This week, Major Spoilerite Silvergray (if that is his real name) once again ponders the on-going battle between Marvel and DC, but couches it in a way we haven’t thought of before. In each universe there is a major newspaper that circulates the news, both good and bad regarding superheroes. Each of those newspapers is run by an Editor in Chief, but who sells the more papers, Perry White or J. Jonah Jameson?
Perry White
Perry White is a fictional character who appears in the Superman comics. White is the Editor-in-Chief of the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet.
White maintains very high ethical and journalistic standards. He is an archetypal image of the tough, irascible but fairminded boss. White’s most well known catchphrases are “Great Caesar’s ghost!” and “Don’t call me chief!”
According to post-Crisis comic-book continuity, White was an award-winning journalist who served a term as Mayor of Metropolis. He worked as an assistant editor on the Metropolis Daily Star under George Taylor before becoming editor of the Planet.
J. Jonah Jameson
John Jonah Jameson, Jr. is a supporting character (and sometimes an antagonist) of Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics Universe.
Jameson is usually the publisher or editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, a fictional New York newspaper and now serves as the mayor of New York City. Recognizable by his mustache, flattop haircut, and ever-present cigar, he carries out a smear campaign against Spider-Man that has, at least temporarily, turned much of the gullible city against the hero. He employs photojournalist Peter Parker, who, unbeknownst to Jameson, is Spider-Man’s alter ego.
Portrayals of Jameson have varied throughout the years. Sometimes he is shown as a foolishly stubborn and pompous skinflint who micromanages his employees and resents Spider-Man out of jealousy. Other writers have portrayed him more humanly, as a humorously obnoxious yet caring boss who nevertheless has shown great bravery and integrity in the face of the assorted villains with which the Bugle comes into contact, and whose campaign against Spider-Man comes more from fear of youngsters following his example. In either case, he has remained an important part of the Spider-Man mythos.
17 Comments
I’ve always got the impression that the Daily Bugle was a New York tabloid while the Daily Planet was an actual global newspaper, like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal. In their respective cities, the Bugle might sell more copies, but for total copies globally, I would have to say the Daily Planet.
I will say Jameson. The reason is that although I read that the Planet is a great paper and people like it, I never really see why. The Bugle I do see and get a much better feel for it being a real paper. It seems more “real” to me rather than as a prop for the story. Does that make sense?
Yes. Yes it does.
Ditto, to both the reason and that yes it makes sense.
The Planet has a national readership (akin to the New York Times or Washington Post) while the Bugle is more of a tabloid (ie the NY Post or Washington Times). Perry White wins hands down.
the bugle updated itself to modern times with blogs and a website, the daily not so much, at least not on panel
Bugle. You only see stuff about Supe’s in The Planet, but Jameson has The Bugle write about everything.
Since it’s who sells more papers and not who SHOULD sell more papers, I had to go with JJJ. Sensational sells (despite what that tramp Sex says).
I’m going for Jameson on this one : he must be better at journalism than a guy who can’t notice that one of his editors IS FREAKING SUPERMAN. :D
Controversy creates cash. JJJ all the way!
I have to go with the Daily Bugle, just becuase so much happenes in New York that I think many people would want to know the What, Where, When Why, and sometimes How.
I want to side with Jameson because I think he’s better at hyping up controversy (and that’s what sells to the vast majority of people), but Perry and I share a last name… Hmmmm.
I’m so torn.
JJJ gets my vote. He seems like the more driven and ruthless businessman while Perry might be too nice for hos own good. However both will probably be out of business in about 5-10 years because no one reads a newspaper anymore.
Gotta go with JJJ; thinks more people are curious to see what tangent the whack job is going to go off on next
JJJ gets my vote. The Bugle has alway skated the line between yellow journalism and news, almost a tabloid, and would seem to be the sort of thing that would show up on grocery store checkout stands nationwide. The Daily Planet only seems to be a stage for Clark Kent and Superman, and, besides, in the late 70s and early 80s didn’t the Planet get bought out by Morgan Edge, closed down and turned into a television studio? JJJ seems way more aggressive than Perry White, so I would presume it would have a wider circulation. But mostly I voted for JJJ because the Bugle seems more like a real newspaper, while the Planet seems like an idealized cartoon version of a newspaper.
JJJ and the Bugle.
While both papers are prominent in their respective books, I seem to recall more mentions of the Bugle from other non-New York characters (Yes, I think there is more than NYC in Marvel)than I recall hearing the Daily Planet mentioned in DC.
While DC touts multiple institutions and businesses like the Gotham Globe, Central City Picture News or the Metropolis Herald in their universe, Marvel seems to have the Daily Bugle as the premiere paper of the Marvel Universe.
I went with the Daily Planet because of the crack news team of Lane and Kent while the Bugle only had freelance photographer Parker. Papers run on hot news copy, not photos.