THE SUPERMAN AND LOIS TAPES EPISODE 19: AN INTERVIEW WITH ADAM MALLINGER OR ADAM DOESN’T SPOIL ANYTHING

Episode 19: An Interview With Adam Mallinger or Adam Doesn’t Spoil Anything

The BAM CRew (Bethany, Alison, and Michael) are back and once again the show they cover, Superman and Lois, is on hiatus.  Usually they would pick another bit of Superman live action or animation to discuss in leiu of episode commentary, but this time Michael used one of the few connections he has to secure an interview with former writer’s assistant on Superman and Lois and now staff writer on Superman and Lois Adam Mallinger.

Adam talks about his history as a Superman fan, his time in the writers room of Superman and Lois, some really cool behind the scenes stories about how the big Steel reveal happened, how the episode he wrote evolved from the original idea to what was seen on the air, the one great unused idea Adam had for Superman defending the farm from the possessed Kryptonians, and so much more.  While the discussion spoils episodes that have already aired there are no spoilers for future episodes.  Because that’s not how this show rolls.

And here’s that issue of Superman with Tim Drake on the cover.

Finally, here are some links to Adam’s blog with more information on how the episode he wrote came together, how the Steel reveal happened, and that college television show he talked about.  Just click on the links above.

The Superman and Lois Tapes can be found on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The show can be reached by email at thesupermanandloistapes@gmail.com.  You can also leave comments here or over at the Facebook page for the show, which you can get to by clicking this link.

The main theme for the show is “Heroes” by the awesome Mike Schmidt.  You can find his work over at Speed Force Music.

Next Time: The Crew continue their hiatus with…something.  Don’t look.  Just listen.  They ain’t saying what it is.  Just…trust them.

3 thoughts on “THE SUPERMAN AND LOIS TAPES EPISODE 19: AN INTERVIEW WITH ADAM MALLINGER OR ADAM DOESN’T SPOIL ANYTHING”

  1. Wow! Thank you to all involved: Bethany, Alison, Michael, and guest Adam Mallinger! It was fascinating and enthralling listening to Adam talk about the process of writing, and insuring that episodes are in shape to be produced for the screen, and the questions that the hosts asked were very much the kinds of questions that elicit answers to explain or teach things that I didn’t know, or at least didn’t know in any real depth. I also appreciate that there were no spoilers for future episodes.
    If Adam returns for a future episode after the end of this first season (maybe bringing a colleague or two) that would be quite a treat, I think. This was a gem among an already glittering array of episodes of The Superman and Lois Tapes.

  2. I guess this is turning into an ongoing thing now. I figured that Michael surely must have read Tower of Babel. When I said it appears that none of you have, the reason was that in your responses you focused on the Kryptonite gave to Batman. But none of you brought up or discussed the fact that Batman had developed weapons to incapacitate or kill Superman and the other members of the JLA. It seems like that tidbit would be important to this discussion.
    Thanks for responding to my rantings, and for all the hard work you put into this podcast.

  3. Hey Chris,

    You’re correct in that Batman created the weapons, though depending on the media and era, it goes between the JLA knowing that he’s done it or not. I recall one animated movie where it was a surprise to a few, like Barry and Hal, but not to the likes of Diana or John Stewart. In another, Superman gives the Kryptonite to Batman “in case it’s ever needed”. And no one was surprised AT ALL when Lex opened the vault in JLD: Apokalips War and there were all the Kryptonite weapons (though why he had teeth made for King Shark will always confuse me, unless Lex and Waller had plans for the SS to take down Supes… but I degrees…)

    In Superman & Lois, and the CW in general, all we have to go off of in their canon (that I can recall off the top of my head) is the scenes of Clark in Supergirl where he and J’on discuss why the DOE still has Kyrptonite, and we see his distaste for it still being there and used.

    Now, depending on the Crisis time shenanigans, we have Sam in the same position that J’on is, but don’t know if that earlier bit still exists in Clark’s merged memories. I believe, and this is my opinion, that if Sam TOLD Clark he was making these weapons, he would be disappointed but — after everything that happened with Zod, and then the dude with the book who became black suit Supes in Supergirl — he’d understand the need to have them.

    It’s the fact that Sam hid it from Clark that creates the problem. PLUS, knowing Clark, he’d offer suggestions on how to fine-tune the weapons, but also to get in return tech to prevent the effects so he and Kara could be protected when they fight against evil Kryptonians and the weapons are used, or his sons would be safe when they developed powers.

    I don’t think Clark is an idiot in thinking that his enemies and frenemies are making weapons. It just comes down to their honesty and his involvement in the process that sets the tone for his reactions.

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