SHUSTER, JOE 571
He also won a citywide poster contest for a football game. Shuster agreed to illustrate
and design a fi ve-issue fanzine named Science Fiction written by Siegel. Unable to get a
scholarship to the prestigious Cleveland School of Art (he received Honorable Mention),
Shuster continued to draw from magazines and took night classes at the Huntington
School of Art. Driven by Siegel’s relentless drive to publish, Shuster was soon drawing
many Siegel cartoon scripts including “Bruce Verne, G-man of the Future” and “Snoopy
and Smiley,” among others. Yet it was Shuster’s ability to draw strongman heroes and
gorgeous damsels that helped the duo get published starting in 1935 with several serials
in More Fun Comics, New Comics, Adventure Comics, and Detective Comics. In these
comics, Shuster used fi lm techniques to provide emotional close-ups and stunning full-
page action sequences, often elevated by Shuster’s creative use of Craftint paper. At the
same time, they worked on another character: Superman. Shuster designed the famous
costume using elements of physical fi tness culture, of which he was a strong follower.
Superman was fi nally bought for $130 (including the rights) and the character debuted
in Action Comics #1 (1938). Shuster (who was born with poor eyesight) opened his
own Cleveland studio—with young artists such as Wayne Boring, Leo Nowak, and John
Sikela—to help with the workload. Early stories were also lettered by Shuster’s brother,
Frank. After World War II, Siegel
and Shuster began proceedings to
sue their employer, National Allied
Publications (the primary direct
forerunner of DC Comics) for the
rights to Superman and were con-
sequently fi red.
Shuster teamed up with Sie-
gel again on the comic Funnyman
(1947), taught, and contributed
pencils and covers to horror and
racing comics. In the late 1950s
and in need of money, he did
anonymous work on the Nights of
Horror magazines, which depicted
his famous archetypal characters in
outlandish fetish fantasies. Shuster
tried to launch an art show and cre-
ated a cartoon called “Kosmo,” but
neither worked out. He moved to
California and was married briefl y
to Judy Calpini in 1975, the same
year that he and Siegel were granted
a pension by DC and were returned
to the byline of Superman.
Artist Joe Shuster, who co-created Superman (ca. 1980s).
DC Comics/Photofest
