By now, most of this blog readers, know that my career in magazines started after falling in love with the ink and paper of the Lebanese first issue of the comic book Superman. Well, until recently, I did not how Superman made it to Lebanon in the 1960s of the last century. Howard Blue, the author of the new book The Man Who Sold Superman To The World, knew and documented how Superman made it to Lebanon and the rest of the world for that matter.

After reviewing the book, here is what I wrote and Howard thankfully used my review on the back of the book:

In the same manner DeWitt Wallace introduced Reader’s Digest and Helen Gurly Brown introduced Cosmopolitan to the world, Howard Blue’s book, The Man Who Sold Superman To The World, left no stone unturned and no kryptonite unearthed detailing the story of Carroll Rheinstrom, the man who introduced DC comics to the rest of the world.  

Years of reporting, researching  and fact-checking summed up in an informative and entertaining prose provide us with the life story of a man who took a comic superhero like Superman and introduced him to the world in a style worthy of being a superhero himself.  Justice (with the help of the league) has finally been given to Mr. Rheinstrom.  

Thank you, Howard Blue, for finally telling the story of how my (and millions of other folks) superhero Superman, who started my lifelong career in magazines after buying that very first Lebanese issue in 1964, made it all over the world. A job very well done.

Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni, Ph.D.

Founder and Director

Magazine Media Center

And here is part of what Mr. Blue wrote about my fascination with Superman in the book:

In Tripoli, Lebanon in 1964, ten-year old Samir Husni who became a dedicated fan of IP’s version of Superman (and who would in his professional life become known as Mr. Magazine) heard of it for the first time in a TV commercial when the famous phrase, “Look up in the air. It’s a bird it’s a plane, it’s Superman,” caught his attention. Saving up his weekly forty cents allowance, Samir crossed the street in front of his apartment and bought a copy in the neighborhood grocery store. Walking back home he had an almost magical experience, mesmerized as he read about the man from another planet…

The Man Who Sold Superman To The World is available on amazon.com by typing “Howard Blue Superman” you will land on the page to order the book. Highly recommended if you are a DC Comics fan and even more recommended if you are a Marvel Comics fan (as in know your enemy)… Enjoy