SUPERMAN JERRY SIEGEL DESTITUTE LETTER Memorabilia
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Superman Co-Creator Jerry Siegel 'Destitute' Letter to National Executives
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Superman Co-Creator Jerry Siegel 'Destitute' Letter to National Executives
DESCRIPTION
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
Superman Co-Creator Jerry Siegel 'Destitute' Letter to National ExecutivesThis rare internal document reveals steps taken by National Publications (later DC) as Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel sent poison-pen letters to neighbors and professional associates of National executives. The internal memo is dated Dec. 6, 1951, and is forwarded to executive Harold Chamberlain of Independent News Co.--which served as distributor for all National titles, and is one of the entities accused in the letter of "ruining" Siegel.
The embittered writer--who, with artist Joe Shuster, sold the rights to Superman for $130 in 1938--goes on to blast the companies for leaving Siegel "destitute" and "on an involuntary hunger strike." As noted, this memo is actually a recreation of "a letter received in Toronto...by one of the Canadian National Distributors."
It's also noted that the recreation is necessary as the original letter had to be returned. Concerned executives still wanted to be sure that superiors knew about Siegel's bizarre mail campaign, and that it had gone international. As seen on the internal corporate charting, this recreation then made its way to Paul Howard Sampliner--one of the two Independent News founders personally named by Siegel, with Sampliner accused of living "in a swanky hotel" while Siegel and his wife lived in a "crowded apartment without funds."
Superman Co-Creator Jerry Siegel 'Destitute' Letter to National ExecutivesThis rare internal document reveals steps taken by National Publications (later DC) as Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel sent poison-pen letters to neighbors and professional associates of National executives. The internal memo is dated Dec. 6, 1951, and is forwarded to executive Harold Chamberlain of Independent News Co.--which served as distributor for all National titles, and is one of the entities accused in the letter of "ruining" Siegel.
The embittered writer--who, with artist Joe Shuster, sold the rights to Superman for $130 in 1938--goes on to blast the companies for leaving Siegel "destitute" and "on an involuntary hunger strike." As noted, this memo is actually a recreation of "a letter received in Toronto...by one of the Canadian National Distributors."
It's also noted that the recreation is necessary as the original letter had to be returned. Concerned executives still wanted to be sure that superiors knew about Siegel's bizarre mail campaign, and that it had gone international. As seen on the internal corporate charting, this recreation then made its way to Paul Howard Sampliner--one of the two Independent News founders personally named by Siegel, with Sampliner accused of living "in a swanky hotel" while Siegel and his wife lived in a "crowded apartment without funds."