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Superman Co-Creator Jerry Siegel 'Destitute' Poison-Pen Letter
troubling letter from Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel's hate-mail campaign against National (later DC) Comics executives

This troubling signed letter from Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel is a rare artifact from one of the most vicious feuds in comics history -- as the writer continued his poison-pen campaign to shame the National (later DC) Publications brass who'd bought the rights to Superman for $130 in 1938!

Siegel and partner Joe Shuster had managed a few lucrative settlements with National Publications (later DC) over the years. This letter, however, is part of a 1951 mailing campaign where Siegel attempts to shame the National executives by sending letters to their friends and neighbors describing himself as "destitute" because of "selfish, greedy men."

"Remember me?" Siegel begins in this undated letter (with original envelope postmarked Nov. 22, 1951). "I'm Jerry Siegel, who had fame and a good income until Superman's publishers, National Comics Publications, Inc. 480 Lexington Ave., N.Y., N.Y., took it away from me." Then, as usual with Siegel's "shame" letters, he asks the recipient to "think of me, his destitute creator," at the sight of any Superman product.

This particular plea, however, didn’t receive much sympathy. It was sent to Philip Sampliner at the offices of Independent News Co. Philip was the son of Paul Sampliner — who was one of the “selfish, greedy men” that Siegel was blasting for stealing his creation. This letter would become yet another of Siegel’s missives that were promptly preserved in the files at National Publications.