Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel was an American comic book writer who co-created Superman.
Fast Facts
- Full Name: Jerome Siegel
- Born: October 17, 1914
- Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio
- Died: January 28, 1996
- Age: 81
- Disciplines: Writing
- Awards: 2005 Bill Finger Award for "Excellence in Comic Book Writing"
Career
A fan of comics and sci-fi from childhood, Siegel self-published Cosmic Stories, which is considered to be one of the first "fanzines" of its kind.
As a teenager, he met Joe Shuster, with whom he created Superman.1 Unable to sell the character as a villain, which was their original intent, they made him a noble superhero instead.2 In 1938, they sold the strip to DC Comics just in time for printing of Action Comics #1.
For the remainder of their careers, both Siegel and Shuster took part in several legal battles over the rights to the Superman character.3 Siegel died in 1996 at the age of 81.1
Categories