Tom Grummett
The Man Who Helped Kill Superman

By Paul Constable

Look up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's SUPERMAN. More powerful than a locomotive! Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, but even Superman is not able to shake the wrath of a team of hungry writers and illustrators.

In 1992 - 1993, (this episode concluded with 4 special issues) - Superman had been penned into a corner by a determined team of creative staff, that plotted the demise of the Man of Steel. None other than Saskatoon's Tom Grummet was part of that team. The Caped Crusader was about to meet his match.

Earlier that year, DC Comics flew the creative staff to New York to have a brain storming session, where the entire year was to be planned out over a three-day period. Initially, Superman was to wed Lois Lane. The team, by the second day, had a good part of the scripting done for the year. The phone rang and the creative group was informed by their publisher, that they had to change the concept. It seems 'Lois and Clark', the TV series, was planned for that season and marriage was not on the Super hero's mind. That's when 'The Death of Superman' was initiated. By the end of the third day the staff became unified in their task - 4 separate creative teams would each take a turn at him, over 4 issues.

Sales were brisk that year and after the last issue 75, Superman disappeared from view for two months. Meanwhile back in Saskatoon, Tom Grummett was meeting another deadline, the resurrection of the Man of Steel - series 500. He was to be the principal illustrator for the next few years. To this day Superman and the other 75 titles of DC Comics are hand drawn on specially made pages, then FedEx'd to New York for inking and hand lettering of the type. Due to the volume and variety of Super Heroes (1000's), many freelance illustrators and writers are hired to fulfill the demand of a hungry comic book market. The artists are paid per page and the writers by the amount of words written. The images are then scanned and coloured by computer and prepared for press. Grummett produces the pencil drawings, which involves the complicated thought process of visualizing what the story line is about. He works closely with a writer from New York where his images must follow a logical order, so there is continuity for the reader.

The 60-year old comic book industry is slow to change. Personally, it's nice to see the human touch still present in comic book publishing. It proves hand produced work can coexist with the presence of computer graphics and the bottom line. The gesture of an action figure is hard to reproduce in the same flowing manner by a drawing program. They tend to look stilted and without feeling. Grummett admits the future of comics is uncertain, as declining sales, due to a dwindling readership puts pressure on the industry. Most of the readers are now in they're mid 20's and up. 'The kids are more into video and DVD games. Kids are just not reading as much they used to. Comics never required the highest level of reading aptitude, but at least the kids were reading and using their imagination' says Grummett. DC Comics presently publishes about one third of the volume, per issue, as they did in the hay days of the mid 1960's.

Tom Grummett started looking at comics at an early age, before he could even read. He figures this is what gave him a strong ability to visualize a story line with pictures. Tom remembers, after finishing High School he wanted to put all his drawings under his arm and head for New York. Finally at the age of 30 he started drawing full time in the profession he loves. Tom's first work in comics first appeared in the 1980 'Captain Canuck Summer Special', where he penciled and inked a pin-up page. He continued working on a number of independent comics and then in 1987 Grummett wrote, penciled and inked 'The Privateers' by Vanguard Graphics. With this piece under his belt, he was seriously looked at by DC Comics to do some fill-in work. Over the years Tom has worked on Wonder Woman, The New Titans, numerous editions of Superman, Robin, Superboy and for Marvel Comics - Generation X and the Silver Surfer. Tom joined Karl Kesel to create Section Zero under the Gorilla imprint. He is presently teamed up with Gorilla alumnus Kurt Busiek to produce the Power Company for DC comics.

Tom Grummett lives quietly on a small acreage outside of Saskatoon Saskatchewan, with his wife Nancy and two children.

Paul Constable is the Director of Artists In Canada. He is a Painter / Printmaker and Senior Graphic Designer for an Advertising and Communications company in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Paul Constable can be reached by email HERE.

His paintings may be viewed at:
www.ArtistsInCanada.com/pconstable.