Superman Homepage

2005 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

Action Comics #1

October 26, 2005: Siegel's Silent Son Speaks Out

Newsarama have a report up on their site about Michael Siegel, the son of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel. Michael has remained silent for many years about his father, but in an updated version of Gerard Jones' book "Men of Tomorrow" Michael speaks out about his side of the story. Here's an excerpt from the Newsarama article...

    But Jones said the most interesting new material is Mike's very compelling argument against the story that Joanne was the model for Lois Lane.

    "He's just about convinced me that Jerry didn't know Joanne until after World War II, and he and Joanne made up the whole story," Jones said.

    From my perspective, (Mike San Giacomo, speaking here) you can't swing a dead cat in Cleveland without hitting a woman who claims to have been the inspiration for Lois Lane. I've talked to at least three over the years.

    The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, which opened earlier this month in the Cleveland suburb of Beachwood, has a section devoted to Siegel, Shuster and Superman. Part of the exhibit includes a tribute (with pictures) to a local woman Lois Rothschild who claimed to be the inspiration for Lois Lane. She's pictured with Siegel and Shuster, her Glenville High School classmates.

    We may never know the truth of who inspired the two young kids in Cleveland to create the plucky reporter, but, before he died, Jerry told me that his wife, Joanne, was absolutely the model.

    Jerry and Joanne insist that she responded to an advertisement in the 1935 classified section of the Plain Dealer from looking for an artist's model. She said Joe Shuster placed the ad, and that she posed for him as the model for Lois Lane.

    Joanne said she met Jerry at that time, but it would be years before the two got reacquainted and married.

    Jones said he would lay out the "who modeled for Lois" story in an article sometime in the future.

    "Michael also said that, according to Bella, Jerry worked on Superman with "several other artists" before Joe," said Jones. "In the book I list three, but Bella felt there were even more."

    There were several people living around Cleveland who worked at the Siegel and Shuster studio in Cleveland who drew part or all of the comics. Most, perhaps all, have since died.

Read the whole article at the Newsarama website.


2005 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News

Listed below are all the Merchandise & Miscellaneous News items archived for 2005.

Back to the News Archive Contents page.

Back to the Latest News page.

DISCLAIMER: SUPERMAN and all related elements are the property of DC Comics. TM & © 2024

This Superman Homepage is Copyright © Steven Younis 1994-2024
All Rights Reserved

Dedicated to Andrew J Gould - the original keeper of the Superman Homepage!

Since May 2001, the address is www.SupermanHomepage.com

Our Privacy Policy.