There is something really quite special about the people who create the icons of our society. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is a prime example where the life of the author is as interesting as his creation. And we have an example of this within our own hobby. Jerry Siegel was one of those people and now his childhood home, the legendary place of Superman’s creation, in under threat. Novelist and former JLA writer Brad Meltzer is spearheading a campaign to preserve the Siegel house and to set up a dedicated Siegel and Shuster Society. If you are interested in helping then check out the following video and donate to the cause. They’re also running a special auction and the painting from Jason Palmer has to be seen to believed.
Jerry Siegel
Nobody wins with Siegel Vs DC
“You’re Superman. And Superman belongs to the world.” — Lana Lang, Man of Steel #6
Jerry Siegel’s hier have just won one stage in their fight to regain the copyright to Superman from Warner Brothers/DC Comics. I’m ambivalent about the custody battle being fought out over the rights to Superman and Superboy. Maybe its because Superman has been around for so long, but I find it hard to really consider him as belonging to any one entity in particular. It’s like arguing over who owns Robin Hood or Father Christmas.
Men Of Tomorrow (Gerard Jones)
Men Of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book
By Gerard Jones – Published by Basic Books – ISBN 0465036562 – 384 pages
The first few decades of the 20th century saw mass migration of persecuted European Jews out of their traditional homes and their relocation to the United States. Many settled in the heart of New York and came to dominate the financial life of the city through a network of mob connections. Other Jews moved to the suburbs or to industrial towns like Cleveland and integrated into small town USA. The growth of Pulps and comic books brought both groups together — the streetwise city centre Jews (the “Gangsters”) controlled the distribution and managed the publishing companies, while their suburban cousins (the “Geeks”) were the editors and writers who created the stories that fuelled the new media. This book follows the life experiences of major players from each community and shows that while they may have needed each other, they never really understood each other.
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