It’s easy to look at the multi-billion dollar empire of DC Studios today and assume the Man of Steel was born in a high-rise boardroom. He wasn't. Two teenagers from Cleveland did it. They were awkward, obsessed with pulp magazines, and living through the crushing weight of the Great Depression. When people ask who created superman, the names Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster usually pop up, but the "how" and "why" are much messier than the glossy history books suggest.
Jerry was the writer. Joe was the artist. They met at Glenville High School in 1932, bonded by a shared love for science fiction and a feeling of being outsiders. It wasn't a lightning bolt of inspiration that hit them one afternoon; it was years of rejection. They spent the better part of the 1930s trying to sell this character to anyone who would listen. Honestly, the first version of Superman wasn't even a hero. He was a bald villain with telepathic powers. Imagine that. The world’s greatest symbol of hope started out as a guy trying to take over the world.
The Long Road to Action Comics No. 1
The transition from villain to hero happened because Jerry realized that nobody wanted to read about a psychic jerk. People needed a champion. This was a time of bread lines and economic collapse. People were desperate. So, they retooled him. He became a physical powerhouse who fought for the "oppressed."
They shopped the strip around for six years. Six years! Every major newspaper syndicate turned them down. They were told the character was too "childish" or just plain weird. You’ve probably heard the story that they sold the rights for $130. That’s actually true. It was a check for several items, and Superman was just one of them. In 1938, Detective Comics (later DC) needed a lead feature for a new anthology called Action Comics. They dug through the "slush pile," found Siegel and Shuster’s work, and the rest is history. Except, for the creators, that’s when the trouble really started.
The Myth of the Overnight Success
Success was instant for the character, but not for the men. By 1941, Superman was a phenomenon. He had a radio show and a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. Meanwhile, Jerry and Joe were basically work-for-hire employees. They were making decent money for the time, sure, but they didn't own a single hair on Clark Kent’s head.
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The relationship between the duo and DC eventually soured. They sued for the rights in the late 40s and lost. Not only did they lose the rights, but they also lost their jobs. Joe’s eyesight began to fail. Jerry ended up working as a clerk. It’s one of the most heartbreaking stories in the history of American pop culture. Two kids changed the world and then were basically erased from their own creation for decades.
Why the Identity of Who Created Superman Matters Today
If you look at the credits of Superman: Legacy or any modern comic, you’ll see the line "By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family." That line represents years of legal warfare. It wasn't until the mid-1970s, right before the Christopher Reeve movie came out, that Jerry and Joe finally got some recognition.
Artist Neal Adams and the Screen Actors Guild put massive pressure on Warner Bros. The creators were living in poverty. It was a PR nightmare. Eventually, DC agreed to give them a lifetime pension and, crucially, put their names back on every Superman story.
- The Power of the Immigrant Story: Both boys were the sons of Jewish immigrants. You can see that influence everywhere. Superman is the ultimate immigrant. He comes from a far-off land, changes his name, and tries to fit into American society while secretly being different.
- The Science Fiction Influence: They were huge fans of Philip Wylie’s novel Gladiator. They loved the John Carter of Mars stories. Superman’s ability to leap over buildings wasn't magic—it was explained by Krypton’s heavy gravity. They wanted it to feel "scientific," at least by 1930s standards.
- The Art Style: Joe Shuster’s art was kinetic. It was raw. It didn't look like the polished Sunday strips of the time. It felt like an explosion on the page.
The Tragic Disconnect
There is a weird irony in the fact that the man who drew the strongest man in the world could eventually barely see well enough to draw at all. Joe Shuster’s health declined rapidly in his later years. Jerry Siegel, on the other hand, never stopped being frustrated by the "corporate" version of his character. He once wrote a scathing press release in the 70s "cursing" the upcoming movie because of how he’d been treated.
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The Evolution of the Creators' Vision
The Superman we see today—the one who flies and has heat vision—isn't exactly the guy Jerry and Joe first put on paper. In the beginning, he couldn't fly. He "leaped." He didn't have heat vision. He was just really, really strong and had "tough skin." The powers grew as the medium grew.
But the core? That’s all them. The "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" stuff (though that specific phrase came later via the radio show) reflects the creators' desire for a world that was fairer than the one they were living in. They created a guy who could punch social injustice in the face. In early stories, Superman wasn't fighting aliens; he was fighting corrupt politicians and slumlords. He was a social crusader.
If you really want to understand who created superman, you have to look at the 1930s. You have to see the smog-filled streets of Cleveland and the flickering screens of movie palaces showing Metropolis. You have to see two skinny kids who felt powerless and decided to invent the most powerful person imaginable.
How to Deep Dive Into Superman's History
If this story fascinates you, don't just stop at a Wikipedia page. There are actual artifacts and deep-dive resources that show the grit of this era:
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- Read "Men of Tomorrow" by Gerard Jones: This is arguably the best book on the subject. It details the business side of the comic industry and the specific lives of Siegel and Shuster. It doesn't sugarcoat the exploitation.
- Visit the Siegel House in Cleveland: The house where Jerry lived when he wrote the first Superman story is still standing. It’s a humble place, but it’s a pilgrimage site for comic fans.
- Check out the Heritage Auctions archives: Every few years, an original 1938 copy of Action Comics #1 goes up for sale. Looking at the high-res scans of those pages shows the raw, frantic energy of Shuster’s original ink work.
- The Jerry Siegel Papers: Some of Jerry's personal notes and scripts are held at the University of Virginia. They offer a direct look into his creative process and his struggles with the industry.
The history of Superman isn't just about a guy in a cape. It's a story about intellectual property, the American Dream, and the sometimes-brutal reality of the publishing business. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster gave us a modern god, and while they eventually got their names on the page, their journey remains a cautionary tale for every creator today.
Next time you see that big red "S," remember it didn't come from a marketing team. It came from two kids in Ohio who just wanted to tell a story about someone who could save the day.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Research the "Siegel and Shuster" legal timeline to understand how modern copyright laws for creators were shaped by their battle.
- Look for reprints of the "Golden Age" Superman stories (1938–1940) to see the character's original, more aggressive personality before he was softened for a general audience.
- Support organizations like the Hero Initiative, which provides a financial safety net for comic creators who may be facing the same health or financial struggles Shuster once did.