In “The World Outside,” I examine comic books showing up in outside media, like TV shows, sports, novels and films. Today, we look at how the conflict between Superman and Kryptonite became the centerpiece of, of all things, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.One of the interesting things about certain pop culture figures is that their popularity as a pop culture ICON can often outstrip their popularity as an actual publishing concern. For instance, Little Orphan Annie is still a character that many people are familiar with due to the musical based on the comic strip, Annie, but the comic strip Little Orphan Annie ended over a DECADE ago (it actually ended on a cliffhanger that was resolved in the Dick Tracy comic strip). We see this with the influence of Superman on the world. The Man of Steel was one of the most popular comic book series in the United States from the 1940s through the 1970s, but even though he hasn’t been as popular as other characters for the past 40 years or so, the character is a true ICON. EVERYbody knows Superman. He has left such a strong imprint on the world of popular culture, and heck, the world period!The Slam Dunk Contest originated in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1976, when the league was going through dire straits (it would eventually merge with the NBA the next year). Jim Bukata, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the ABA, recalled how they came up with the idea for the 1976 ABA All-Star Game (the final ABA All-Star Game before the merger):
In “The World Outside,” I examine comic books showing up in outside media, like TV shows, sports, novels and films. Today, we look at how the conflict between Superman and Kryptonite became the centerpiece of, of all things, the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
One of the interesting things about certain pop culture figures is that their popularity as a pop culture ICON can often outstrip their popularity as an actual publishing concern. For instance, Little Orphan Annie is still a character that many people are familiar with due to the musical based on the comic strip, Annie, but the comic strip Little Orphan Annie ended over a DECADE ago (it actually ended on a cliffhanger that was resolved in the Dick Tracy comic strip). We see this with the influence of Superman on the world. The Man of Steel was one of the most popular comic book series in the United States from the 1940s through the 1970s, but even though he hasn’t been as popular as other characters for the past 40 years or so, the character is a true ICON. EVERYbody knows Superman. He has left such a strong imprint on the world of popular culture, and heck, the world period!
The Slam Dunk Contest originated in the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1976, when the league was going through dire straits (it would eventually merge with the NBA the next year). Jim Bukata, the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the ABA, recalled how they came up with the idea for the 1976 ABA All-Star Game (the final ABA All-Star Game before the merger):
#Superman #Kryptonite #Weird #NBA #Dunk #Contest #Heres
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