Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Superman | Tagged: jerry siegel, jerry siegel letters, joe shuster, mc gaines

Maxwell Charles Gaines – The Man Who Rejected Superman In 1936

In 1936, co-publisher of All-American Publications, Maxwell Charles Gaines wrote to Jerry Siegel rejecting Superman., returning all meterials.

The auction house ComicConnect is currently selling off a number of historical documents from Jerry Siegel, the co-creator of Superman, with Joe Shuster. Famously, in 1938, the pair sold all rights to Superman to their publisher for $130. Later Siegel and Shuster would sue, claiming royalties, something that was only finally settled by their families in recent years. But two years before their sale, they couldn't even get Superman in the door. As this letter, used as evidence in a 1947 lawsuit shows. Co-publisher of All-American Publications, Maxwell Charles Gaines writes the following letter on the 2nd of June 1936 to Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel rejecting Superman. and everything else Siegel and Schuster had sent in. And returning all material and rights to them. You can catch up on other documents here.

MC Gaines is famous for creating the American comic book format – and industry – in 1933, by repackaging comic strips into small magazines to be given away or sold at the newsstand, with Funnies on Parade and later Famous Funnies. But he clearly didn't have an eye for every commercial opportunity that came his way.  All-American would, however, later publish Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Hawkman.

Two years after Gaines rejected Superman, Gaines' assistant Sheldon Mayer would remember Siegel and Schuster's strip and suggest that Gaines recommend it to National Comics when National was looking for material for what became the first issue of Action Comics. Superman would appear on the front cover and the American superhero was born.

All-American was co-owned by MC Gaines and Jack Liebowitz, while Liebowitz was the co-owner with Harry Donenfeld of National Allied Publications, and Donenfeld financed Gaines' creation of All-American, so they were all in each other's pockets for a while until, people started to fall out. In 1944, Donenfeld bought out Gaines and merged National and All-American into a single company. The money from the sale would allow MC Gaines to set up Educational Comics which his son Bill Gaines would later turn into EC Comics and then Mad Magazine.

And Action Comics #1 was published on the 18th of April 1938 with Superman on the cover, creating the American superhero. Bids for this rejection letter are currently at $1850.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!