Joe Shuster Henry Boltinoff Maggie Thompson

Joe Shuster remains a legend in the world of comics. His co-creation with Jerry Siegel is a world class cultural icon.

I first met him at his first San Diego Comicon. The crowds were too thick around him then. At a later Los Angeles show I asked him for his autograph, his eyesight was failing then to ask him for more.

In 1971 I published for the first time his first Superman comic book cover off the original art I got from Russ Cochran who got it from Bill Gaines who pulled the ripped up pieces from his dad Max "Charlie" Gaines desk in 1969.

No one knew what it was then, but i knew it was 'something" which deserved to be preserved for posterity, hence, I had 300 'twice up" prints made up I began selling in Stan's Weekly Express and RBCC. today we know it to be his finished cover for the aborted Humor publishing project the boys made up circa April 1933.

Later on Action Comics #1 contributor Henry Boltinoff as well as long time fan friend Maggie Thompson signed on this page as my sketchbook had by the turn of the century filled up and only corners remain to garner the memories