1996’s animated show Superman: The Animated Series was widely loved by fans, and it wasn’t just because of its storyline. Written by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Stan Berkowitz, and Rich Fogel and developed by Burnett and Bruce Timm, the series also earned massive fan approval for how it paid homage to some real legends.
And by ‘real legends’, we refer to all the legendary comic book writers and artists who helped create the splendid world of superheroes and supervillains. One of these was none other than the late renowned mastermind Jack Kirby, who earned a ‘cameo’ in the very episode of the series that comic writer cum artist Alex Ross thanked the showrunners for.
Jack Kirby and Alex Ross’ Connection to 1 Superman: The Animated Series Episode
The late legend renowned for his works in the Marvel and DC comics, Jack Kirby was one of the most deeply respected influences in the world of entertainment.
This is why the developers of the masterpiece show from the late 1990s, Superman: The Animated Series, even paid tribute to him through their series.
In the 1996 helmed series, the character of Dan Turpin was modeled in the likeness of Kirby by Bruce Timm. Since the original character was made by none other than the late legend himself (along with Joe Simon), Timm, who was a huge fan of Kirby, added this touch to honor his icon.
Not stopping there, he even made sure to give the mastermind a special ‘cameo’ by featuring a funeral scene for the very character whose appearance was inspired by Kirby in the episode Apokolips…Now! Part II.
But Kirby wasn’t the only one who was paid homage to through that one heartbreaking scene. Alex Ross, the comic book writer cum artist who is renowned for his own splendid works for both Marvel and DC, found his way into the series as well.
That very funeral scene featured not only Ross but his father Clark Ross as well, since he was the inspiration behind The Reverend Norman McCay in the Kingdom Come saga.
In the book, The Krypton Companion: A Historical Exploration of Superman Comic Books of 1958-1986, the widely celebrated now-54-year-old artist expressed his gratitude over the same as he said:
“I’m happy to say my father and I got animated into the funeral sequence of that episode,” said Ross.
However, this story of paying tribute dives even deeper, as several more comic book characters were shown in that specific funeral scene as well.
That Funeral Episode Featured Other Superheroes Too!
To pay their respects to Kirby, the creators of The Animated Series even went so far as to add characters created by him, even if they were from other universes. And yes, even those from DC’s rival, the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
As Ross continued to share in the book:
“They also had characters like the out-of-costume Fantastic Four [from Marvel], Orion, Big Barda, and Mr. Miracle–countless characters and professionals [from Kirby’s career].”
However, these animated characters were never able to make their way to the audiences when the original episode of the masterpiece series aired for reruns (presumably due to copyright issues) and were instead substituted with nondescript stand-ins.
Nonetheless, you can see the original clip in the video shared by Fabio Marquen on YouTube.
You can stream Superman: The Animated Series on Max.
