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Secret Identity book cover
Secret Identity
The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster
2009
First Published
3.83
Average Rating
162
Number of Pages

Evil mobsters…panting sado-masochists…horse-whipped girls…pervy pornographers…blue-nosed censors…a rabid shrink…a pious minister…a slimy publisher…good cops & bad cops…sexy showgirls…a poetry-spouting, songwriting defense lawyer…neo-Nazi, Jewish, juvenile delinquents known as the Brooklyn Thrill Killers…and the artist who created Superman. Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman's Co-creator Joe Shuster showcases rare and recently discovered erotic artwork by the most seminal artist in comics, Joe Shuster. Created in the early 1950s when Shuster was down on his luck after suing his publisher, DC Comics, over the copyright for Superman, he illustrated these images for an obscure series of magazines called Nights of Horror, published under the counter until they were banned by the U.S. Senate. Juvenile deliquency, Dr. Fredric Wertham, and the Brooklyn Thrill Killers gang all figure into this sensational story. The discovery of this artwork reveals the 'secret identity' of this revered comics creator, and is sure to generate controversy and change the perception of the way we look at Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, and Jimmy Olsen forever. The book includes reproductions of these images, and an essay that provides a detailed account of the scandal and the murder trial that resulted from the publication of this racy material. "Jeepers, Mr. Kent!" - USA Today "Eye-opening……a compelling feat of literary sleuthing." - Publishers Weekly "A shocking expose" - National Enquirer "Startling. . . this fascinating collection adds a new dimension to a hidden history.” - Miami Herald "Secret Identity is an incredible find of historic significance to comics art…. - Library Journal

Avg Rating
3.83
Number of Ratings
199
5 STARS
28%
4 STARS
40%
3 STARS
23%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
3%
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Authors

Craig Yoe
Craig Yoe
Author · 6 books
Craig Yoe is an author, editor, art director, graphic designer, cartoonist and comics historian, best known for his Yoe! Studio creations and his line of Yoe! Books. Yoe is married to Clizia Gussoni, who is also his creative partner
Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
Author · 5 books

Joseph "Joe" Shuster was a Canadian-born American comic book artist. He was best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with writer Jerry Siegel, first published in Action Comics #1 (June 1938). Shuster was involved in a number of legal battles concerning the ownership of the Superman character, eventually gaining recognition for his part in its creation. His comic book career after Superman was relatively unsuccessful, and by the mid-1970s Shuster had left the field completely due to partial blindness. He and Siegel were inducted into both the comic book industry's Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2005, the Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association instituted the Joe Shuster Awards, named to honor the Canadian-born artist.

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