Sting Like a Bee signed by Muhammad Ali circa 1979. Courtesy of The Museum of UnCut Funk Collection
The Art
I co-owned an art gallery for 4 years and I have the privilege to meet some fascinating collectors, dealers and celebrity artists. They have all had their opinions as to what art meant to them. In my mind if I liked what I saw and could identify with the images I made my purchase.
As my appreciation for art intensified I was contacted by an Australian art dealer who had an offering on a Muhammad Ali lithograph. He e-mailed me pictures and I was captivated by the imagery. I’m a huge fan and collector of animation and comic book art so this litho had to be in my collection.
Now art is subjective and many a art critics have panned celebrity art. Baird Jones, a critic for Artnet.com says “celebrity art combines the worst of several worlds. Since most stars who make art have little art training, their work tends to be a historical, a Hollywood version of naïve or outsider art. Furthermore, since celebrity art is shunned by top galleries, it’s usually displayed side-by-side with kitsch and low-grade prints”. He may be right in his opinion but Muhammad Ali is a cultural icon and any memorabilia from his years as a boxer, activist and humanitarian has increased in value and is extremely sought after.
You decide what art means to you but 20 to 30 years from now you’d wish you had a part of Ali’s sports history in your collection. The Ali lithos are all 18 by 24 inches, and were published in 1979 in editions of 500. Three have religious imagery and cost $8,500 each: Under the Sun, which shows a jet plane; Guiding Light, showing an image of a lighthouse; and the eponymous Mosque II. The fourth is a cartoonish scene of the boxing ring, titled Sting Like a Bee, that retails for $12,500 and by today’s standards for buying art is considered a bargain.
Although the art is hard to find and is sought after by fans and collectors alike, these are truly one of a kind pieces and should be apart of any collection.
Under The Sun signed by Muhammad Ali. Courtesy of Ro Gallery
Mosque ll signed by Muhammad Ali. Courtesy of Ro Gallery
Guiding Light signed by Muhammad Ali. Courtesy of Ro Gallery
The Man Behind the art:
Who would’ve thought that a stolen bike was the key to the beginning of the Muhammad Ali story? But it was. In 1954 in Louisville, Kentucky, 12-year-old Cassius Marcellus Clay’s bike was stolen while he and a friend were at the Columbia Auditorium.
Young Cassius found a cop in a gym, Joe Martin, and boiling with youthful rage, told Martin he was going to “whup” whoever stole his bike. Martin admonished, “You better learn to box first.” Within weeks, 89-pound Cassius had his first bout—his first win.
For the next 27 years, Cassius would be in that ring. Even in his youth, he had dreams of being heavyweight champion of the world. But his life would take turns that no seer could’ve predicted.
Young Cassius dedicated himself to boxing with fervor unmatched by other young boxers. Indeed, it was his only activity. As a teenager, he never worked. He boxed and trained. He had 108 amateur bouts. According to Joe Martin, Clay set himself apart from the other boys by two things: He was “sassy,” and he outworked all the other boys. The work paid off: 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves championships; two National Golden Gloves championships; two National AAU titles before he was 18 years old. And the son of Odessa, whom he lovingly referred to as “Bird,” and Cassius senior, “Cash,” to everyone, won the Olympic Gold Medal in 1960 in Rome months after his 18th birthday.
Although Cassius returned home to a parade, Louisville was still, in 1960 part of the segregated South. Even with a medal around his neck, Cassius was refused service at a local restaurant.
At the time, Cassius has managed by the Louisville Sponsoring Group, a consortium of wealthy local white businessmen. The LSG, as it became known, put young Cassius with veteran trainer, Angelo Dundee, after failed attempts to with the Mongoose, Archie Moore, and a turn down by Ali’s boxing idol, Sugar Ray Robinson.
With Dundee in his corner, from his Miami base, Cassius blazed a trail through the heavyweight division with his unorthodox style that defied boxing logic. He was a “headhunter.” He never threw body shots (he adopted this style in his youth because he had reach and because he didn’t want to get close enough to get hit). And he “danced.” Because of Clay’s powerful legs—maybe the strongest in the history of boxing—he literally floated in the ring. He invented the “Ali Shuffle;” a foot maneuver where he would elevate himself, shuffle his feet in a dazzling blur, and sometimes deliver a blow while dancing.
The third element that Clay brought to boxing was his mouth. He never shut up. He became known as, “The Louisville Lip.” It was more than banter; it was a constant harangue. In a time when boxers never talked to the media—their managers always spoke for them—Clay did all his own talking. He even went so far as to predict the round. “To prove I’m great he will fall in eight!”
While training for his title bout against the fearsome heavyweight champion, Sonny Liston, Clay met Cap’n Sam, a Nation of Islam minister of the local Miami mosque. Cap’n Sam introduced Cassius to NOI spokesman, Malcolm X. Malcolm and young Cassius bonded on a deep level. Malcolm brought Cassius into the Nation of Islam.
Despite the 7-1 odds, Clay upset Sonny Liston in Miami and became heavyweight champion of the world in 1964. The next day, Clay announced to the world that he was a member of the Nation of Islam and that his name was Cassius X. The X reflecting the unknown name that was taken from him by the slave owners centuries before.
The national response was immediate, negative and intense. Cassius X, soon to be given the name Muhammad Ali, by NOI founder, “The Messenger,” the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, chose to disassociate himself from his friend and mentor Malcolm X after the Messenger suspended Malcolm. Herbert Muhammad, eldest son of Elijah, was installed as Ali’s new manager as Ali continued to defend his crown against all comers.
In 1967, as the Vietnam War was escalating, Ali was called up for induction into the Armed Services. Ali refused induction on the grounds of religious beliefs. He was, in fact, a practicing Muslim minister. This refusal led to the now-famous Ali quote, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong…”
The national furor over that comment combined with Ali’s refusal to be inducted into the Armed Services, caused virtually every state and local entity in America to cancel Ali’s boxing licenses. Ali final fight of 1967 was against Ernie Terrell, who incensed Ali at the weigh-in by calling him “Clay.” Ali pounded him in the ring with taunts of, “What’s my name?!!”
Ali did not fight again for 2 ½ years. He was stripped of his championship title, his passport taken; all his boxing licenses were cancelled. He lost an initial court battle and was facing a 5-year prison term. Ali made money during his exile by speaking to colleges. He was the first national figure to speak out against the war in Vietnam.
In 1970, after a 2 ½ year layoff, and with the mood of the country changing, Ali staged his comeback, first against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta then for what was billed as, “The Fight,” his first match against undefeated champ, Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971.
Ali fought valiantly, but lost. The 2 ½ year exile had cost Ali his legs. He could no longer dance. He lost that night in the Garden, but months later he won his biggest fight, the Supreme Court, reversed his conviction and upheld his conscientious objector claim. Ali was free of the specter of jail, and free to travel to box anywhere in the world.
Several matches followed, including an unexpected loss to ex-Marine, Ken Norton; a win in their next bout; an uninspired win against Joe Frazier. But these matches were but window dressing for the biggest match of Ali’s career: The Rumble In the Jungle.
George Foreman was a fearsome champ. He had thunder and destruction in both hands. He had easily knocked out Ken Norton and had lifted Frazier off the mat with one blow.
Promoter Don King got the government of the African nation of Zaire to guarantee the unheard of sum of 10 million dollars for the fighters. In Kinshasa, Ali derived strength from the African people. They adored him. They yelled, Ali Bomaye! (Ali kill him).
Going into the fight, Ali was 3-1 underdog. His fight doctor, Ferdie Pacheco, had a jet ready to spirit Ali away to a neurological hospital in Spain after the fight. But Ali had other ideas.
Because of the heat, Ali realized he couldn’t dance from Foreman for the whole fight. He invented, “The Rope-A-Dope,” a strategy that allowed Foreman to pound on him until Foreman tired. His corner men yelled at him to get off the ropes, but Ali persisted with his strategy for seven rounds and then in the eighth round, when Foreman was spent, Ali came off the ropes and scored a shocking knockout! Ali was the king again.
After the legendary “Thrilla In Manila,” the rubber match against Frazier, who some have deemed, the greatest boxing match ever, Ali fought and lost to young Olympic Champion Leon Spinks. He subsequently regained his title against Spinks, thus becoming, at that time, the only man in heavyweight history to win the crown three times. Ali ended his career 56 wins (37 by knockout) and 5 defeats.
Ali has three ex-wives and nine children: Maryum, Rasheeda, Jamillah, Hana, Laila, Khaliah, Miya, Muhammad Junior, and Asaad. Ali is married to the former Lonnie Williams of Louisville. Ali has known Lonnie since her family moved across the street from the Clay family when she was 6 years old.
Ali has inspired millions worldwide. He gave people hope and proved that anyone could overcome insurmountable odds. He gave people courage. He made fighters of us all. This is Ali and never comes another.
Please visit The Muhammad Ali Center – www.alicenter.org
Contributor: Gregory Allen Howard, he is the award-winning screenwriter of Remember the Titans. He also wrote the original story for the movie, ALI.
Superman’s Greatest Opponent: Muhammad Ali
Superman has had a tumultuous superhero career since his debut in 1938. He has been forced to walk the Earth as the boring Clark Kent and suffered the stress of battling villains like Lex Luthor and Braniac. In 1992, he was even killed by another foe, Doomsday, before returning a year later.
Prior to his death, the only other person to best the Man of Steel was the Greatest himself in D.C. Comics’ Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, released in 1978.
There are many rumors surrounding the creation of this comic, which pits Superman and Ali in a boxing match to save the world. One is that it was inspired by Johnny Wakelin’s Billboard Top 40 hit, Muhammad Ali, the Black Superman. Another is that D.C. Comics wanted to capitalize on the success of science fiction blockbusters like Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
However, D.C. comics has never acknowledged that Wakelin’s song was the inspiration, and Neil Adams, one of the comic’s creator, said planning stages
began in 1976, a year before both movies were released. In an interview with Comic Book Artist in 1999, Adams said, “Certainly, when I heard it, I thought it was a great idea. I mean, just the concept… yet, at the same time, the logical question is, ‘How do you have a human being fight an alien – Superman – and how do you justify such a battle?’”
Writer Denny O’Neil was the first person tasked with finding an answer. He wrote the original script for the 72-page comic book. Artist Joe Kubert was responsible for the drawings, but both D.C. Comics and Ali’s handlers were not pleased with the Greatest’s artistic depiction. Adams was then brought in.
“They were happy with my likenesses,” said Adams, “and basically, that was the turning point, and the reason I got the project.”
Before he could go to work, Adams and the other creators had to be approved, not by D.C. Comics or Ali, but by Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad. After Ali’s convergence to Islam, much of the literature about him, including his 1975 autobiography, had to be sanctioned by Muhammad.
“And there was really only one way we could be approved of by him,” said Adams, “and that was for us to get on a plane, go to Chicago, be driven by limousine to the home of Elijah Muhammad.”
Adams said that O’Neil and he sat in Muhammad’s elegant, Turkish-like parlor waiting.
“And Elijah Muhammad came out, said hello, got into a phone call, was called away, and left. And we were excused!”
One of Kubert’s drawings that Adams built upon was the cover, which features Ali and Superman battling in front of an immense crowd. Adams took it a step further and filled it with superheroes and 1970s celebrities. The onlookers include Batman, Don King, Jimmy Carter, Lucille Ball, and Adams himself. There would have been more but many declined to appear on the cover.
“John Wayne decided he didn’t want to be in it, but I’d already drawn him,” said Adams. “So I decided, ‘I don’t want to take him out, but on the other hand, I don’t want everybody to know it’s John Wayne.’ So we put a mustache on him.”
Because of all the changes, the detail, and the required approval by both Ali’s camp and D.C. Comics, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali took longer than a normal comic for a release.
“My agreement with DC Comics was that I couldn’t commit to a deadline,” said Adams, “and it was agreed it would be done when it was done. That was the agreement – the full measure of the agreement – and it took a year to get the thing done! If there was a deadline, certainly the book would’ve been pulled long before the year went by.”
The comic begins with the alien Scrubb from the planet Bodace threatening to destroy Earth unless it sends its greatest fighter to face Bodace’s champion, Hun’Ya. Since Ali and Superman are the planet’s finest warriors, they both agree to a boxing match to determine who gets the honor. In fairness, Superman will fight near a red sun, diminishing his powers, and Ali will teach Superman to box.
When the two face-off, Superman gets through the first round with ease. In round two, things go downhill as Ali’s superior boxing skills overtake the Man of Steel. The fight ends with a bloodied Superman on the canvas, and he returns to Earth in an oxygen tent.
An armada of spaceships heads towards Earth as Ali prepares for Hun’Ya. It is clear that the Scrubb have broken their word. During the fight’s introductions, Ali’s corner poet Drew “Bundini” Brown slips away from the crowd and makes his way to the bridge of the lead ship. Once there, he removes his mask, revealing that he is actually Superman and prevents the Scrubb from destroying Earth.
Meanwhile, Ali gets off to a poor start with Hun’Ya, but true to form, is able to overcome his opponent in the later rounds. At end of the comic, the two congratulate other, with Ali, saying, “Superman, we are the greatest!”
The plot is a bit silly, as is the case with superhero and athlete comic book crossovers. The release was mistimed as well. At the time of its inception, Ali was the heavyweight champion coming of a landmark victory against Joe Frazier. By the time of the release, he had lost his title to Leon Spinks and was preparing for a rematch.
Nevertheless, the popularity of both fighters led to high sales worldwide. The comic has since become a collectible. Originally selling for $2.50 in 1978, the comic is now valued at $80 by Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.
And while it seems outlandish by today’s standards, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali was not a misfire. The Man of Steel would probably rather box Ali 100 times before attaching his name to a project like the Broadway musical, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman, again. The comic also gained Adams a great deal of recognition, as he was asked to contribute art for ESPN Magazine’s millennium edition.
“There are some people out there who’ve seen it (Superman vs. Muhammad Ali), and have a certain amount of respect for it,” said Adams. “One wonders why DC Comics hasn’t reprinted that book, or in some way, promoted it.”
The Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Comic is a part of The Museum Of UnCut Funk Collection.
Source: Aaron Tallent
