author: Brad Ricca
name: Wayne
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/11/07
date added: 2013/11/07
shelves: non-fiction
review:
Super Boys is the culmination of 10 years research by Brad Ricca. The result is an excellent biography about the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The book includes rare early artwork and stories from their days in high school. Through these, you can see the evolution of Superman.
Jerry just tried wanted to fit in. He wrote for the school newspaper under aliases. He wrote stories about the girls he liked. He wrote letters to the early science fiction magazines and he schemed to get rich writing. When he met Joe Shuster, he found someone who could illustrate his stories. The result, eventually, was Superman. It seems like the ultimate rags to riches story, and it was. Just not for Jerry and Joe. They gave away the creation through errors and spent years trying to get it back.
The book covers the hard years, with Joe working drawing less than admirable things, and Jerry working as a non-credited writer in comics. Towards the end of their lives they began to receive the recognition they so desperately wanted, but the money never rolled in like they dreamed. As the book closes, the family is still in the process of getting some of the rights back.
It's a great story about 2 guys living in Cleveland who create something so beyond them. Something that was breathed out of their fantasies and into ours. Very enjoyable and melancholy.
I received a review copy from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.
via Wayne's bookshelf: read http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/614288043?utm_medium=api&utm_source=rss
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