The artist who helped invent superheroes was born July 10, 1914 — 102 years ago.
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Superman’s co-creator died in 1992. Without him and Jerry Siegel, I would not be typing this right now. It all started with those two teenagers all those years ago.
Our normal birthday salutes feature 13 COVERS. Interesting thing about Shuster is that he didn’t actually draw that many, all things considered. Keeping things to just Superman is particularly tough, actually, without repeating yourself every year. (And I wasn’t entirely successful at that.)
In any event, this year, I’ve focused mostly on his lesser-known Supercovers — which are interesting in that many of them minimize the Man of Steel’s stature in what seems to be an effort to maximize his feats (or perhaps echo the success of Action Comics #1). I’ve also thrown in some Supercurveballs, as you’ll see.
Oh, and really, this year, it’s 12 COVERS Plus One Incredible Illustration. That last one? That’s a Shuster illustration owned by historian and all-around great guy Craig Yoe. I’ve seen it up close. It’s breath-taking.
Enjoy.
It will always start here.
Paul Cassidy inks
Cassidy inks
Wayne Boring inks
Cassidy inks
Possibly with Marvin Stein
With Leo O’Mealia alterations and design work
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Cover images and credits (except for the Shuster illo) from the historic Grand Comics Database.
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