Superman Dropping America From His Motto Results In Employee Protest Quit
DC employees are quitting over a catchphrase change for Superman.
This article is more than 2 years old
Of late, many classic characters in DC Comics are undergoing monumental changes and many of them have been connected to Superman, whether it was the announcement that Kryptonian’s son is bisexual or the update that he will be fighting against climate change now. But it is a recent change in the character’s motto that has people venting their displeasure. The official removal of the word “American way” from Superman’s iconic catchphrase has employees furious. In fact, Superman: Son of Kal-El colorist Gabe Eltaeb is so disappointed with this change that he is quitting DC Comics in protest.
The colorist YouTube live stream hosted by Cyberfrog creator Ethan Van Sciver (via Bounding to Comics) and revealed that he is done with DC Comics using its characters to appear woke. As he is tired of the same old tricks and of DC “ruining these characters,” he has decided to end his contract with them and will not renew it anymore. “I’m finishing out my contract with DC. I’m tired of this sh-t, I’m tired of them ruining these characters; they don’t have a right to do this,” Superman colorist Gabe Eltaeb said.
It was recently announced by DC Comics that from now on, Superman/Clark Kent, who proudly wears the colors of the US flag, will not be fighting for justice “The American Way.” His current motto, i.e., “Truth, Justice, and The American Way” will instead be replaced by “Truth, Justice, and a better tomorrow.”
DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee has also explained that the change was made to go along with the comics’ recent mission to tell more inclusive stories. He established that Superman’s motto is “evolving,” which means that his adventures, going forward, no longer carry the obligation of being steeped in “the American way.” While he will continue to be a “symbol of hope who inspires people”, his mission statement has expanded its horizons. Also, this change in Clark Kent’s motto isn’t just restricted to the comics and will be reflected in the stories told by any films, series, video games, or any other form of media in the future.
But Gabe Eltaeb isn’t in favor of this change in how Superman is depicted in DC. He has asserted that “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” will always be the correct representation for the superhero as it relays America’s history. “My Grandpa almost died in World War II; we don’t have a right to destroy sh-t that people died for to give us,” he explained. “It’s a bunch of f***** nonsense. They call us bigots and racist and shit, I would ask them, find me in the f***** mainstream, not on the fringes, one f***** book, one f***** t-shirt, one movie that says that leftism is bad, and conservatism is good, find it for me, they f***** won’t they’re not letting people have a voice, they’re the f***** bigots.
As mentioned above, apart from the subtle transformation in Superman’s catchphrase, another big change has been made to the character. It was recently announced that Clark Kent’s son, Jon Kent, who is all set to take after his father, is bisexual and will be beginning a relationship with an aspiring journalist named Jay Nakamura. As per the announcement by DC Comics, their story will begin with Jon trying to follow in his father’s footsteps and keep his identity as a superhero a secret while living a normal life as a high school student. But in Superman: Son of Kal-El number five, Jon will be on the brink of absolute exhaustion after trying to save everyone on his own and circumstances will lead him to sharing a kiss with Jay.
