JOURNEY INTO COMICS: TALKING TO JOANNE – NEWSARAMA
Filed under: Comic Creator Interviews, Commentary, In case you missed it
JOURNEY INTO COMICS: TALKING TO JOANNE – NEWSARAMA
by Michael San GiacomoOne of the people I wanted to read my story about my recent visit to Jerry Siegel’s old house was Jerry’s widow, Joanne.
She saw it, even before I had a chance to mail it to her, and responded with a nice letter.
She said it was okay to share parts of it with everyone, so here you go. (The stuff in parenthesis is mine.)
“I just read your article regarding your latest adventure together with Brad Meltzer in Jerry’s former house.
It was so delightful I read it twice. I could picture the whole thing -
going up those stairs to Jerry’s bedroom which Jerry told me he shared
with his next-in-age brother, Leo. Then up to the attic, that magic
place, where Jerry could have stored a mysterious treasure.As time passes, Jerry’s house gains more mystery and a more noticeable
vibration, an almost holy feeling that something happened there.
Something that has influenced many young people around the world for
good.My only visit there was after Jerry and I were married. His eldest
sister, Roslyn, was living there and invited us for the afternoon.Roslyn served cake and coffee while (her daughter) Marlene sang for us
while Isabel (Roslyn’s sister) played the piano. It was a happy visit.While Jerry lived in the house, Joe (Shuster) lived in the family’s
rented upstairs apartment on Amor Street, which was in a small and
pretty old building even then. The building is long gone now, leaving a
vacant lot.)The neighborhood where I was born and grew up is all gone. Every house
I lived in has been torn down, only a street sign remains. Buckeye
Road, that was a busy thriving business area is all boarded up I’ve
been told. It gives me a strange feeling.”Joanne Siegel, always a lady.
I told her that during the visit with Meltzer, the current owners of
Jerry Siegel’s house showed me something in a frame – the note she left
on their door when she and I visited the house almost 10 years ago. The
family had saved it. She warmed at the memory.I know Joanne might be pissed about me bringing up the complicated
legal situation between her family and DC over the rights to Superman
and Superboy, so I won’t get into all that.But I wish DC/Warner/AOL etc. would just settle the damn thing.
I mean, come on, figure it out so Joanne can enjoy a piece of what her husband created in that little house in Cleveland.
Yeah, yeah, I know all the legal arguments and previous settlements and
copyrights running out, yada-yada, but come on, figure it out.And then DC can actually call Superboy “Superboy” in the Legion of Superheroes cartoon show instead of the weirdly incongruous “Superman.”
And we can all feel good about Superman.
After all, it’s Christmas.
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