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Superman Daily Strip 1939 Internal Memo to Jerry Siegel about Missed Deadlines
Boston newspaper memo to McClure Newspaper Syndicate asking for better villains in first year of "Superman" daily strip

This rare internal document from 1939 is a fascinating look at how the newspaper industry dealt with the unprecedented success of Superman, as the McClure Newspaper Syndicate put the pressure on young co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster!

This memo foreshadows what would become constant battles with Siegel over the daily “Superman” strip that was quickly launched after the success of Superman's 1938 debut in Action Comics #1. This letter of Feb. 18, 1939 (less than a year after Action #1 hit newsstands) notes that the daily strip is already “operating dangerously close to release dates.” That includes the production of Shuster’s pencil sketches for approval by Detective Comics, Inc.’s own Vin Sullivan. Those would then be sent to McClure’s pioneering comics editor Hannah Baker.

Baker would later work with M.C. Gaines to free Shuster from the pre-approval process. The strip would remain one of McClure’s most troubled projects, with Baker going on to become one of Siegel & Shuster’s harshest critics. The issue of the missing art is addressed to Siegel because Joe Shuster always preferred that his partner deal with any business input — which was probably for the best when it came to the “Superman” daily.