Sordid Shuster: Sadomasochism and the Man of Steel

A new book by author Craig Yoe collects the rarely ever seen erotic illustrations of one of America’s most indelible artists. Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster includes art work and essays that evoke the not-so-secret undercurrents of the comic industry's relationship with fantasized sexuality, and also reveals the seamier side of Superman’s original artist.

The illustrations in this collection were drawn by Shuster in the early 1950’s for an erotic horror zine called Nights of Horror. In 1946, after spending a decade making Superman but slowly losing their creative control, Jerry Siegel (Superman’s writer) and Shuster sued their publisher for ownership of their signature characters and lost. What followed was thirty years of professional obscurity for Superman’s creators. This was a definite low-point in Shuster’s life. He was relatively poor, living with his brother, and his eyesight was failing him – a condition that kept him from a thriving career in comics. Drawing nudie pictures for an underground comic/zine was probably the best work he could find that still utilized his talents. Shuster's illustrations for Nights of Horror have rarely been seen because the magazine was banned by the Supreme Court for inspiring a 1954 killing spree by a gang of neo-Nazis called the 'Brooklyn Thrill Killers.' The overtly sexual and violent depictions in these drawings – images of bondage and punishment – speaks to the culture of the (underground) comic book industry as well as to the psyche of a talented but likely tormented artist.

Siegel and Shuster were finally paid their due 1976 when interest in the franchise peaked due to Warner Bro's. desire to make a film. The pair got help from advocates such as Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut who were fans of Siegel and Shuster’s work and knew of their downfall. After spending nearly 40 years living a mediocre existence, Shuster was finally recognized (and financially compensated) for his achievements. He died in 1992.

Of course, the most striking thing about Shuster’s erotic illustrations is that he did not change the appearance of the faces or bodies of the characters from Superman to Nights of Horror. Described as “racy, violent, and sadomasochistic,” Shuster’s illustrations allow us to see things like a scantily clad Lois Lane spank a naked Jimmy Olson while Clark Kent watches from his love shackles in the corner. THANK YOU JOE SHUSTER AND CRAIG YOE !! The reproduction of these images changes the way we come to understand the Man of Steel and adds a very human layer to the legacy and iconography of our superheroes.