There are two major things happening today if you’re a Superman fan. One is the release of the 80-page giant Action Comics #1000 celebrating the 80th anniversary of Superman with contributions from legends including Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Marv Wolfman, Curt Swan, Jim Lee, Brian Michael Bendis and more.
It’s also the day of the release of the fifth episode of Krypton which is titled “The House of Zod” which offers flashbacks for Jayna Zod as well as something big that will change the course of the series.
We corresponded with Krypton Executive Producer Cameron Welsh about his show’s role in the Superman legacy and what we can expect for tonight.
KRYPTONSITE’s CRAIG BYRNE: In your mind, what are the most iconic images or moments from 80 years of Superman history?
CAMERON WELSH: There really are so many. That Superman vs. Muhammad Ali 1978 cover is one that immediately comes to mind. I have a beautiful hardcover version that I bought off Neal Adams at Comic Con one year, which he signed for me. It’s a treasured possession. Doomsday’s fist coming through that wall in the Death of Superman is one for sure. Hearing John Williams score in Richard Donner’s Superman. I remember, early on in our writer’s room we printed out some of the more comical moments, as well: there’s a Silver Age comic where Superman actually shoots “mini-Superman’s” out of his hands. Who knew? And any and every page from All Star Superman that Frank Quitely drew. Gorgeous stuff.
How and when did you first discover Superman?
I’ll never forget when I was in school and Death of Superman came out. It’s not just “Superman,” that you love, it’s the things he represents: wonder, hope. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, that Superman — which is such an American character that embodies such American ideals, could have such a profound effect on a young kid half way across the world in Australia. But looking back on it now, I think it’s pretty remarkable that this character has managed to transcend nationality, race, and gender even. Superman really belongs to the world as a whole.
Has it been important to you to pay tribute to those things on the Krypton television series?
Absolutely. That sense of wonder and hope is something we talked about a lot early on in the writer’s room. Even before we starting breaking episodes, we put up the word “hope” on the board in big letters to remind us that above all, any story about the El family has to be about hope.
How does it feel to be a part of the legacy and history of the Superman lore?
I just feel so incredibly lucky — to be playing in the same sandbox as guys like Grant Morrison, John Byrne and Mike Mignola, and Dan Jurgens has been a real privilege. Doing justice to the work of all the creators who came before us, while also bringing something new and fresh to the table has presented a unique and welcome challenge for us. It’s an amazing honor and a privilege and one that I value very highly!
Can you tease any of the elements of Superman lore that we might be seeing for the first time on the series in the next six episodes?
You’ll have to watch and see! You already know we’ll be seeing Brainiac, which I’m very excited about, since it’s the first live action Brainiac that DC has done. I also can’t wait for you to meet Jax-Ur. As I’m sure you know, traditionally in canon Jax is a man, but we’ve subverted the character and we were able to get the incomparable Hannah Waddingham to play Jax for us. She really did a fantastic job in making the character her own. I also can’t wait for the world to see our take on the legendary Doomsday!
You and others have said that tonight’s episode of Krypton is a big game-changer. What can you tease about that?
I’ll just say this: we’ve spent the previous episodes leading up to this one setting up the world and arranging the pieces on the chess-board, so to speak. In this episode, we flip the chess-board over and re-arrange the pieces entirely.
“The House of Zod” episode of Krypton airs at 10PM ET tonight on Syfy. See some photos from the episode here and be sure to come join the discussion on our Krypton forum!