The Real First Superman Cover

[earlyactions-migration]

Is this for real ,does any one on these boards have this , or even seen it , would love to see the actual piece, not one that has been retouched.

[Forbush-Man]

Is this for real ,does any one on these boards have this , or even seen it , would love to see the actual piece, not one that has been retouched.

 

 

Paging Moondog!

[action1kid]

yes it is for real..a prototype superman .the idea was still developing before the costume.this is PRE 1938...didnt russ own this piece at one time..

[bobpfef]

I believe the story is that the young Siegel and Shuster tried to sell Superman in !933 after they saw the Detective Dan comic. They produced a whole comic. When they couldn't sell it Shuster was frustrated and destroyed all the artwork except for the cover.

 

As far as who has the original for this cover, I don't know.

[TomG]

Is this for real ,does any one on these boards have this , or even seen it , would love to see the actual piece, not one that has been retouched.

 

This piece was featured in an article in Comic Book Marketplace #36 by Bob Beerbohm.

[JohnBull]

I believe the story is that the young Siegel and Shuster tried to sell Superman in !933 after they saw the Detective Dan comic. They produced a whole comic. When they couldn't sell it Shuster was frustrated and destroyed all the artwork except for the cover.

 

As far as who has the original for this cover, I don't know.

 

If you read Gerard Jones' Men of Tomorrow (and you should if you haven't), there is some serious doubt regarding the 1933 date. It's more likely 35 or 36 if I remember right.

[Thegoldenage]

It isn't Superman, but a prototype. So no, it isn't a Superman cover.

[Moondog]

I think the boys just loved the "Superman" concept. "The Reign of the Supermen" was in their 1935 fanzine. And that story couldn't even be labeled a proto-type of the actual Superman...

[action1kid]

actually it says right on the drawing signed by shuster[1933] lower left hand side..take a look.

[action1kid]

this cover is all that remains of the 1st[never published] superman comicbook.

1933..see lower left hand side for date

[action1kid]

person tied up looks alot like jerry siegel.

[JohnBull]

actually it says right on the drawing signed by shuster[1933] lower left hand side..take a look.

 

It might well do, but the inference from the book was that with regards to trying to sell Superman to DC, he backdated the story. Most of the available evidence puts the episode a couple of years later. I'll try and dig the book out tonight, find the section and post more fully. Unless anyone else remembers?

[action1kid]

back dating is a possibility.

[krazykat-migration]

http://boards.collectors-society.com/sho...ge=0#Post920704

[Rip]

Yes ask Beerbohm. He's on the boards from time to time

According to him the original date says 1928 not 1933.

Joe changed the date during the 1975 SD con.

They pre-dated the art (with 1928) to avoid certain legal problems with Doc Savage which came out in 33. The true date of the artwork is 1933.