Every Sunday morning we showcase a classic comic cover, complete with compelling commentary, for your cordial contemplation. It’s the Classic Comic Cover Corner!
Action Comics #456 – February, 1976
Cover art by Mike Grell
Back in February of 1976, long before the world was shocked by Snuffy the seal’s unfortunate encounter with a shark, the Man of Steel had an incident similar to Snuffy’s on the cover of Action Comics #456.
DC Comics was obviously cashing in on the popularity of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws film that “gripped” the country with its razor-sharp teeth over the previous summer (1975). They even had the audacity to title the story, “Jaws of the Killer Shark,” with emphasis on the “JAWS.”
But the publisher of Superman wasn’t the only one to try to make a buck on the shark craze by paying homage to the iconic Jaws movie poster; during this same era Marvel Comics also had a couple of Jaws-centric comics on the shelves, notably Ghost Rider #16 (February, 1976) and, for the younger kids, Spidey Super Stories #16 (April, 1976).
The Discovery Channel’s 26th annual “Shark Week” television event begins this Sunday, August 4, 2013, and it’s safe to say that the shark-craze that Jaws started 38-years ago is still going strong. But is it possible that Batman actually launched shark fever in the 1966 film that was based on his hit television series? Watch the video below – and you be the judge.
