Notes on Jerry and Joe – Episode 7

• Brad Ricca, Super Boys – The Amazing Adventures of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Creators of Superman (2013, St. Martin’s Press)
• Gerard Jones, Men of Tomorrow – Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book (2004, Basic Books)
• Helene Stapinski and Bonnie Siegler, The American Way – A True Story of Nazi Escape, Superman and Marilyn Monroe (2023, Simon & Schuster)
• Jerry Siegel, Creation of a Superhero (unpublished autobiography, circa 1980)
• Jerry Siegel, “Superman originator puts ‘curse’ on Superman movie”, circa September 1975
• N.C. Christopher Couch, Jerry Robinson – Ambassador of Comics (2010, Abrams ComicsArts)
• Robert Lipsyte, An Accidental Sportswriter, (2011, HarperCollins)
• Joe Sergi, The Law for Comic Book Creators, (2015, McFarland & Company)
• “Whatever became of Superman’s creator?” Star Weekly, June 27, 1970
• Thomas J. Brazaltis, “Superman’s glory lost by creative Glenville duo”, Cleveland Plain Dealer, September 5, 1972
• Mary Murphy, “Superman film set for leap year “, Los Angeles Times, August 9, 1975
• John Sherwood, “Superman still makes millions, but not his creators”, Washington Star, October 29, 1975
• Bob Greene, “Superman creator falls upon grim years”, Chicago Sun-Times syndicated column, November 12, 1975
• Thomas Collins, “A ray of hope for Superman’s creators”, Newsday, December 10, 1975
• “Superman’s creators really need him now” Long Island Press, December 10, 1975
• Victoria Graham, “Superman’s creators appeal for help”, Associated Press, December 25, 1975
• Elliot S. Maggin, “How a real hero saved the mild-mannered creators of Superman”, The Village Voice, January 19, 1976
• Bruce Blackadar, “His Superman flew, but he’s now down and out”, Toronto Star, December 26, 1978
• Otto Friedrich with Beth Austin and Janice C. Simpson, “Up, Up and Awaaay!!! America’s favourite hero turns 50, ever changing but indestructible”, Time, March 14, 1988
• Henry Miekiewicz, “Great Krypton! Superman was The Star’s ace reporter”, Toronto Star, April 26, 1992
• Michael Sangiacomo, “Superman creator, Siegel, 81 is dead”, Cleveland Plain Dealer, January 31, 1996
• “Neal Adams talks about Siegel and Shuster’s Superman battles in Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics”, Tripwire magazine, December 11, 2017

From Superman 302 ( cover dated August 1976), the first issue with Jerry and Joe’s creator credit restored to the comic book

The recording of Jerry and Joanne Siegel being interviewed at the 1974 Comic Con can be found on YouTube.

Similarly, YouTube also has the 1966 WNAC-TV (Boston) clip of Arthur Pierce as Captain America, written by Jerry Siegel.

Finally, the CBS Evening News report about Warner’s settlement with Siegel and Shuster from December 23, 1975 is also on YouTube.

Most of the documents pertaining to Joe Shuster’s heirs and their agreement with DC Comics were a part of the package of court documents in the various cases the Siegel estate had with DC Comics to regain the copyright on Superman in the 2000s and 2010s. They offer an interesting glimpse on Siegel and Shuster’s own arrangement with DC: there were regular payments according to the pension agreed upon, but there were bonuses given to the Shuster heirs for seasons of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Superman: The Animated Series. Jean Peavy also tried to see if Warner would produce her son’s screenplay about Siegel and Shuster (with fictionalized versions of Liebowitz and Donenfeld!)

The fact that so much of the court case put many documents in the public domain did this podcast, and other researchers on Siegel and Shuster, a giant service. But I hope that, in future, the Siegel estate donates Jerry’s papers to a university, because we still probably only have a partial view of everything. That’s why Daniel Best’s bibliography of Jerry Siegel is so important. There is more to learn.