Joe Shuster

Joe Shuster was a Canadian-American comic book artist and writer best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman with his friend Jerry Siegel. Shuster was born in Toronto to a Jewish immigrant family, an experience which would inform and inspire the creation of Superman's secret identity as Clark Kent, a reporter for the Daily Star (later Planet). Shuster and Siegel were both avid science fiction fans, publishing a fanzine called Science Fiction in the mid-1920s. They read Philip Wylie's novel Gladiator, which featured a character with superpowers, and decided to create their own superhero. They first conceived Superman as a villain, but later made him a hero. In 1936, they tried to sell their character as a comic strip, but were rejected by many publishers. Finally, in 1938, they sold Superman to DC Comics, which published the character's debut in Action Comics 1. Superman was an instant hit, spawning a media franchise that included comic books, radio shows, movies, television shows, and merchandise. Shuster and Siegel continued working on Superman for many years, but became dissatisfied with the profits that DC Comics made from their character. They signed away their rights to Superman in exchange for a small royalty. In 1946, they sued DC Comics for a share of the rights to Superman, but lost the case. They also created another character, Funnyman, but it was not successful. Shuster left the comics industry in the 1950s, and worked as a delivery man for a while. He suffered from poor eyesight and financial difficulties. In 1975, after the success of the Superman movie, Shuster and Siegel sued DC Comics again, seeking recognition and royalties. DC Comics agreed to give them a lifetime pension of $35,000 a year, and credit them as the creators of Superman. Shuster died in 1992, nearly blind and still bitter about his treatment. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame, the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame, and the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame.