About:
The Superman Wars: A Battle for Truth, Justice and an American Icon by William Bernhardt tells of the multi-decade fight between Superman's creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, and the corporate machinery which left them destitute. Mr. Bernhardt is a published author, best known for his legal thrillers starring Ben Kincaid.
- 416 pages
- Publisher : Permuted Press
- Language : English
- ISBN-13 : 979-8895654842
My rating for The Superman Wars - 5
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More books by William Bernhardt*
Thoughts:
This book is about a tragic story which I was familiar with, but not with the intricacies the author presents. I didn't realize the human cost, psychological and physical, that this had on the two creators.
The Superman Wars by William Bernhardt follows the trajectory of the two creators from their Cleveland roots to the devasting realization that they've been left behind. They signed away the rights to Superman for $130 in the mid/late 1930s (around $3,000 in 2026) and watched as their character became a success from the first issue published. Over the years, Superman became a multi-billion-dollar franchise leaving the two behind and eventually marginalized.
This book, paced like a novel, is not drowning in legalese but it does do a great job explaining, to layman like me, the intricacies of copyright laws, predatory contracts and courtroom drama. The mob tactics used in the early parts of the 20th century were an accepted way to do business, and sometimes I think not much has changed.
In these troubled times, especially poignant was the way Siegel & Schuster, two Jewish kids, sons of immigrants, were denied entry into newspaper syndicates. They had to either find work in periphery and insignificant world of comic books, weaving biblical themes and inventing American mythology.
The outcome of Siegel & Schuster's struggle was not insignificant. It established that studios cannot own creations forever with facing legal challenges from the heirs, creators or their heirs. can be entitled to shares of the revenues and that publishers cannot hind behind the "work-for-hire" claims.
Buy The Superman Wars from Amazon.com*
More books by William Bernhardt*
Imagine selling the rights to a character you created for just $130, only to watch it become a multi-billion-dollar global empire. That’s the heartbreaking reality Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster faced. If you were in their shoes, would you have accepted the later pension settlements to see your name restored, or would you have kept fighting in court until the bitter end?"
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I bought this book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
I think that, at the time, taking the money for Superman was a practical choice, while keeping up the legal battle was based on principal.
If you were in their shoes, would you have accepted the later pension settlements to see your name restored, or would you have kept fighting in court until the bitter end?”
I think my it’s great that that got recognition, but they did their creation for a fair amount. If anything blame their lawyer.