Joanne Siegel, Widow of Superman Co-Creator, Dies At 93

by Armand Vaquer

Above, a group photo from the Superman Week ceremony with Joanne Siegel and her daughter Laura at far right. Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Sad news today in the world of Superman.

Joanne Siegel, the widow of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel and the model for Lois Lane (drawn by Joe Shuster) died today in California at the age of 93.

Daughter Laura Siegel Larson is currently making funeral arrangements.

It was my honor and privilege to meet Mrs. Siegel in July 2001 at the Superman Week ceremony at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. At that ceremony, Mrs. Siegel met actress Noel Neill for the first time. Neill played Lois Lane in to Sam Katzman Columbia serials and replaced Phyllis Coates in the role on the Adventures of Superman television show in 1953.

Mrs. Siegel later joined us for a luncheon at Cafe Pinot following the ceremony.

My condolences to the Siegel family.

Spy

Superman existed for years before he was finally published in 1938. But his creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, those boys from Cleveland, had lots of other material published prior to Superman's debut, all non super hero of course. Yet, their earlier characters were but alter egos, it seemed, to Clark and Lois and Luthor.

Looking at the Spy feature from Detective Comics #14, Lois and Clark are acting out in the characters of Sally and Bart—secret service agents, published months before Action Comics #1. This had to be a daydream for Clark that he didn't have to be meek and mild, and the girl was his to have.