Hi Rog, I was hoping you might find some time to answer these for me. I did a search but didn't show this issue come up in discussion previously.
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I was recently going back through some old boxes of comics and unearthed Superman For Earth and read it for the first time since it came out. It brought up a couple of interesting 18-years later questions.

1) What was the true genesis for this project? Obviously a 50+ page book about environmentalism would have been "requested" by an outside agency, correct? To compare, it made me think of the infamous drug issues of The Amazing Spider-Man which were requested of Stan Lee by the government. Did this have any of those origins? I would immediately think that they would, but the book doesn't have any ads at all, and no one agency was credited as being an inspiration, "brought-to-you-by-Company X" style.

2) How did you get involved? I know you worked on the majority of Action from #600-#700. Artist Kerry Gammill was working with you at the time too, I believe. Did you just get dragged in by association, or is this project have special meaning to you?

3) Emil Hamilton [off-topic] - How do you feel about his turning evil years later? I hated that... tonnes!

4) Ever think or get offered to do Superman again? I have fond memories of the late-80s to mid-90s Superman stories and wouldn't mind at all seeing you write him again.

5) Was it difficult to juggle writing chores with three other people on three other books making a continuing chronological story? Seems like it would be a rather interesting challenge for a writer.

Bonus Question - What was your favorite of all the Superman stories you were involved in. (This quickly turned away from For Earth. Sorry)

Actually, it was a 46-page story.

As I recall, Jenette Kahn was enthusiastic about producing a Superman project that would tie in with Earth Day. I believe the book was originally going to be titled Superman: Earth Day...until DC discovered how much the Earth Day people wanted for licensing.

Somewhere between the initial idea and the actual publication, management seemed to lose its enthusiasm. The book received almost no promotion.

It was subsequently allowed to go out of print and has never had a second printing.



I was sort of the senior Superman writer at the time, and Mike Carlin came to me with the project. I'd worked with Kerry on Superman a couple of years before, and Mike thought we worked well together...so there ya go!



I thought it was unfortunate. Poor Emil...



I co-plotted a four-issue Superman arc with Kurt Busiek...almost exactly two years ago this week. I'm not sure it was ever drawn. And with all the editorial toings and froings on at DC, I'd be very surprised if it ever sees print.



I didn't find it that difficult. But of course, I'd already had five years of experience in coordinating the Avengers with Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor...and four years of experience in writing one of three Spider-Man books.



I don't think I could pick just one.

-- Uncle Rog

Rog,

How about listing a few of your favorite Superman stories?

What informed your method of portraying Superman's personality and decisions?

Thanks for answering, Rog! I love the peek behind the scenes. Shame that For Earth was never reprinted, but I guess with no organizational connection (i.e. Earth Day) and it being so far removed from current continuity (Red-Haired Luthor, "good" Emil, etc.) I can certainly understand why it hasn't been.

That said, I would LOVE to hear your favorite Superman stories