Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

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 Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were both Jewish teenagers living in Cleveland, Ohio, during the Great Depression. Jerry Siegel was born in 1914 to Lithuanian Jewish immigrants, and Joe Shuster was born in 1914 in Toronto to Jewish immigrants from the Netherlands and Ukraine. Their families had fled antisemitism and poverty in Europe in search of opportunity and safety. As children of immigrants, Jerry and Joe grew up facing anti-Jewish discrimination and economic hardship. They found refuge in comic books, science fiction, and pulp magazines, and bonded over a shared love of drawing, storytelling, and heroic adventure.

Their Jewish identity played a quiet but powerful role in shaping their creative vision. Superman was imagined as an outsider — a stranger from another world who adopts a new home and uses his powers for good — a theme that resonated deeply with the Jewish immigrant experience in America.

In 1938, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster published the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1  launching the superhero genre as we know it. Superman was the first costumed hero with superhuman abilities, secret identity, and a moral mission. Jerry wrote the stories, and Joe drew the art. Together, they created an enduring symbol of truth, justice, and heroism that would inspire generations.

Though they sold the rights to Superman for just $130, their creation became a cultural icon. Superman inspired the creation of Batman, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, and countless others. Siegel and Shuster’s story also sparked later debates about creator rights in the comic book industry, leading to greater protections for artists and writers.

Superman became more than a comic book character — he became a global symbol of hope and justice. During World War II, Superman comics boosted morale and even featured him fighting Nazis, aligning the character with real-world battles against evil. For Jewish readers, Superman represented the dream of a powerful protector in a world where Jews often felt powerless.

In later years, people recognized Superman’s deeper meaning — a Jewish immigrant allegory, reflecting Moses, Samson, and the struggles of the diaspora. Clark Kent, Superman’s mild-mannered identity, symbolized the need to hide one’s true self in order to fit in — something many Jews in the early 20th century experienced.

Siegel and Shuster's influence on popular culture, ethics, and storytelling is immeasurable. They proved that art, even in comic book form, can change the world.

• Co-created Superman, the world’s first superhero
   
• Invented key superhero tropes: secret identity, cape, superpowers, moral code
   
• Launched the entire superhero comic book genre
   
• Pioneered visual storytelling that mixed fantasy with real-world values
   
• Introduced a Jewish-coded hero during a time of rising antisemitism
   
• Inspired real-world heroism during WWII and beyond
   
• Sparked major debates on creator rights in the comic book industry 

Prompt:
Like Superman, many superheroes are symbols of cultural values. Create a new hero who represents a part of your identity, family history, or belief system.

Guidelines:

• Name your hero
   
• Create a symbol or logo
   
• What are their powers? What are their values?
   
• What is their “secret identity”? Why do they need one?
   

Optional: Draw your hero and present them to the class!

Activity:
Explore how Superman has been adapted or referenced in different cultures:

• Collect posters, cartoons, or comic covers in different languages
   
• Translate or describe what’s different in each version
   
• Discuss how the core values of Superman stay the same — or change
   

Discussion Prompt:
What makes Superman universally appealing? How do different cultures interpret heroism?