Episode 75: Does the World Need Superman? Elliot S! Maggin and the Legacy of Superman
Can the Man of Steel serve to counteract the Man of Steal?
Can the undocumented immigrant from Krypton serve to counter the anti-immigrant hype of MAGA?
Can a fictional moral paradigm, who can leap tall buildings in a single bound, provide us with the bounds that help us to define the limits of Ai?
Truth, Justice and the American Way. . .
If there is any phrase that serves as a one-sentence description of Superman's character it was this. It was his unassailable loyalty to the American vision.
Yet, even Superman could not escape the toxic environment of life in the USA in 2025. After the release of Superman (2025) some Fox News Commentators referred to the movie as "superwoke" because the MAGA crowd did not relate to the emphasis on kindness and the fact that Superman was an immigrant.
"Truth, Justice, and the American Way" today seems to be subject to interpretation in an era when a President lies nearly every time he opens his mouth, and now is leading a campaign to treat his political adversaries as criminals. . . and don't get me started on "The American Way" because we have lost our way completely.
Superman, the Man of Steel began as the youthful fantasy of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Both of them 17 year-old sons of Jewish immigrants. Shy boys, both, inspired by pulp science fiction and comic strips.
Both boys were born in 1914, Siegel in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of a sign painter, a Lithuanian Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York in 1900, having fled antisemitism in his native Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire
Shuster, the son of a tailor with Dutch and Ukrainian roots, was born in Toronto, Canada. When Shuster's family moved to Cleveland in 1924, they sent their son to Glenville High School, where he met Siegel for the first time.
They found inspiration in Buck Rogers, Tarzan, as well as 'Popeye' from the 'Thimble Theater' comic strips by E.C. Segar and the 1930s Fleischer Brothers animated cartoons.
Unable to afford drawing supplies, Shuster made his drawings on either brown wrapping paper or the back of wallpaper. Shuster and Siegel had their first cartooning experience at their local school paper, the Glenville Torch. One of their earliest collaborative efforts was 'Goober the Mighty' (1931), a Tarzan parody. Right from the start, Siegel was scriptwriter, and Shuster provided illustrations. Although Shuster attended the Cleveland School of Art for a while, he later claimed that movies had a far greater impact on the composition and design of his visual narratives than this formal art training.
You might be surprised to learn that before Siegel and Schuster landed on the heroic version of Superman, the two experimented with an earlier concept. In a 1933 fanzine, they featured a character named "The Superman" who was a telepathic villain seeking world domination.
Siegel and Shuster had been developing the Superman story and character since 1933, hoping to sell it as a syndicated newspaper comic-strip. But after years of fruitless soliciting to the syndicates, Siegel and Shuster agreed to publish Superman in a comic book. In March 1938, they sold all rights to Superman to the comic-book publisher Detective Comics, Inc., another forerunner of DC, for $130 ($2,904 when adjusted for inflation).[12]
Siegel and Shuster later regretted their decision to sell Superman after he became an astonishing success. DC Comics now owned the character and reaped the royalties. Nevertheless, DC Comics retained Siegel and Shuster as the principal writer and artist for the Superman comics, and they were well-paid because they were popular with the readers. For instance, in 1942 they together earned $63,776.46 (equivalent to $1,200,000 in 2024).[13] Siegel bought a house in University Heights and a car.[citation needed]
Siegel was conscripted into the United States Army on June 28, 1943. His service number was 35067731.[14] He was trained at Fort George G. Meade, where he was trained as an "Airplane Engine Mechanic, a Film Editor, Motion Picture Cutter, Public Relations Man or Playwright (Motion Picture Writer) or Reporter". He was posted in Honolulu, where he was assigned a writing job at the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. He focused mainly on comedy columns. Siegel was discharged on January 21, 1946, at the rank of Technician 4th Grade.[15]
During the Great Depression, Siegel and Shuster tried to make a living as authors of science fiction novels, but none of their stories found a publisher. In October 1932, tired of waiting in vain, they founded their own typed, mimeographed magazine, Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization, that lasted five issues. In their third issue (January 1933) they printed a story called 'The Reign of the Superman', which marked the first appearance of their iconic character, though not in the form as he is known today. In the story, the main character was a bum named Bill Dunn, who agrees to become Professor Ernest Smalley's guinea pig for a special serum that could make him the perfect human being. Smalley's eugenic experiment works, as his Superman has amazing telepathic superpowers, but he eventually goes on a rampage, along the way killing the professor, until his power wears off. This first Superman story was clearly inspired by the Frankenstein monster, which appeared in a 1818 novel by Mary Shelley and its 1931 Universal movie adaptation. Contrary to popular thought, the term "superman" was not thought up by Siegel or Shuster. It first appeared as a concept in German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's 1883 treatise 'Also Sprach Zarathustra', described as the "Übermensch". This was later translated by some English translators as "superman", like in George Bernard Shaw's 1903 play 'Man and Superman'. The term was already in casual use by pulp novelists, which might be where Siegel and Shuster picked it up. Despite its historical significance, the first Superman comic didn't sell. Audiences were not in the mood for a story about an omni-powerful villain. So Siegel and Shuster tried out several other science fiction stories, all rejected by bigger publishing companies.
Starting in the mid-1930s, comics were also made available in comic books. Instead of the serialized newspaper format of one comic strip per day, these monthly books offered longer stories in full. People could buy an issue without having to wait an entire day for the next episode. They could even keep and collect them. The comic book concept was still in its infancy and although most published stories had already proven their popularity in newspapers or magazines, Siegel and Shuster were immediately attracted to the idea. One comic book that particularly caught their attention was 'Detective Dan' by Norman Marsh, because its story hadn't been published elsewhere and was only available in comic book format. Siegel and Shuster decided to use the same strategy. They brushed off their old Superman story and converted it into a comic book. They even found Consolidated Book Publishing willing to take the risk of publishing their Superman comic book. However, Consolidated's editors changed their minds when 'Detective Dan' failed to catch on and Marsh decided to revamp his comic book to a newspaper strip, 'Dan Dunn'. Devastated, Siegel and Shuster destroyed the only copy of their 'Superman' comic book. Today, only the first page survives. In later interviews, they claimed that while this early incarnation of Superman was a strong person, he lacked superhuman powers.
Dr. Occult and other comics
Despite their 'Superman' setback, Siegel and Shuster managed to get some of their other creations published with National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics, run by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. 'Henri Duval of France, Famed Soldier of Fortune' was a swashbuckler tale, first appearing in New Fun (issue #6, October 1935) and then running for four more episodes in More Fun. This was followed by the 'Federal Men' feature in Adventure Comics (January 1936-December 1939), about the action-packed adventures of the government agent Steve Carson. 'Federal Men' stories continued in New Adventure Comics and then Adventure Comics until 1942, by then drawn by Chad Grothkopf, but still written by Siegel. In May 1936, Siegel & Shuster appeared in the first issue of the short-lived comic paper The Comic Magazine by Centaur Publishing with their character 'Dr. Mystic'. By July 1936, the character appeared under his new name, 'Dr. Occult, the Ghost Detective', in National's More Fun Comics (July 1936). In this story, he travels to a mystic realm where he flies and wears a cape, making him one of the first caped comic book superheroes. It is the oldest character still used in the DC Universe. In New Adventure Comics issue #12 (January 1937), Siegel & Shuster gave a hint of what crime fighting might look like in the year 3000. The Federal man of the future is called Jor-L, a name the authors later reused, with a slightly different spelling, for Superman's father.
The first issue of National Periodicals' Detective Comics (March 1937) ran two stories by Siegel and Shuster. 'Bart Regan, Spy' was a reboot of a previous one-off feature from Comics Magazine #2 (1936) by Centaur Publishing, and a new creation, 'Slam Bradley,' was a detective handy with his fists. Between 1937 and 1939, Siegel and Shuster additionally made the feature 'Radio Squad' for More Fun Comics, about courageous policeman Sandy Kean.
Superman
These early successes gave Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster the courage to flesh out their 'Superman' idea once again. Inspired by Philip Wylie's 1930 sci-fi novel 'Gladiator', they turned their villain into a hero. Superman was given an extraterrestrial backstory, a uniform and a double life as Clark Kent, a shy, bespectacled journalist. It took a while before Siegel & Shuster found a trustworthy publisher who believed in their idea. A rejection letter by an editor at Tip Top Comics declared Superman an "attractive idea because of its freshness and naïvité, but still a rather immature piece of work." In this early conceptual phase, Siegel experimented using different artists - Tony Strobl, Mel Graff, and Russell Keaton - but in the end, Siegel and Shuster decided to work on 'Superman' on their own. In 1937, they finally were given an opportunity when publisher Wheeler-Nicholson went bankrupt. The company was taken over by the businessmen Harry Donnenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, who wanted to start a new comic book series named Action Comics, similar to their successful Detective Comics series. Siegel and Shuster were asked if they could contribute anything suitable for the first issue of Action Comics, and at long last, 'Superman' finally made his debut in Action Comics issue #1 (June 1938).
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were the creators of Superman, the "Man of Steel" whose 1938 appearance marked the beginning of a long tradition of caped superheroes in American comics. Launched in Adventure Comics issue #1, Siegel was the feature's first scriptwriter and Shuster was the artist. Laying the foundations for Superman's entire mythos, they gave him an origin story, a home city – Metropolis – and introduced characters still used in 'Superman' comics today, including Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Jor-El, and Lex Luthor. Superman not only became one of the most iconic comic characters of all time, he spawned an entirely new and quintessential American genre, superhero comics. An entire industry was built around comic books about humanitarian crusaders with superhuman powers, most of them taking elements from tropes pioneered by Siegel and Shuster. The duo was directly responsible for turning DC Comics into one of the major comics companies in the world, yet in later years had to fight in court to receive recognition, credit and royalties for their creation.
During the Great Depression, Siegel and Shuster tried to make a living as authors of science fiction novels, but none of their stories found a publisher. In October 1932, tired of waiting in vain, they founded their own typed, mimeographed magazine, Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization, that lasted five issues. In their third issue (January 1933) they printed a story called 'The Reign of the Superman', which marked the first appearance of their iconic character, though not in the form as he is known today. In the story, the main character was a bum named Bill Dunn, who agrees to become Professor Ernest Smalley's guinea pig for a special serum that could make him the perfect human being. Smalley's eugenic experiment works, as his Superman has amazing telepathic superpowers, but he eventually goes on a rampage, along the way killing the professor, until his power wears off. This first Superman story was clearly inspired by the Frankenstein monster, which appeared in a 1818 novel by Mary Shelley and its 1931 Universal movie adaptation. Contrary to popular thought, the term "superman" was not thought up by Siegel or Shuster. It first appeared as a concept in German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's 1883 treatise 'Also Sprach Zarathustra', described as the "Übermensch". This was later translated by some English translators as "superman", like in George Bernard Shaw's 1903 play 'Man and Superman'. The term was already in casual use by pulp novelists, which might be where Siegel and Shuster picked it up. Despite its historical significance, the first Superman comic didn't sell. Audiences were not in the mood for a story about an omni-powerful villain. So Siegel and Shuster tried out several other science fiction stories, all rejected by bigger publishing companies.
Starting in the mid-1930s, comics were also made available in comic books. Instead of the serialized newspaper format of one comic strip per day, these monthly books offered longer stories in full. People could buy an issue without having to wait an entire day for the next episode. They could even keep and collect them. The comic book concept was still in its infancy and although most published stories had already proven their popularity in newspapers or magazines, Siegel and Shuster were immediately attracted to the idea. One comic book that particularly caught their attention was 'Detective Dan' by Norman Marsh, because its story hadn't been published elsewhere and was only available in comic book format. Siegel and Shuster decided to use the same strategy. They brushed off their old Superman story and converted it into a comic book. They even found Consolidated Book Publishing willing to take the risk of publishing their Superman comic book. However, Consolidated's editors changed their minds when 'Detective Dan' failed to catch on and Marsh decided to revamp his comic book to a newspaper strip, 'Dan Dunn'. Devastated, Siegel and Shuster destroyed the only copy of their 'Superman' comic book. Today, only the first page survives. In later interviews, they claimed that while this early incarnation of Superman was a strong person, he lacked superhuman powers.
Dr. Occult and other comics
Despite their 'Superman' setback, Siegel and Shuster managed to get some of their other creations published with National Allied Publications, the future DC Comics, run by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson. 'Henri Duval of France, Famed Soldier of Fortune' was a swashbuckler tale, first appearing in New Fun (issue #6, October 1935) and then running for four more episodes in More Fun. This was followed by the 'Federal Men' feature in Adventure Comics (January 1936-December 1939), about the action-packed adventures of the government agent Steve Carson. 'Federal Men' stories continued in New Adventure Comics and then Adventure Comics until 1942, by then drawn by Chad Grothkopf, but still written by Siegel. In May 1936, Siegel & Shuster appeared in the first issue of the short-lived comic paper The Comic Magazine by Centaur Publishing with their character 'Dr. Mystic'. By July 1936, the character appeared under his new name, 'Dr. Occult, the Ghost Detective', in National's More Fun Comics (July 1936). In this story, he travels to a mystic realm where he flies and wears a cape, making him one of the first caped comic book superheroes. It is the oldest character still used in the DC Universe. In New Adventure Comics issue #12 (January 1937), Siegel & Shuster gave a hint of what crime fighting might look like in the year 3000. The Federal man of the future is called Jor-L, a name the authors later reused, with a slightly different spelling, for Superman's father.
The first issue of National Periodicals' Detective Comics (March 1937) ran two stories by Siegel and Shuster. 'Bart Regan, Spy' was a reboot of a previous one-off feature from Comics Magazine #2 (1936) by Centaur Publishing, and a new creation, 'Slam Bradley,' was a detective handy with his fists. Between 1937 and 1939, Siegel and Shuster additionally made the feature 'Radio Squad' for More Fun Comics, about courageous policeman Sandy Kean.
Superman
These early successes gave Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster the courage to flesh out their 'Superman' idea once again. Inspired by Philip Wylie's 1930 sci-fi novel 'Gladiator', they turned their villain into a hero. Superman was given an extraterrestrial backstory, a uniform and a double life as Clark Kent, a shy, bespectacled journalist. It took a while before Siegel & Shuster found a trustworthy publisher who believed in their idea. A rejection letter by an editor at Tip Top Comics declared Superman an "attractive idea because of its freshness and naïvité, but still a rather immature piece of work." In this early conceptual phase, Siegel experimented using different artists - Tony Strobl, Mel Graff, and Russell Keaton - but in the end, Siegel and Shuster decided to work on 'Superman' on their own. In 1937, they finally were given an opportunity when publisher Wheeler-Nicholson went bankrupt. The company was taken over by the businessmen Harry Donnenfeld and Jack Liebowitz, who wanted to start a new comic book series named Action Comics, similar to their successful Detective Comics series. Siegel and Shuster were asked if they could contribute anything suitable for the first issue of Action Comics, and at long last, 'Superman' finally made his debut in Action Comics issue #1 (June 1938).
To meet the rising demand for new 'Superman' stories, the character received his own title, 'Superman', (June 1939), while Action Comics also continued to run his adventures. The caped crusader also appeared in other comic formats. A 'Superman' daily newspaper strip debuted on 16 January 1939 and Sunday newspaper comic feature was added later that same year, on 5 November 1939. Both strips were syndicated uninterrupted by Bell-McClure until April 1966. The newspaper comics were first drawn by Joe Shuster and his assistants, and in later years by Wayne Boring, Win Mortimer and Curt Swan. The writing of the strip was initially done by Jerry Siegel, then passed on over the years to Whitney Ellsworth, Jack Schiff, Alvin Schwartz, Bill Woolfolk and Bill Finger. A spin-off, 'Lois Lane, Girl Reporter' (24 October 1943 - 27 February 1944) ran as a topper to the Sunday strip, but only lasted twelve episodes. The Superman comic books also inspired some spin-offs over the years, with titles such as 'Superboy' (1949-1977), 'Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen' (1954-1974), 'Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane' (1958-1974) and 'Supergirl' (1972-1974).
Superman: assistants
To keep up with their workload, Siegel and Shuster had begun working with assistants as early as 1938. Shuster turned the inking and finished artwork of several 'Superman' stories over to Paul Cassidy (1938-1940), who gave 'Superman' the classic diamond "S" on his costume. Also in 1938, Wayne Boring began assisting Shuster on 'Spy' and 'Slam Bradley', and he joined Shuster's Cleveland-based studio in 1940. Cassidy was replaced by Leo Nowak (1940-1943). In 1940, John Sikela became one of Shuster's long-lasting assistants, often working in tandem on stories with Ed Dobrotka, who joined in 1941. Another early assistant was Paul J. Lauretta (1939), and Hi Mankin worked at the studio for one month in 1941. New pencil artists joined during the war period: Jack Burnley, Fred Ray, Sam Citron, Ira Yarbrough and Pete Riss, as well as the inkers Stan Kaye and George Roussos. With artist Bernard Baily, Siegel also created the ghostly avenger 'The Spectre' for More Fun Comics #52 (1940).
The Kryptonian hero also conquered other media. As early as 1942, George Lowther wrote 'Superman' novels, illustrated by Shuster. A long-running radio serial 'The Adventures of Superman' (1940-1951) was broadcast on the Mutual Radio Network. A series of Fleischer Brothers animated shorts by Paramount Pictures (1941-1943) were followed by two film serials, 'Superman' (1948) and 'Atom Man vs. Superman' (1950) by Columbia Pictures. In 1951, the character appeared in his own feature length-movie, 'Superman and the Mole Men' where he was portrayed by George Reeves, who also played him in the popular TV series 'Adventures of Superman' (1952-1958). The TV series ended after George Reeves suffered an untimely and mysterious death by gunshot. Many animated Superman TV series have been produced: Filmation made 'The New Adventures of Superman' (1966-1970), Hanna-Barbera came up with the 'Super Friends' (1973-1985), Ruby-Spears produced the short-lived 'Superman' (1988), and Warner Bros. Animation created 'Superman: The Animated Series' (1996-2000). Two live-action drama series, 'Lois & Clark' (1993-1997) and 'Smallville' (2001-2011), also kept interest in the franchise alive. In 1966, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams adapted Superman into a Broadway musical: 'It's a Bird... It's a Plane... It's Superman' (1966). Superman was also the subject of two pieces by Andy Warhol, a collage in 1960 and a silkscreen series in 1981.
In 1978, Superman reached a whole new audience when Richard Donner directed the blockbuster movie 'Superman', starring Christopher Reeve in the title role and a heavily-publicized and well-paid Marlon Brando as his father Jor-El. The script was written by Mario Puzo, writer of 'The Godfather'. Three sequels followed: 'Superman II' (1980), 'Superman III' (1983) and 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace' (1987). The first Superman video game coincided with the 1978 movie version. Brandon Routh played the title character when Superman returned to the big screen in 2006 in Bryan Singer's aptly titled 'Superman Returns'. While the film was a financial success, executives still decided to reboot the franchise a few years later with a new actor in the title role. Zack Snyder directed three films, 'Man of Steel' (2013), 'Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice' (2016) and 'Justice League' (2017), which all starred the first British-born actor in the Superman role, Henry Cavill.
Much has been written about Superman and why he became such a global success. Although the character's origins are extraterrestrial, many elements of the world Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created for him to live in were autobiographical, and offered a recognizable reality to the reader. The skyscrapers of Metropolis were based on Shuster's hometown Toronto. Siegel's background as a journalist and paperboy for the Toronto newspaper Daily Star helped give Clark Kent's workplace, the Daily Planet, a sense of verisimilitude. Both Siegel and Shuster were shy, somewhat geeky Jewish men who had their fair share of bad luck in life. They weren't popular in high school, especially with girls. Readers, particularly teenagers, could identify with Clark Kent's struggles with trying to fit in, and instilled hope that like Clark Kent, they too had hidden superpowers unseen by their peers. Additionally, like many immigrants, Superman came to the United States and managed to find a new identity and a successful career. In the 1930's, Superman's omnipotence provided wish fulfillment to a segment of the population feeling disempowered by widespread unemployment in the Great Depression, and stories of Superman fighting the Axis powers comforted readers worried about World War II. After World War II, Superman continued as a symbol of the American Dream, fighting for "truth, justice and the American way", as his motto appeared in the 'Superman' radio serial.
Much has been written about Superman and why he became such a global success. Although the character's origins are extraterrestrial, many elements of the world Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created for him to live in were autobiographical, and offered a recognizable reality to the reader. The skyscrapers of Metropolis were based on Shuster's hometown Toronto. Siegel's background as a journalist and paperboy for the Toronto newspaper Daily Star helped give Clark Kent's workplace, the Daily Planet, a sense of verisimilitude. Both Siegel and Shuster were shy, somewhat geeky Jewish men who had their fair share of bad luck in life. They weren't popular in high school, especially with girls. Readers, particularly teenagers, could identify with Clark Kent's struggles with trying to fit in, and instilled hope that like Clark Kent, they too had hidden superpowers unseen by their peers. Additionally, like many immigrants, Superman came to the United States and managed to find a new identity and a successful career. In the 1930's, Superman's omnipotence provided wish fulfillment to a segment of the population feeling disempowered by widespread unemployment in the Great Depression, and stories of Superman fighting the Axis powers comforted readers worried about World War II. After World War II, Superman continued as a symbol of the American Dream, fighting for "truth, justice and the American way", as his motto appeared in the 'Superman' radio serial.
Superman: expansion of superpowers and cast
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster enriched Superman's backstory in various ways. His superhuman powers provided them with numerous ideas for new stories. Sensational action scenes could be made from Superman's ability to jump extremely high, his X-ray vision and bullet-proof chest, but after a while, his invincibility seemed to become a drawback. How could an invincible character ever be in genuine danger, an important element in creating drama? In 1943, Siegel came up with an answer to this question when he introduced Superman's Achilles' heel: Kryptonite, a material which originated from his home planet and whose radioactive rays could severely weaken or even kill him. Additional drama was provided by new enemies, whose intellect or powers made them worthy opponents to Superman's talents. The first of these was the genius billionaire Lex Luthor, who debuted in Action Comics issue #23 (April 1940). In issue #51 (August 1942), Siegel and Shuster came up with The Prankster, a con artist who enjoys playing pranks on Superman in a manner quite similar to Bob Kane's The Joker in 'Batman'. The Toyman first started tormenting Superman with his toys and gadgets in Action Comics #64 (September 1943). Also created by Siegel, but first appearing in a comic by Whitney Ellsworth and Wayne Boring, was the magical imp Mister Mxyzptlk, who debuted in the 'Superman' newspaper comic in 1944. Later authors created more supervillains, of which the android Brainiac (issue #242, July 1958) and General Zod (issue #283, April 1961) had the most staying power.
Siegel and Shuster also came up with new dimensions for the other cast members. In Action Comics issue #60 (May 1943), Lois Lane first adopted a superhero persona of her own as 'Superwoman' in a story scripted by Siegel and drawn by George Roussos. A month later, on 27 June 1943, Rea Irvin created a superhero parody, also titled 'Superwoman'. It ran as a Sunday comic, serialized in The New York Herald Tribune and The Oakland Tribune, but National Periodicals (DC) had already copyrighted the name, sent a cease-and-desist letter and Irvin was forced to drop his spoof.
For his contributions to American comics, Jerry Siegel received an Inkpot Award at the 1975 San Diego Comic-Con. In 1992, Siegel and Shuster were inducted in the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame and one year later in the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame. Since 2005, Shuster's name lives on in the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame, in which he and Siegel were inducted posthumously in 2005. The same year, streets in Cleveland were named "Jerry Siegel Lane" and "Joe Shuster Lane".
Financial compensation & credits
None of Jerry Siegel's other creations were ever successful in the long run, which he blamed on being black-balled from the comic industry after his lawsuit against DC Comics. When the 'Superman' movie came along in 1978, Siegel and Shuster tried once again to get some kind of financial retribution. They were supported by comic artists Neal Adams and Jerry Robinson. The negative media attention made DC Comics finally consider compensation for the duo. While the company still felt they were in their legal right, they offered Siegel and Shuster credit for their work again, as well as a lifetime annuity.
Final years and death
Siegel and Shuster lived out the final years of their lives in well-paid, comfortable circumstances. Joe Shuster - who in his final years was totally blind - passed away in Los Angeles in 1992. Jerry Siegel died in 1996, surviving his partner for four years. Even in death, the legal struggles between the Siegel estate and DC Comics continue, with continuing lawsuits over Superman's copyright and the claim that Siegel's idea of 'Superboy' was stolen from him by DC Comics.
Legacy and influence
Together with Batman and Wonder Woman, Superman is one of the "Big Three" of DC Comics, appearing most often in the company's comic book series and related merchandising. As the prototypical superhero, Superman has become one of the most recognizable characters in pop culture worldwide, comparable in impact to Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. Over the years, he has turned into a metaphoric symbol of the United States as a global superpower, and was as a result also the subject of spoof and criticism in anti-American satire.
While some might argue Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster should have been richer, more renowned by the general public, and awarded by their peers in their lifetime, with 'Superman' they leave an influential legacy that lives on. Many other comic writers and graphic artists have produced 'Superman' comic books after Siegel and Shuster left the title. Among the 'Superman' scriptwriters have been Cary Bates, Kust Busiek, Don Cameron, Bill Finger, Geoff Johns, Elliot S. Maggin, Alan Moore, Martin Pasko, James Robinson, Jim Shooter, Len Wein, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Scott Lobdell, George Pérez, Gene Luen Yang, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason. In Superman's later years, his adventures have been visualized by comic artists Wayne Boring, Al Plastino, Ross Andru, Curt Swan, José Luis García-López, Dick Dillin, Stuart Immonen, Pete Woods, Renato Guedes, Karl Kerschi, Carlos Pacheco, Eddy Barrows, Kenneth Rocafort, George Pérez, Howard Porter, John Romita Jr. and Patrick Gleason, among many others. New recurring characters were introduced to the cast, such as Superman's dog, Krypto (Adventure Comics #210, March 1955) and a female companion, Supergirl (Action Comics #252, May 1959), who also had a pet of her own, Streaky the Supercat (issue #261, February 1960). More Superanimals were Beppo the Super-Monkey (Superboy issue #76, October 1959) and Comet the Super Horse (Action Comics #293, October 1962). Among the more sensational later storylines were the 1976 crossover between Superman and the Marvel Comics hero Spider-Man and one with boxing legend Muhammad Ali (1978). In Action Comics #484 (June 1978), Clark Kent and Lois Lane finally get married, and Superman, at long last, revealed his secret identity to his true love. In Superman issue #75 (January 1993), Superman even died for a couple of issues, but was eventually brought back to life in issue #82 (October 1993).
Superman: references in music
As an icon of the superhero genre, 'Superman' has been a pop culture mainstay. Many songs namecheck or alluded to Superman in their titles: 'Sunshine Superman' by Donovan (1966), 'Superman' by Gruppo Sportivo (1977), '(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman' by The Kinks (1979), 'Superman's Big Sister' by Ian Dury and the Blockheads (1980), 'O Superman' by Laurie Anderson' (1982), 'Waitin' for a Superman' by The Flaming Lips (1999), 'Kryptonite' by 3 Doors Down (2000), 'The Man of Metropolis Steals our Heart' by Sufjan Stevens (2005) and 'Superman' by The BPA (2009). Loïs Lane, the Dutch duo of Suzanne and Monique Klemann, named themselves after Clark Kent's love interest, Loïs Lane, adding an umlaut over the "i" in her first name. The drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland, released two solo albums under the pseudonym Klark Kent: 'Klark Kent' (1980) and 'Kollected Works' (1995).
Superman parodies
The pervasive popularity of 'Superman' comics inevitably lead to "Super" parodies of this cultural phenomenon. In 1953, Harvey Kurtzman and Wallace Wood spoofed him as 'Superduper Man' in Mad Magazine. There were animation parodies like Paul Terry's Terrytoon 'Mighty Mouse' (1942) and Jay Ward's TV cartoon 'Super Chicken' (1967), as well as the comic books Al Fagaly's 'Super Duck' (1943), Henry Boltinoff's 'Super-Turtle' (1963), Virgilio Martinez Gainza's 'Supertiñosa' and Jan's 'Superlópez' (1973), and the European comic features 'Superlul' (1971) by porn comic artist Nico van Welzenes, 'Superdupont' (1972) by Marcel Gotlib and Jacques Lob and 'Soeperman' (1986) by Willem Ritstier and René Uilenbroek, among others. Roger Brunel made a sex parody of 'Superman' in 'Pastiches 2' (1982). One of the most famous TV sketches by British comedy group Monty Python's Flying Circus is 'Bicycle Repairman' (1969) in which the 'Superman' concept is turned on its head by having an ordinary bicycle repairman in a city of supermen be the superhero with a secret identity.
Monetary value
The first issue of the comic book Action Comics also has a legendary status. In February 2010, one of the few remaining copies was sold at an auction for 1 million US dollars, becoming the first million dollar comic book. Another copy sold for $2.16 million in November 2011 through ComicConnect.com. It is speculated that this was a copy stolen from actor and comic collector Nicolas Cage in 2000.
The duo was directly responsible for turning DC Comics into one of the major comics companies in the world, yet in later years had to fight in court to receive recognition, credit and royalties for their creation.
He and Siegel were inducted into both the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2005, the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association instituted the Joe Shuster Awards, named to honor the Canada-born artist.
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