American comics: You're asked to fish, but you catch a Superman template?

Page 567

"Well, if you insist."

Seeing that Jacob repeatedly refused his request to rest, Xu Fu stopped refusing and just shook his head helplessly.

The workers' refusal to rest may simply be a characteristic of the Great Depression.

Chapter 641 Radio Drama

"Sir, it's time."

When Xu Fu handed the Weekend Series Superman comic book to Old John, Little John knew it was time to give him a reminder.

Starting half an hour ago, John had become distracted at the newspaper office, frequently glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Turn on the radio."

Upon hearing John's reminder, Xu Fu glanced at the crowd in the newspaper office, saw their waiting faces, and then nodded.

"Yes, sir."

With Xu Fu's approval, John immediately ran to the newspaper office's radio, turned on the switch, and carefully tuned it to the CBS broadcast channel.

Twisting little John's fingers, the announcer's voice echoed in the messenger's office: "Attention boys and girls, an exciting new radio program is about to begin!"

Announcer: "He possesses incredible and unbelievable adventurous characteristics, is faster than a missile, stronger than a locomotive, and even exploding bombs cannot penetrate his tough skin."

Passerby A: "Look at the sky!"

Passerby B: "Is that a bird?"

Passerby C: "Is that a glass window?"

Passerby A: "That's a superman!"

"It's Superman!"

Hearing the shout coming from the radio, John couldn't help but shout back, uttering the classic slogan created by Xu Fu.

After a period of negotiations, Xu Fu signed a contract to collaborate with CBS to produce a radio series about Superman.

CBS also officially launched in-house production of the radio series, hiring Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre to voice the Superman radio show.

Meanwhile, after discussions with Xu Fu, CBS confirmed the name of the radio series: "The Adventures of Superman".

Now, this is what John Jr. and the rest of us have been receiving and hearing.

This is the first episode of the children's radio program "Content from Krypton," adapted from Xu Fu's Superman comic book.

Announcer: "Superman doesn't look any taller than an ordinary person, but he possesses unprecedented strength and abilities. He can leap into the air for an eighth of a mile, easily jump over twenty stories, drive powerful bullets toward his target, and lift the astonishing weight of a huge round steel bar with his bare hands as easily as lifting a piece of paper."

Radio host: "Superman".

Announcer: "An extraterrestrial visitor from a distant planet, a defender of the oppressed. This man, curious about an unusual body, vows to use his power to help those in need."

Announcer: "Now our story begins. You will embark on a long journey with ether to the distant, unknown universe of Krypton!"

Announcer: "He is like a shining green star in the sky. Here, Ming is the most evolved. He created a superhuman race. The men and women look just like us Earthlings, but that's just an appearance. In fact, they have evolved to the absolute pinnacle of human perfection."

Announcer: "As we approach Krypton, we see high walls and gleaming towers. We are approaching the magnificent Temple of Wisdom, where Krypton's most renowned scientist, Joel Ayr, is about to hold a meeting of the Kryptonian Science Council in one of its halls."

The first details of the Krypton explosion were revealed in Superan, a quarterly magazine published by Courier.

In the radio drama about Superman's adventures, Xu Fu further elaborated on this part of the story.

This includes the appearance of the Kryptonian Science Council, which is described as a standalone episode in the comics but unfolds as a discussion in the Incredibles radio series.

In a sense, the plot of the radio series about The Adventures of Incredibles is actually a process of perfecting the plot of the comics.

Given the differences between radio and comic books, text carries deeper information and ideas than pictures, radio dramas add variations in tone and sound effects to complement the text.

For example, when the actors were describing Superman's flying scenes, the sounds of birds chirping and airplanes taking off were broadcast on the radio, creating a sense of immediacy for listeners.

Additionally, when the episode shifts to the Kryptonian Science Council, rustling conversations can be heard in the background of the broadcast, giving the impression that there are many members present.

President: "Attention, attention, gentlemen."

President: "Joe Al, please speak."

Joel-El: "Councilors, I have completed my calculations of the Sun, and though I am afraid to say it, I have concluded that Krypton is doomed."

Congressman: "...Am I understanding you correctly?"

In the radio drama, as the actor who voices Joel-El announces the hypothesis of Krypton's destruction, the background hissing grows louder, and the entire Kryptonian Science Council seems perplexed by the hypothesis.

President: "Gentlemen."

President: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, let him finish."

The actor responsible for the president's voice spoke and repeated a few words, after which the chaotic Kryptonian science committee fell silent again.

Joel-El: "These past few days, we've experienced internal earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and gas leaks from giant craters. All of this points to one thing, gentlemen: Krypton is utterly and completely destroyed!"

Congressman: "Why has this person gone mad?"

As in the comics, the Kryptonian Science Council did not agree with Joel-El's assumptions, and the council chairman refuted these assumptions.

President: "Wait a minute, gentlemen, wait a minute."

President: "There is no need to worry. I believe Joel-El made a mistake in acknowledging that we have had some minor earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but nothing very serious. Your calculations must be wrong."

Joel-El: "No, there's no fault of Rossan's here. I wish it were a mistake, but the sun is gradually pulling Krypton toward itself. In a month, maybe just a week, the gravity will be too strong for Krypton to withstand. Then our planet will look like a giant bursting bubble, destroying all life on it."

President Rosanne: "Gentlemen, quietly, if—and I mean if, Joel, what you're saying is true—what can we do to avoid it? What can we do to stop it?"

Chapter 642 How does it look?

Joel-El: "There's only one way. As you know, I've been working for a long time in a space factory designed for interstellar travel. With time and effort, we can transport the entire population of Krypton to another world."

President Rosanne: "Impossible! Where are we going? Where can we go?"

Joel Al: "Go to Earth? My research tells me that Earth's atmosphere is very similar to Krypton's."

Laura: "Are you close to finishing the spacecraft model?"

Joel Al: "Yes, yes, I just finished the last rivet. How does it look?"

Laura: "Great, but did it work?"

Joel Al: "Uh... we'll see. If it works, I'll immediately start building another one just like it, only much bigger, big enough to take the three of us to another world."

Laura: "Joel, how long will this last? Every moment we spend waiting and doubting."

Joel Al: "Yes, I know, I know, Laura, it's been tough for both of us, especially for you, 120. How's the baby?"

Laura: "He's asleep. The earthquake this afternoon scared him, but he's fine now. Can you come in and see him? You hardly see him these days; he's been making spaceship models all day."

Joel Al: "Honey, it's no use. I'm racing against time, and now I'm anxious to know if the model will perform as I hope."

Laura: "How can this be?"

Joel Al: "It's simple: when it's ready, I press this switch. By shutting off this circuit, the electrical energy in the atomic engine generates pressure, and then at the last moment, the pressure forces the spaceship to separate from the main engine and accelerates it."

Laura: "But where will it go?"

Joel Al: "Wherever it goes, this guy, my target is Earth."

Laura: "The ground? What's that, Jor-El?"

Joel-El: "A planet smaller than us, on the other side of the sun. Inhabited by a race similar to us."

Laura: "Like ourselves?"

Joel Al: "Of course, only part of it, my dear. They're about the same size, but they're barely developed. Very weak and helpless, and all their abilities are extremely limited."

Laura: "What are you doing, Joel?"

Joel Al: "Put the child on the airship."

Laura: "Joe-El, the house is shaking."

Joel Al: "Laura, he's safe inside. I'm going to flip the switch now. Step back a bit."

Laura: "Oh, Joel, will he come to Earth?"

Joel Al: "Only God knows, the airship has a chance, that's the only plan, now back off."

Laura: "I'm going to press the switch!"

Laura: "Joel, it's so dark here, I can't see anything. What happened?"

Joel-El: "Fire, smoke from the heart of the planet, we don't have much time left."

Announcer: "The spaceship roared away from the planet and flew into space."

Announcer: "Krypton shattered into glowing fragments, scattered throughout the universe, forever remaining in the night sky. But our Superman, whose spaceship escaped just before the explosion, arrived on Earth in time, and the superhero story begins."

The entire radio drama lasted nearly 12 minutes and ended with the opening scene of a planetary explosion, followed by a detailed account of the destruction Krypton suffered by the Kryptonian Science Committee.

Throughout the entire storyline, the protagonist Superman never utters a single word, but everyone knows how Superman will grow up in the future.

Passerby A: "Look at the sky!"

Passerby B: "Is that a bird?"

Passerby C: "Is that a glass window?"