Superman Comic Book Collection
Object Details
- Illustrator
- Austin, Terry
- Creator
- Siegel, Jerry (cartoonist)
- Shuster, Joseph (cartoonist)
- Author
- Salkind, Alexander
- Lowther, George
- Publisher
- D.C. Comics Inc.
- Collector
- National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life
- Names
- Superman (Fictitious character)
- Occupation
- Cartoonists -- 1930-1990
- Topic
- Heroes -- 1930-1990
- Comic strips -- 1930-1990
- Superman (Fictitious character) in mass media
- Provenance
- This collection was donated by D.C. Comics Incorporated, through Paul Levitz, Vice President, Spring, 1987.
- Illustrator
- Austin, Terry
- Creator
- Siegel, Jerry (cartoonist)
- Shuster, Joseph (cartoonist)
- Author
- Salkind, Alexander
- Lowther, George
- Publisher
- D.C. Comics Inc.
- Collector
- National Museum of American History (U.S.). Division of Community Life
- See more items in
- Superman Comic Book Collection
- Biographical / Historical
- The Superman character was created and illustrated in the 1930s by two Cleveland high school students, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. At first unable to achieve publication as a comic strip, they got the character incorporated into a 1938 comic book, which was an immediate success. Since then Superman has been syndicated widely in newspapers, books, radio and TV programs, movies and animated cartoons. The character has been extensively used in commercial and public interest advertising campaigns.
- Extent
- 0.3 Cubic feet (2 boxes, 1 map-folder)
- Date
- 1923-1984
- Custodial History
- This collection was transferred to the Archives Center from the Division of Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life), October 5, 1987.
- Archival Repository
- Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Identifier
- NMAH.AC.0274
- Type
- Collection descriptions
- Archival materials
- Novels
- Scripts (documents)
- Screenplays
- Letters (correspondence)
- Citation
- Superman Comic Book Collection, circa 1930s-1985, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Arrangement
- Collection organized into six series. Series 1: Superman illustrations by Terry Austin, 1984 Series 2: Superman motion picture scripts by Alexander Salkind, 1977-1982 Series 3: Superman comic books, 1944-1978 Series 4: Superman (novel) by George Lowther, 1942 Series 5: Superman promotional material, 1947-1985 Series 6: Superman newspaper clippings and comic strips, 1940-1950
- Processing Information
- Collection processed by Dan Darroch, 1987
- Rights
- Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
- Genre/Form
- Novels -- 1940-1950
- Scripts (documents)
- Screenplays -- 1970-1980
- Letters (correspondence) -- 1920-1930
- Scope and Contents
- The collection includes numerous newspaper clippings of the Superman comic strip, 1940-1950, promotional material using the Superman character, Superman comic books, 1944-1978 and illustrations of Superman drawn by Terry Austin in 1984. Dramatic scripts for TV and movie portrayals of Superman in 1977 and 1982 as well as a novel by George Lowther about Superman published in 1942 are also parts of the collection.
- Restrictions
- This collection is open for research use.
- Related Archival Materials
- Superman artifacts and additional documentary material from D.C. Comics in Community Life (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) collections (separate transaction, accession no. 1987.0213). See also AC0106, Mrs. Curtis B. Patterson Comic Book Collection, 1901-1917.
- Record ID
- ebl-1503512969884-1503512969888-0
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
