2003 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

Fliescher Superman Cartoons

September 13, 2003: Jay Morton, Coined Superman Motto

The Miami Herald reports that Jay Morton, the man who penned some of the best-known Superman phrases, including "faster than a speeding bullet," died last weekend of a brain aneurysm in Charlotte, N.C. He was 92. Here's an excerpt from the article...

Morton, who was driving to his Boca Raton home when stricken on Saturday, was once a scriptwriter and artist for the Fleischer Studios animation shop in Miami. In 1938, the studio acquired the rights to the comic-book hero from its publisher, now known as DC Comics.

Morton was two steps ahead, said his son, Alex: "My father knew about the deal, and had scripts ready."

But here is how Morton first described Superman for the cartoons: "Faster than a roaring hurricane" and "More powerful than the pounding surf."

A few scripts later, Morton nailed it: "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!" And, "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane -- it's Superman!"

Morton was born in Hollywood, Calif. In the late 1920s, his father, a pressman at The Los Angeles Times, moved his family to the Bronx, where he opened his own print shop.

Morton decided to pursue a career in art and writing. After studying studio art at the Pratt Institute in New York, he landed a writing job with Fleischer. In 1937, he moved to Miami, and soon began his association with the Man of Steel.

Read the complete article at the Miami Herald website.



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