Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
Encyclopedia
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was a comic book
series published monthly by DC Comics
focusing on the adventures of supporting character Lois Lane
. The series began publication March/April 1958 and ended its run September/October 1974 with 137 regular issues and 2 80-page Annuals. With the similarly themed Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen as its senior, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane would mark the second comic series based on a Superman supporting character.
and her attempts to maneuver him into marriage, only to fail due to a comic plot twist. In the early 1960s Lana Lang
made regular guest appearances, generally as Lois' romantic rival. Artist Kurt Schaffenberger
drew most of the stories for the first 81 issues of the series, missing only issue #29. Schaffenberger's rendition of Lois Lane became cited by many as the "definitive" version of the character. The Catwoman
made her first Silver Age
appearance in #70 (Nov. 1966).
By the 1970s, the stories began to reflect growing social awareness: Lois became less fixated on romance, and more on current issues. In the controversial story "I Am Curious (Black)!" in #106 (Nov. 1970), for example, Lois uses a machine that allows her to experience racism firsthand as an African American
woman. The series saw the debut of Silver Age heroine The Rose & The Thorn
in a back up feature that ran from #105 (Oct. 1970) through #130 (April 1973).
In fall 1974, the title ended, as Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen had earlier that year. Both would be merged into Superman Family
, which chronologically continued from the elder title, premiering with issue #164.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series published monthly by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
focusing on the adventures of supporting character Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
. The series began publication March/April 1958 and ended its run September/October 1974 with 137 regular issues and 2 80-page Annuals. With the similarly themed Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen as its senior, Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane would mark the second comic series based on a Superman supporting character.
History
From the first issue, stories centered on Lois' romantic interest in SupermanSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and her attempts to maneuver him into marriage, only to fail due to a comic plot twist. In the early 1960s Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...
made regular guest appearances, generally as Lois' romantic rival. Artist Kurt Schaffenberger
Kurt Schaffenberger
Kurt Schaffenberger was an American comic book artist. Schaffenberger was best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family , as well as his work on the title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early career:Schaffenberger was born on a farm in the...
drew most of the stories for the first 81 issues of the series, missing only issue #29. Schaffenberger's rendition of Lois Lane became cited by many as the "definitive" version of the character. The Catwoman
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character associated with DC Comics' Batman franchise. Historically a supervillain, the character was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, partially inspired by Kane's cousin, Ruth Steel...
made her first Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
appearance in #70 (Nov. 1966).
By the 1970s, the stories began to reflect growing social awareness: Lois became less fixated on romance, and more on current issues. In the controversial story "I Am Curious (Black)!" in #106 (Nov. 1970), for example, Lois uses a machine that allows her to experience racism firsthand as an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
woman. The series saw the debut of Silver Age heroine The Rose & The Thorn
Thorn (comics)
Thorn is a fictional character in DC Comics, a superhero who suffers from multiple personalities.-Fictional character biography:Rhosyn "Rose" Forrest is the daughter of Metropolis police officer Phil Forrest, who was killed by a criminal gang named the 100...
in a back up feature that ran from #105 (Oct. 1970) through #130 (April 1973).
In fall 1974, the title ended, as Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen had earlier that year. Both would be merged into Superman Family
Superman Family
Superman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1974 to 1982 featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Superman comics...
, which chronologically continued from the elder title, premiering with issue #164.