Men of Steel- Kirk Alyn!

Here’s the first of the final caricatures for my new Limited Edition print “Men of Steel”… Kirk Alyn.

As with my other prints, the concept is a look at the different actors who have played a single, fictional character on television or film. So far I’ve done James Bond, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, and Batman. New for 2015: a look at the actors who have portrayed Superman.

My rules for inclusion: First, they have to have appeared on screen in TV or film as the character in a production that centers on the character. That precludes advertising, odd cameos, live stage shows/World’s Fair appearances, or animation. In Superman’s case that also means they had to appear in costume at least once (so, yes to Tom Welling thanks to that last moment in the “Smallville” series finale). Second, they had to be Superman, not Superboy… so the two Superboys from the 90’s TV shows do not count. I have eight official Supermen in the print. One will probably surprise you.

One other note, the year depicted on the chest represents the first time the actor appeared as Superman on screen, and I have caricatured them as the looked when they made that appearance. That will make a difference in Welling’s case.

Anyway, Kirk Alyn played Superman in two movie serials: “Superman” in 1948 and “Superman vs. Atom Man” in 1950.