Happy Birthday Joe Shuster! He started out as a paperboy at the Toronto Daily Star. Shuster moved to Cleveland, Ohio and met writer Jerry Siegel, their partnership was formed. They published a fanzine called Science Fiction. The duo worked at National Allied Publications which would become DC Comics. They created Doctor Occult in New Fun #6 (1935). He was a supernatural detective that appeared as a guide in Books of Magic (1991). The Siegel and Shuster duo went on to create a Superman whom was actually a bald villain with telepathy in “The Reign of the Superman.” This was in their fanzine Science Fiction #3 (1933).
The title was paid tribute in the storyline, "Reign of the Supermen" after the death of Superman in 1993. The character was not successful, but the duo continued with creating detective Slam Bradley in Detective Comics #1 (1937). The character appeared in DC: The New Frontier (2003-2004) and was played by Kurt Szarka in a 2020 Batwoman episode. This of course all led to their greatest creation in Action Comics #1 (1938), Superman! He went on to his own title in Superman #1 (1939). There are some changes over the years, the newspaper Clark Kent worked for was named the Daily Star like Shuster’s newspaper job, but of course changed to Daily Planet.
His parents were named John and Mary Kent introduced in Superman #1. The names were changed to Jonathan in Adventure Comics #149 (1950) written by Edmond Hamilton and Martha, MARTHA!, in Superboy #12 (1951) written by William Woolfolk. Kryptonite first appeared in the popular radio serial The Adventures of Superman with the episode “The Meteor from Krypton” (1943). It debuted in comics form with Superman #61 (1949). Superman’s popularity extended to all forms of media with the radio serial which had Bud Collyer voicing Superman. It ran from 1940 to 1951. Then, in animated form with shorts produced by Fleischer Studios that ran from 1941 to 1943. Of course, Collyer voiced Superman for the animated shorts. He first appeared on film played by Kirk Alyn in the serial, Superman (1948). Another icon was Christopher Reeve in the four Superman films.
On television, there was George Reeves, iconic as Superman in Adventures of Superman (1952-1958). Now we have Tyler Hoechlin in Superman & Lois. Ownership of the character was taken by DC Comics with Siegel bringing numerous lawsuits. Shuster’s eye sight was failing and he was near blind and unable to draw in 1976. Jerry Robinson, a Batman legend, and Neal Adams campaigned with Siegel and Shuster over their treament by DC Comics. The pressure of the 1978 Superman: The Movie got DC to finally restore credits to Siegel and Shuster and give them lifetime pensions. Still, Shuster had heavy debts and died in 1992. In 1992, he and Siegel were inducted to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. The following year, the duo were given a place in the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame. In 2005, the Joe Shuster Awards were named in his honor by the Canadian Comic Book Creators Awards Association. His story was told in the book, The Joe Shuster Story (2018). We will always remember the man who truly made Superman fly. Happy Birthday Joe Shuster!
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