Superman’s popularity became worldwide so quickly that the Man of Steel’s comic book stories were republished around the world. In the middle east his adventures were translated in to Arabic with some notable changes.
An editor at Illustrated Publications in Beirut, Lebanon realized there was an increasing demand for superheroes comic books in that region of the world, but at the time these publications were only available in either English or French.
Carroll Rheinstrom, a consummate businessman, who represented DC Comics to publishers around the world for more than three decades, sold the overseas rights to Superman and other DC characters to Illustrated Publications.
The first Arabic issue of “Superman” was released on February 4, 1964. To make Superman more relatable to his Arabic readers, the name “Clark Kent” was replaced with a different name: Nabil Fawzi.
The mild-mannered reporter worked at the “Al-Kawkab Al Yawmi” (which is a direct translation of “Daily Planet”) alongside his fellow reporter and love interest, no not Lois, Randa.
The Man of Steel would soon be joined by other superheroes, Sobhi and Zakhour, otherwise known as Batman and Robin.
Superman would go on to be published and translated in Iraq in the 1980s, where the Man of Steel sported a different lantern-like shield design on his chest, and a stylish moustache.
Superman’s popularity would also see his adventures published in Spain where he was called Ciclon. In Italy he was known as The Nembo Kid (nembo is Italian for nimbus or cloud). While in Germany, Clark Kent became Klaus Kent.
In 1970, Illustrated Publications sold an astounding 2,600,000 comic books, while in Germany, for a period of time, more Superman comic books were sold there than in the USA.
A worldwide phenomenon, Superman’s popularity knows no bounds and is limited by no borders, and, like the character himself, his stories continue to fly all around the world enjoyed by readers in many different languages.
Thanks to Brian McKernan for additional research information.
Sources: Aramco World Archive
