Nrama: Wow! I’ve never thought of it that way. This approach of questioning everything about Superman’s origin reminds me a lot of a classic newspaper reporter’s approach to something. And people may not know this, but you got your start as a newspaper man writing for several papers on the West Coast. Will some of that knowledge impart itself on depicting Clark’s later life at the Daily Planet?
JMS: Definitely. I started off as a reporter, working for the LA Times, LA Herald Examiner, TIME, and other publications for over ten years. So I know what the inside of a newsroom is supposed to feel like. It's evident -- and this isn't meant as a slam, just a statement of fact -- that a lot of those who've written for Superman haven't worked as journalists. As a result, the Daily Planet tends to function either as a mcguffin to get the story moving, or a place Clark needs to escape to do what's necessary. So along with rebooting Superman, the next job was to make the Daily Planet a real newspaper: Perry's a real editor, Lois a real reporter, Jim a real photojournalist. And of those three, probably the biggest change most folks will notice off the bat is in Jim's personality. Most newspaper photographers I've worked with over the years are totally insane, in the good sense of that word. They're freaking fearless. If the only way to get the shot of a career is to stand in harm's way, then by god that's where they'll stand (which is why most of those who've been killed in the journalism field over the decades have been photographers and photojournalists). Doesn't matter what's coming at him, Olsen will find his spot and plant himself like a tree until he gets the shot he needs.
