Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster met at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio. The pair clicked instantly. Both had been bullied, had grown up with little money, and were children of Jewish immigrants from Europe. But what bonded them most was their love of reading, especially science fiction and fantasy.
Both boys worked for their school newspaper, Siegel as a writer and Shuster as a cartoonist. Eventually, Siegel created his own sci-fi magazine using his school’s printer and enlisted Shuster to be his art director. One of the first projects they worked on together was a story about a character named Superman.
But that first Superman was no hero. In fact, he was a villain. Only later would Siegel rewrite the character, turning him into one of the good guys.
According to Siegel’s unpublished memoir, one night, he stayed up all night writing the first pages for a new and improved Superman story. The next morning, he rushed over to Shuster’s house so Shuster could begin drawing. It was then that Superman’s iconic costume was born, including the bright-blue tights, the billowing red cape, and the large S. It was also when Siegel and Shuster gave their hero his famous alter ego: a reporter named Clark Kent. (Siegel himself had once dreamed of being a reporter.)
On the surface, Kent appeared to live an ordinary life. He was quiet and gentle “like Joe and I are,” Siegel said. But as Superman, he was just the opposite.
Superman came from an alien planet called Krypton and possessed unparalleled strength. He could outrun a speeding train, bend steel with his hands, and withstand bullets and explosions. And he used these powers to fight for anyone who felt powerless.
This was the kind of hero Siegel and Shuster believed Americans needed. This was also the kind of hero, they thought, who would sell comic books.