This is the second Superman/Lois spanking scene by Tim (the first may be found here). But whereas that earlier work was more or less serious, Tim apparently intended this one to be half-erotic, half-parody. Let's take a look:
Created by Tim. Characters © DC Comics Inc. Posted by the Web-Ed on 09/20/2013 (click to increase in size).
Considered simply as an erotic spanking drawing, the high point is the variant OTK positioning with Lois' rear raised up nice and high for "sixty with the slipper" (a somewhat British touch, although the slipper did occasionally appear in American comics). But there's more to it than that: Tim has not one but two references from actual comics in mind.
Tim appended the notation "With apologies to Kurt Schaffenberger" near the bottom which we'll now explain. Schaffenberger was the second most important "Superman Family" artist after only Curt Swan during the critical period from 1957 - 1985, or almost all of the Silver and Bronze Ages. He drew innumerable stories in Lois Lane and also handled many of Supergirl's solo appearances during this period. Generally taking up the inking chores on his own pencils (unusual because it increased the length of time needed to produce a book), Schaffenberger had an admirably clean line and rendered all the Superman Family characters in an attractive (but not sexy) way. It was Schaffenberger who drew the Superman Robot/Lois spanking in Lois Lane #14, and had there been a real Superman/Lois spanking as readers demanded, he would probably have drawn it as well. Tim has drawn Superman and Lois in a style which loosely recalls Schaffenberger's and in a spanking position which definitely recalls the one in Lois Lane #14 (see below).
The famous spanking from Lois Lane #14. Art by Kurt Schaffenberger. Characters © DC Comics Inc.
Tim's parody of the same. Characters © DC Comics Inc.
Seen side-by-side the resemblance is unmistakable, although of course Tim's is more erotic - as we mentioned, Schaffenberger's style was remarkably un-erotic, which was perhaps not a bad thing when comics were seen as primarily a children's medium. Now for the second reference.
You've probably noticed that Tim replaced Superman's famous "S" symbol with an oval enclosing the words "The John Wayne Fan Club". This is a double-reference, to John Wayne and his films McClintock! and Donovan's Reef with their well-known spanking scenes, but also to the most famous parody of the Superman strip, Superduperman!, which appeared in MAD #4 (April-May 1953). As can be seen, artist Wally Wood put the "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval (itself parodied as "Good Housebreaking") on Superduperman's costume, and Tim's version is clearly a homage to it.
Superduperman!, from MAD #4 (April-May 1953, Web-Ed's collection). Story and layout by Harvey Kurtzman, art by Wally Wood. Remember that MAD was still a four-color comic book and not a black & white magazine at that time, which is why this panel is in color. © William M. Gaines (click to increase in size).
