A 2 minute animated fan film titled “Tryouts” has been released online by director Victor M. Newman, who collaborated with animator/illustrator Jonathan Djob Nkondo, composer JD McMillin and VO Talent Chuck Johnson.
“Tryouts”, which was created for the 2016 Motion Poems project, finds Superman in the midst of the Civil Rights movement in the USA.
Tryouts from Victor M Newman on Vimeo.
This is really well done, but I can’t help but think Superman would understand the numerous social forces at play that would drive an super-powered member of an oppressed group of people to try to save someone like him over an oppressor. He literally can’t relate. He’s never been systemically oppressed. Perhaps he’s been the victim of oppression on class lines or something in Smallville, but that’s nothing compared to systemic racism. And I’d expect Superman to understand that difference, to understand that there’s a gap in his experience he literally cannot make up. I guess if he did, it… Read more »
Superman’s roots are deeply ingrained in Jewish Culture, I guess.
The short sums it up very nicely at close.
If systemic racism has that much of a hold over your decision making, then the JLA isn’t the place for you.
It’s social commentary from a motion poems project. The black superhero is guilted by the symbol of america because he saves people of his own race from racial oppression and the like.
I don’t think its really trying to make a Superman fan film, really. It’s social commentary. Getting any deeper would just open a can of worms that I’m sure we’d like to keep closed. It’s all for the impact of social commentary, not for Superman’s story.
The only thing that would make this more blatant would be if Captain America was in Superman’s place.
To be honest I’m not sure I’m clear at all on what the message of the short is or if or not it’s being negative towards Superman in some way.
matt- i am in the same boat. i am a little confused/split on the point. but i guess the message, overall, is to make us think. and i’ve done that. though (perhaps) vague, still well done and i have a particular fondness for amateur fan films. someday i’d like to have a hand at one…