This 1948 premium, made by National Comics, Inc., and offered by the Breck Candy Company, was part of a promotion for “The Adventures of Superman” radio program. Despite this connection, the program’s logo is the only reference to the iconic Superhero found within the product. It is nearly identical to 1944’s “Radio Quiz Master Stunts” game that was sold in stores. Both versions likely were inspired by the popularity of the panel game show “Quiz Kids,” which aired on radio from 1940-1948 before transitioning to television.
The game features a dial, that when turned, ask a series of questions, with answers provided. It comes with a punch-out paper microphone.
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche’s concept of the “uber mensch,” and the era’s popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the “Man of Tomorrow’s” virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world’s yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a “mild-mannered” journalist.
Fighting for “Truth and Justice,” Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
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