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Joe Shuster was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When he was nine, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he met Jerome "Jerry" Siegel, who would become his lifelong collaborator. Both were enthusiastic science fiction fans and published a fanzine during the mid-1920s. During this time, they read Philip Wylie's book "Gladiator," which featured a mysterious character with superpowers and invulnerability. They created a comic strip for their fanzine, with Shuster illustrating and Siegel writing, initially portraying a super-powered villain who later became a hero. In 1936, they attempted to launch it as a daily comic strip but were unsuccessful. Around the same time, both began working for DC-National (now DC Comics) on titles like Doctor Occult, Slam Bradley, and Radio Squad.
In 1939, DC editor Sheldon Meyer gave them an opportunity, publishing their character Superman in the new comic series "Action Comics." Superman quickly became a sensation, earning his own title within a year and appearing across various media formats.
Shuster and Siegel continued their work on Superman for many years but grew increasingly frustrated with the profits DC-National earned from the character, as they had signed away all rights to the publisher under the practices of the time. In 1946, represented by lawyer Albert Zugsmith, they sued DC for a share of Superman's rights. The lawsuit extended until 1948, when they settled for royalties solely on the Superboy character and were required to relinquish any future claims to Superman.
Feeling embittered by their treatment, Shuster left the comics industry. However, in 1975, following renewed interest in Superman spurred by the film adaptation, the duo again sued DC for recognition and royalties. Under pressure from publisher/editor Carmine Infantino, DC reinstated Siegel and Shuster’s names as creators on the masthead and granted them an annual stipend of $35,000. Shuster passed away in 1992, nearly blind and still resentful of how he had been treated.
