Clark Kent was taking a smoke break, which Jimmy Olsen thought was unusual for him. Clark, as far as he knew, didn't smoke. But all day Clark had seemed agitated, even having some choice words with others on the newsroom staff, and when the bespectacled man from Smallville declared he was going off to the roof to have a nicotine fix, Jimmy seemed to be the only one on the news desk who didn't say "Good riddance."
Jimmy climbed the last set of stairs to the rooftop and found Clark sitting beneath the spinning globe of the Daily Planet logo, not smoking, but staring off into the Metropolis skyline, his jaw set and an angry squint in his eye. Jimmy approached him cautiously, not wanting to incur the ire that so many others had received that day.
"Something wrong, Clark?" he asked.
Clark wasn't surprised to see him there, and spoke without turning: "I got a cease and desist letter from Time Warner today. Me! Can you imagine?"
Jimmy couldn't imagine. He couldn't figure out what Clark was talking about, and said so.
"It's the 'S,' you see," Clark said. "They've trademarked it. They said they'd bring a lawsuit against me if I continued to use it for my personal branding."
"The 'S'?" asked Jimmy.
"The 'S' on the chest of my Superman costume," Clark said. "They sent a cease and desist letter to Superman."
Realization came to Jimmy Olsen like the rising sun.
"...Holy crap," he said. "You're Superman?!"
###
2013 was the 75th anniversary of the first appearance in comics of Superman, and this week marks the 35th anniversary of the release of the Richard Donner / Christopher Reeve film Superman: The Movie. But in all of the revelry and celebration, there was a less fun side, as the heirs of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superman's creators, fought and lost (http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/superman-warner-bros-ninth-circuit__131121205558.pdf) in court to own a piece of the Superman rights.
To bring attention to this, I'm having our fictional Clark Kent come to an impasse. Faced with threats of litigation, Superman has to find some other symbol to fill the famous shield on his chest. Why don't you help him out?
(http://i.imgur.com/1PXTYo8.png)
Contest ends at noon, Eastern Standard Time on December 30! Let's have a super end to a year of competitions! Trophies forthcoming below!
(http://i.imgur.com/FGVqLGi.png)(http://imgur.com/7zoGc8S.png)(http://i.imgur.com/r8SOLpX.png)
(http://stupot.agser.me/misc/Super.png)
(http://imageshack.com/a/img15/6849/5sko.png)
So, after a couple more cigs, Super Dude decides that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
[imgzoom]http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/superAd_zps453b4cf6.png[/imgzoom]
It is, after all, the 'Merican way.
Hooray! Three quality entries! I've just added trophies to the first post -- three different flavors of Kryptonite!
[imgzoom]http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p762/improbableunfairlady/ubermensch_zps4abf14f3.png[/imgzoom]
Kent said: "Screw it, I'm moving to Europe."
Lois replied, not really paying attention: "Well, I hear it's nice in Germany, this time of the year."
I've not been beating the drum for this competition as much as I probably should, due to Christmas travels, but you've still got four days left to participate!
Last chance for entries! Voting begins tomorrow!
And who will be our winner?
(http://stupot.agser.me/misc/Super.png)
Is Stupot+ feeling lucky?
(http://imageshack.com/a/img15/6849/5sko.png)
Will kconan's Clark Kent go C.R.E.A.M.?
(http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o756/jwalt10705/superAd_zps453b4cf6.png)
Is jwalt's Superman a sign of the future?
(http://i1350.photobucket.com/albums/p762/improbableunfairlady/ubermensch_zps4abf14f3.png)
Has UnLady's Man of Steel found his nietzsche niche?
Give me your top three, in order, from 1-3!
1. Stupot+
2. jwalt
3. UnLady
1. jwalt
2. kconan
3. unlady
Voting will end at noon, Central Time, on January 7! Let's get some more feedback for our participants, please!
1. Konan
2. JWalt
3. Unlady
1. jwalt (simple but clever use of shape - Superman needs money too (laugh) )
2. Stupot+ (excellently shown the power of Google)
3. Unlady (apart from unique design, the colors match the original symbol - good job!)
1. UnLady
2. kconan
3. jwalt
1. Unlady
2. Stupot
3. Kconan
:smiley:
1. kconan
2. UnLady
3. Stupot+
(http://i.imgur.com/r8SOLpX.png)
Third place and a bronze jar of gold Kryptonite (which permanently removes a Kryptonian's powers) goes to...jwalt!
(http://imgur.com/7zoGc8S.png)
Second place and a silver jar of red Kryptonite (which has wildcard effects on Kryptonians and humans alike) goes to...UnLady!
(http://i.imgur.com/FGVqLGi.png)
And our top prize, a gold jar of green Kryptonite (which causes pain, reduces powers of Kryptonians) goes to...kconan!
Thanks to all participants! Over to you now, kconan!
Man you sure know your Kryptonite! Awesome!
Jesus Christ Superstar riding a dinosaur I actually won a graphic* contest! Thanks guys! Fun game and fun submissions all around. I'll put up a new Coloring Ball contest in a day or two.
*Yes my "art" was basically just a dollar sign.
Ahh sorry guys, I forgot to vote. Though I wouldn't have voted for myself anyway, so would have ended up even deeper into last place :/