Superman: Man of Steek!...Or...Man of Boycott?

Abstract

 In February 2013, DC announced a special anthology of Superman stories that would be co-written by Orson Scott Card, who had actively spoken out against gay marriage. In response to the announced hiring of Card, over 16,000 people signed a petition to boycott the anthology (Truitt, 2013). Further, a few comic book retailers had refused to carry DC’s iconic Superman comics (Sieczkowski, 2013).

The Superman franchise was one of DC Comics most profitable assets. At stake were not only graphic novel sales, but also movies and memorabilia. The concerns over how the boycott could affect movie revenues were particularly troubling since DC would be introducing a new Superman movie into theaters in June 2013. DC was counting on this movie being one of the summer blockbuster hits. Executives at DC Comics needed to determine the best course of action in light of the negative publicity surrounding Orson Scott Card’s position as a writer on the anthology.