One of their more popular stories included Superman confronting Hitler and exposing the horror that was being inflicted on the Jewish people of Europe. One of the reasons for the early success of Superman was how Jerry Siegel (1914-1996) wrote about real issues that affected everyday people.Īs time passed, Hitler’s rise in Europe with his antisemitic words and the negative stereotypes of Jewish people, pushed Siegel and Shuster to make a hero that defended the weak, and to tell stories that would cheer Americans on as things looked grave in the war. The Superman stories flew off the shelves. Superman soon became one of the best-known characters in the world. On April 18, 1938, the first issue of Action Comics was released with Superman lifting a car above his head, drawn by Joe Shuster (1914-1992). In 2021, a nearly pristine copy of this comic book sold for over 3 million dollars! The strip proved so popular that National launched Superman into his own self-titled comic book, the first for any superhero, premiering in the summer of 1939. Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications Action Comics #1 in June 1938. Eventually they sold their concept to DC comics for just $130. They shared a love of science fiction, adventure fiction, and movies.Īfter developing the comic strip characters of Superman, Clark Kent, Lois Lane, etc., Siegel and Shuster began a 6-year quest to find a publisher. The family moved to Cleveland in 1824, where he became friends with Siegel in high school. Joe Shuster was born in Toronto on Jhis father was from Rotterdam and his mother had come from Kiev.

Jerry Siegel was born on October 17, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio his parents were Jewish immigrants who had fled antisemitism in their native Lithuania in 1900.

Jerry siegel superman