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Joseph Shuster was born in 1914 in Toronto, Canada. When he was
nine, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Shuster met young Jerry Siegel. The two became fast friends
and collaborators; together, they published the
earliest
science-fiction fan magazines, where Shuster honed his fledgling art
skills.
He also provided cartoons for their high school newspaper, The Glenville Torch.
In 1936, he and Siegel began providing DC Comics with
such new features as Dr. Occult, Slam Bradley, and Radio Squad before
selling Superman to DC in 1938.
SUPERMAN, 1978, by Joe Shuster
Influenced by comic-strip greats such as Wash Tubbs' Roy Crane, Joe
Shuster drew Superman through 1947, after which he left comic books to
create the comic strip Funnyman, again with Siegel.
Unfortunately, failing eyesight cut short his career, but not before
his place in the history of American pop culture was assured. Shuster
died of heart failure on July 30, 1992.
Biographical material researched and written by Mark
Waid and Joe Desris with Richard Morrissey. Originally published in
Superman Archives Volume 4.
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