Namor the Sub-Mariner was Clint Eastwood's favorite super-hero

#1 Posted by PowerHerc (50921 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

According to Tom Pinchuk here at Comic Vine, Clint Eastwood, while being interviewed by the LA Times recently, said his favorite super-hero was the Sub-Mariner. Not the typical Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel (Billy Batson), Captain America or Green Lantern selection most people from his generation would have named. He liked the Sub-mariner!
How cool is that? I wonder what the favorite super-heroes of some other celebrities are. Opinions anybody?

#2 Posted by Rheged (608 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

I think it's pretty cool, but not unexpected. Namor was extremely popular in the Golden Age, with more stories seeing print than both Human Torch and Captain America. Plus he was in print before almost all of those characters you listed. Then, as now, he was unique among the 'typical superheroes.' Clearly Clint Eastwood has an affinity for the anti-hero, and Namor was the first the anti-hero of Marvel Comics.

I remember reading somewhere that Jack Lemmon was a big Sub-Mariner fan, as well as Nick Cage.

#3 Posted by PowerHerc (50921 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@Rheged said:

"I think it's pretty cool, but not unexpected. Namor was extremely popular in the Golden Age, with more stories seeing print than both Human Torch and Captain America. Plus he was in print before almost all of those characters you listed. Then, as now, he was unique among the 'typical superheroes.' Clearly Clint Eastwood has an affinity for the anti-hero, and Namor was the first the anti-hero of Marvel Comics. I remember reading somewhere that Jack Lemmon was a big Sub-Mariner fan, as well as Nick Cage. "

Still all of the other characters I mentioned were more widely known and better selling during the Golden Age, so I think it's pretty cool Clint liked Subby best.
I didn't know that Jack Lemmon liked him as well, thanks for the info.

#4 Posted by Rheged (608 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@PowerHerc: I think you might be underestimating Namor's popularity in the Golden Age. Remember, he and the Human Torch carried Timely Comics for two years before Captain America was even created. And the first actual Golden Age character Stan Lee brought back in the Silver Age was Namor. Of course, right now, those other characters are more widely known, but back then ... Plus, as I said elsewhere, Clint clearly has good taste. :)

I'll have to go digging, but I think Roy Thomas mentioned Jack Lemmon in one his Alter Ego essays on Bill Everett. And then there's the actors who've mentioned wanting to play Namor ... Daniel Kim, Vin Diesel, and Ryan Reynolds.

Oh, and then there's the near misses. Supposedly Richard Egan was going to play Namor in a 50s TV series and I've seen a picture on eBay of an alleged call sheet for a Sub-Mariner pilot with ... Rick Springfield. O_O

#5 Posted by PowerHerc (50921 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@Rheged:

Hey, maybe I am underestimating his popularity. My opinion is based on his lower sales numbers during the Golden Age compared to the other characters I mentioned. And consdering those other characters went on to become household names, I'm glad the Sub-Mariner is the one who stood out and was best-liked by someone whom became as high-profle as Clint Eastwood.

As a matter of fact my father's favorite super-hero as a kid was the Sub-Mariner as well. I remember him telling that after correcting me on the pronuonciation of his name (I was saying "Sub-Mareener"). My father was born less than two years after Eastwood making them both part of the generation that fought the Korean War. I have/had five uncles that served in WW II and another whom served (along with my father) in Korea. When I was a kid, I asked most of these men who their favorite comic character was when they were a kid. Besides the time Dad told me about the Sub-Mariner, the only super-heroes mentioned were Superman and Captain Marvel. Some of my uncles prefered Flash Gordon, Tarzan, the Lone Ranger or the Green Hornet (the last two of whom my Dad remembered fondly from their radio shows).

I just want to say I'm not trying to sell Namor short. Not by a long shot.

#6 Posted by BiteMe-Fanboy (6537 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

I think Babs may have found her soul mate...

#7 Posted by Rheged (608 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@BiteMe-Fanboy: LOL! I'm just another enthusiastic female fan. ;)

@PowerHerc said:

" @Rheged: Hey, maybe I am underestimating his popularity. My opinion is based on his lower sales numbers during the Golden Age compared to the other characters I mentioned. And considering those other characters went on to become household names, I'm glad the Sub-Mariner is the one who stood out and was best-liked by someone whom became as high-profile as Clint Eastwood. As a matter of fact my father's favorite super-hero as a kid was the Sub-Mariner as well. I remember him telling that after correcting me on the pronunciation of his name (I was saying "Sub-Mareener"). My father was born less than two years after Eastwood making them both part of the generation that fought the Korean War. I have/had five uncles that served in WW II and another whom served (along with my father) in Korea. When I was a kid, I asked most of these men who their favorite comic character was when they were a kid. Besides the time Dad told me about the Sub-Mariner, the only super-heroes mentioned were Superman and Captain Marvel. Some of my uncles prefered Flash Gordon, Tarzan, the Lone Ranger or the Green Hornet (the last two of whom my Dad remembered fondly from their radio shows). I just want to say I'm not trying to sell Namor short. Not by a long shot. "

I think you hit on the reason for the household name recognition -- TV, radio, serials, and movies. Hence, Aquaman has more name recognition than Namor mostly because of Super Friends. I admit I have not seen any sales figures for the Golden Age, nor was I around at the time (I'm not _quite_ that age :)), and I'm basing my opinion more on the number of appearances and the durability of the character.

LOL! One of my old coverless Subby comics has "Sub-Mareeener" written in the margins so I could remember how to say his name too! That's cool that your dad was a Subby fan.

But to get back to the subject ... it seems somewhere that I read that Gene Roddenberry based portions of Spock's look on Namor. Anyone else seen that info?

#8 Posted by PowerHerc (50921 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@Rheged:
I've always felt it was ironic that Aquaman was better known than Namor considering Namor's the original. You hit the nail on the head about Superfriends being the reason why.

I've never read or heard any info regarding Roddenberry's inspiration for Spock being Namor, though I could see where he could've been (looks-wise at least).

#9 Posted by Rheged (608 posts) - 2 years, 8 months ago - Show Bio

@PowerHerc: Well, Spock is also half human, like Namor. I'm sure I saved that info somewhere, but I've no idea where. :(

Yes. And then there's the folks that want to describe Namor as an Aquaman knock off. =_=

Namor

Namor the Sub-Mariner is the ruler of undersea Atlantis. The offspring of a sea captain and an Atlantean princess, he has been both a hero and a villain to the surface world. Namor is one of Marvel's oldest published characters with his origins in The Golden Age of Comics.

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