A BIRTHDAY SALUTE in 13 BOLD ILLUSTRATIONS…
By PETER BOSCH
Not long after Superman became an incredible success, the workload for co-creator Joe Shuster – which included drawing the newspaper strip as well as the comic books – became quite heavy.
Other artists were hired to help out, including Fred Ray and Wayne Boring. However, there was one project Shuster kept for himself, illustrating the 1942 novel The Adventures of Superman by George Lowther. (Lowther also wrote episodes of the similarly titled radio series.)
The original Random House hardcover book from 1942.
The book became a collectible over the decades, but fortunately it was reprinted in 1979 by Kassel Books as a paperback, including all 10 full-page illustrations (four of which were in color) by Shuster and a number of chapter heading drawings similar in style to the cover and title page.
The one thing missing was the artwork from the dust jacket . Applewood Books took care of that when they issued a hardcover reproduction of the original 1942 novel in 1995.
To celebrate Joe Shuster’s birthday (born 110 years ago, on July 10, 1914), enjoy these illustrations from the 1979 reprint:
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MORE
— MEETING SUPERMAN: A Sort-of Remembrance of JOE SHUSTER. Click here.
— 13 COVERS: A JOE SHUSTER Birthday Celebration. Click here.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. He is currently at work on a sequel, about movie comics. Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
July 10, 2024
Lowther was also involved in the TV series if I recall the credits correctly.
July 10, 2024
Hi, Lou. Lowther is not credited with writing any of the TV episodes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Adventures_of_Superman_episodes
July 10, 2024
Shuster’s artwork is beautiful.
July 10, 2024
It really is great. He could have been an illustrator of books as well as comics. That’s an interesting, different look for Jor-El and Lara.
July 10, 2024
The 1995 hardback reprint is a beauty; I’m glad I had the foresight to get it at the time. It’s got a prominent place in my Early Superman collection, alongside the Superman and Action Archives, the gorgeous Dailies and Sundays volumes, the Superman radio shows on CD, the Fleischer cartoons (purchased in various formats over the years), and the serials on DVD.
Author George Lowther continued to write radio dramas well into the 1970s, contributing quite a few excellent scripts to CBS Radio Mystery Theatre.
July 11, 2024
This looks awesome…
July 11, 2024
I love the art in this so much, I keep the reprint of the hardcover facing out on my bookshelf, so I can see it everyday! Despite his assured place as a legend in comics, he’s an underrated artist, based on this work alone!