many events in the novel are based on the lives of actual comic-book creators including jack kirby (to whom the book is dedicated in the afterword), bob kane, stan lee, jerry siegel, joe shuster, joe simon, will eisner and jim steranko. other historical figures play minor roles, including salvador dalí, al smith, orson welles and fredric wertham. the novel's time span roughly mirrors that of the golden age of comics itself, starting from shortly after the debut of superman and concluding with the kefauver senate hearings, two events often used to demarcate the era.