreaded Super-Mullet

[TROUBLEZ]

Wasn't the K-Metal strip partially reprinted in one of those DC History books or something? I could have sworn I saw it somewhere.

[J. Robb]

Also - Superman artist, Jon Bogdanove has also joined the team to produce the Superman action pages himself!!! If there was ever one thing I ever agreed with with Wizard magazine - it was that Jon was Shuster's spiritual successor.
The Bogdanove page is very nice, and I agree he is very Shuster-esque. He's a perfect fit for this story.

I love the scene at the beginning where the astronomer is talking about Krypton exploding and Clark's basically thinking "BO-RING!" :)

[Criadoman]

Actually - I remember the 1st time I saw Bog's work - I think it was Adventures of Superman or something. I loved it - so this is a big win for me for him to contribute to the story.

As far as K-Metal - the only time I am ever aware of it appearing in any form was in History of Comics back in the early 70's.

I really wouldn't mind if DC actually did produce this story. There are a few artists that I think would do the story excellent justice, Bog being one. Hopefully they decide to at some point - til then, I guess we're it.

[rZi]

Wow, cool find bro...interesting stuff

[Ironman2978]

I miss Superman thru the ages but I glad "the K-Metal from Krypton" is still here.

[lovefist911]

The most famous Superman story never seen, will soon be completed at long last, This is the holy grail of Superman Stories!

Check out the project as well as the history of this story here:

http://k-metal.cc

Some info:

"The K-Metal From Krypton!" was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster and his studio back in 1940.

For various reasons that we can only speculate about, the story was never published. Most of Shuster's completed pages have been lost, with only a handful known to be in existence.

It is now also the latest "project" here at Superman Through the Ages!. Fan gallery contributor Angel Criado is illustrating the missing pages, and Bob Rivard, from Big Bang Comics, is doing the inking and coloring.

This is a work in progress and we will be releasing new pages as we complete them.


Enjoy Superfans!

Cool. Just don't get your ass sued by either of the families, There's been enough of that legal crap already.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

I miss Superman thru the ages but I glad "the K-Metal from Krypton" is still here.

Oh my freaking god... I just noticed this. And what in the hell are those circumstances that Tor talks about?

It's a sad, sad day indeed. Superman Through The Ages was one of the best Superman sites out there. :(:(:(:(

[Criadoman]

Those "circumstances" aren't all that mysterious. Apparently DC has got plans, and per the wbemaster it was a highly understandable request. Now, into my own opinion - I think DC has been rather negligent in another matter. It seems to me that STTA has been quite a force in unofficial marketing of the pre-Crisis Superman - and over the years has been mined by writers and artists themselves as a resource. Also, STTA as a name was owned and copywrited by the site, and they in turn took the name for their toy line, not giving any particular caveat or bone to the site for marketing the name.

Now, possibly one might argue that by DC allowing the reprinted stories to be published for as many years as it has might be that "exchange" - but unfortunately the real point is that DC had a friend in the STTA site, and ultimately this appears how "corporate" the company is and how less considerate it seems to operate as a whole, or in short, how DC cares for it's friends. So, losing that substance on the site, the spent years marketing and promoting that particular version of the character resulting in DC pulling rank without even a sincere word of thanks - what's the point in continuing it? None that I can see. So, they lose a friend.

Maybe it will return as a museum site, who knows.

But, I'm sure I speak for the webmaster when I state your support over the years is appreciated.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Thanx for the very important piece of info, Criadoman.

Damn, it is such a damn shame.

I'm sad again. :(

[The artist formerly known as]

Hi guys,

Just to clear up any misconceptions: The decision to close the website was mine, not DC's; nor did they request it of me; nor has anyone at DC ever told me what they may be planning in the future.

There have been different possible explanations for the site's closure given on this forum and on others. In truth, there were many reasons behind my decision, some of which are known by STTA regulars and some of which are not. None of those reasons taken individually would have caused me to close the site.

There have been legal bumps in the past but I've always kept going. Now the fight is over. This time around there were legal reasons, sure; but also philosophical, creative, artistic, and personal reasons. Suffice to say, a bit under two weeks ago they all fused together and formed a nexus in time: It became quite clear that the site's end had arrived and that in order to be true to the site I had to bring it to an end.

I am extremely grateful to DC and I know that STTA could never have existed without their support.

Nightwing has started a new forum (http://www.supermanfan.net/forum/) where many of the former STTA members have found a home, myself included. Feel free to ask any questions there, I do check in from time to time.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Thanx for the link.

And I know what I'm going to ask is, most likely, a stupid question. But I need to ask anyway: Will STTA ever return?

[PatrickG]

Awww...

That's a real shame.

There's only one decent Superman fansite dedicated to the comics left now.

Well, there's Supermanica but that's a wiki.

And Superman Homepage doesn't have a regular outlet for essays or retrospectives.

Just a real shame. I'll really miss the Maggin stories and of course that wonderful page dedicated the Kal-L's return whoever did that....

[MatterEaterLad]

One thing Rao did say on the last day of STTA is that it might be time for a new generation of people to take up the torch, so the spirit lives on at Nightwing's site and Supermanica.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

That's good to read. I'll pay a visit to those sites.

[Project K-Metal]

The most famous Superman story never seen, will soon be completed at long last, This is the holy grail of Superman Stories!

Check out the project as well as the history of this story here:

http://k-metal.nu (http://k-metal.nu/splash.php)

Some info:

"The K-Metal From Krypton!" was written by Jerry Siegel and illustrated by Joe Shuster and his studio back in 1940.

For various reasons that we can only speculate about, the story was never published. Most of Shuster's completed pages have been lost, with only a handful known to be in existence.

This is a work in progress and we will be releasing new pages as we complete them.

Enjoy Superfans!

Hi folks,

I'm really glad that there has been such a following of this story. When I first put up that handful of scans from Alter Ego Magazine, I had no idea what would happen. It has far surpassed my expectations and my hopes.

Two years ago, my initial "recovery" effort turned into a combination restoration and re-completion project; and shortly thereafter Beppo made the announcement quoted above. It looks like we're almost there. This whole thing has been a lot of fun and before it began I never once imagined that I would ever actually some day be working on a Superman comic.

At this point, two (http://k-metal.nu/?page=22&w=1024) of Jon Bogdanove's four pages are now online. Angel has finished the penultimate page (http://k-metal.nu/?page=25&w=1024) of the original script, and that is also now online - leaving one major story element unresolved for the final page to handle.

http://k-metal.nu/p22/k-metal-page-22-panel-9-thumb-mini.jpg (http://k-metal.nu/p22/)
http://k-metal.nu/p22/

[Project K-Metal]

For those still following this puppy, page 26 has just been added.

http://superman.nu/k-metal/

[Hamdinger]

Awesome! Thanks for the update. :smile:

[sandmountainslim]

it's still not finished? Has it been abandoned?