The first Superman comic was published on June 1, 1938.
One of the greatest superheroes of all time made his first appearance in the “Action Comics” comic series, published by DC.
Superman was created by story writer Jerry Siegel and cartoonist Joe Shuster, and was first featured as such in a self-made publication by Siegel in 1933.
The character’s first design was very different from the one that would end up rising to fame, even thought of as a sci-fi villain and not a hero.
Siegel and Shuster searched unsuccessfully for five years for a publisher to agree to publish Superman. At that time, the creators redefined both the story and the appearance of the character, who would be a hero inspired by mythological tradition and would have a colorful costume.
In his new design, Superman would wear a large “S” on his chest and a red cape, two elements that would become the great symbols of the character.
Finally, and in 1938, the comics editor Max Gaines affirmed the offer and established that “The Superman” would be the main strip in the new publication of the businessman Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, pioneer of the American comic strip.
Wheeler-Nicholson had just launched a publishing project called “Detective Comics,” world famous for its abbreviation DC, which bought the Superman character for $130.
DC Comics would launch the first issue of the “Action Comics” series in June 1938, which marked Superman’s debut as a publication.
On the legendary cover, the character can be seen lifting a green car, wearing the same suit with which he would become world famous.
There are differences about the exact date of the first publication, which began to take shape since the publisher took over the rights to the character on April 18.
The series was a sales success building Superman as an archetypal character of what would soon be known as “Superhero”.
DC launched with Superman the golden age of comics, a period of extraordinary success and the rise of other legendary characters such as Batman and Wonder Woman.
The Man of Steel is considered the first superhero in history, and his growing popularity would end up making him an icon.
The first issue of Action Comics was marketed for ten cents on the dollar. In 2014 a collector paid more than three million dollars for one of the few original extant copies.
The story is also news on Radio Perfil. Voiceover by Pita Fortín and script by Nicolás Ziccardi.
by Radio Profile
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