From the Sunday comic strip!
By PETER BOSCH
Hey, fellow Supes fans: Do you remember that famous origin of the Man of Steel that appeared in Superman #53 (July-Aug. 1948)? Did you know that same story originally appeared three years earlier in the Superman Sunday comic strip, for four weeks starting November 25, 1945? Jerry Siegel wrote the original and Bill Finger rewrote it for Superman #53. Both versions were drawn by Wayne Boring and inked by Stan Kaye.
Cover by Boring and Kaye
Have a look at the four Sundays below and then a few samples of the comic — and enjoy the 80th anniversary of this special version of Superman’s origin!
November 25, 1945
December 2, 1945
December 9, 1945
December 16, 1945
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MORE
— Super-Sublime! Dig These 13 Rare JOE SHUSTER SUPERMAN Illustrations. Click here.
— 1988’s INTERNATIONAL SUPERMAN EXPOSITION: Recalling a Special Weekend in the Man of Steel’s Real Hometown. 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. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is out now. (Buy it here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
November 25, 2025
Guessing James Gunn never read the portrayals like these before making his movie. I prefer Siegel’s version! So many connections to comic books and newspaper strips and radio too I guess. Always enjoy your historical looks back, Peter. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 25, 2025
Buck’s mention of radio made me think how great it must have been for kids in the 1940s to tune into those broadcasts and HEAR Superman stories. Given the imaginations of the listeners to this theater of the mind, it must have been must-hear radio.
November 25, 2025
Jeff, I am working on my OTR article now of radio’s The Adventures of Superman…and you will be surprised how many of the programs are available to listen to online.
November 26, 2025
Looking forward to it, Peter. I know there’s no end to archived comedy shows (Jack Benny, Fibber McGee etc.). Hadn’t even thought of ‘adventure’ programs.
November 25, 2025
The wonky irony of one of the science-doubting Kryptonians being called “Nat-Sa.” Awfully close to “NASA” but a couple of decades early! Thanks for posting this, and thank you again Joe and Jerry and Bill!!
November 26, 2025
Back in 1945, I think readers would more likely have heard the close verbal connection to “Nat-Si” as the man whose jealousy and false witness led to the annihilation of Krypton and its people.
November 26, 2025
It’s funny how until SUPERMAN #53, the only real detailed versions of Superman’s origin story came from the newspaper strip (the earlier one being told in the Superman dailies), yet in this second reiteration of the story, it only amounts to what would add up to 8 comic book pages.
December 4, 2025
Thanks for sharing this! I’m really intrigued by what was cropped out of the 12/9/45 NY Mirror. “70 page comic section”? 76?!? I can’t imagine what that must have been like, what wonderful strips would have filled those pages!