Joanne Siegel
Encyclopedia
Joanne Siegel was an American model who in the 1930s worked with Superman
creator Joe Shuster
as the model for Lois Lane
, Superman's love interest. She later married Superman's co-creator Jerry Siegel
and sued for restoration of her husband's authorship copyright in the Superman character.
Siegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio
, in 1917, the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. Her birth name was Jolan Kovacs. In 1935, while still attending high school, Kovacs placed an advertisement in Cleveland's The Plain Dealer offering her services as a model. The ad stated: "Situation Wanted — Female ARTIST MODEL: No experience." Joe Shuster, who was working on a new comic character, Superman, responded to the ad. Prior to the modeling sessions, Shuster's co-creator, Jerry Siegel, had developed an idea for a journalist to be Superman's love interest, Lois Lane. Shuster hired Kovacs as a model for Lane, and his depiction of Lane was based on his drawings of Kovac's hairstyle and facial features. Interviewed in 1996 by The Plain Dealer, she recalled, "I remember the day I met Jerry in Joe's living room. Jerry was the model for Superman. He was standing there in a Superman-like pose. He said their character was going to fly through the air, and he leaped off the couch to demonstrate." The New York Times
wrote, "Ms. Siegel was the first in a long line of Lois Lanes, who have included Phyllis Coates
, Noel Neill
, Teri Hatcher
, and Erica Durance
on television, as well as Margot Kidder
and Kate Bosworth
in the movies."
Following her modeling work for Shuster, Kovac worked as an artist's model, sometimes using the professional name Joanne Carter. She worked for a ship builder in California during World War II
. After the war, Kovacs moved to New York, where she ran into Jerry Siegel at a costume ball to raise money for cartoonists. Both had been married and divorced previously, and the two were married in 1948. They lived in Connecticut and New York before moving to California in the 1960s. They remained married until Jerry Siegel's death in 1996 and had a daughter, Laura, who later recalled, "My father said she not only posed for the character, but from the day he met her it was her personality that he infused into the character. She was not only beautiful but very smart and determined, and she had a lot of guts; she was a courageous person." In a profile of Siegel, NPR
noted, "Though a number of actresses played [Lois Lane] on television and in the movies over the years, Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel always said that his wife, Joanne ... inspired the character of Lois Lane."
Despite the success of Superman in comic books, television and motion pictures, Siegel and Shuster had sold the copyright to Detective Comics
for $
130, and the Siegels led a modest lifestyle. Their daughter recalled, "My mother and father lived in complete poverty for many, many years." Joanne Siegel worked for a time as a car salesman in Santa Monica, California
, to help support the family. Siegel lived in the Marina Del Rey
section of Los Angeles in her later years.
Siegel devoted herself to reclaiming the original Superman copyright. At one point, she called the publisher of Superman and said, "How can you sit by and continue to make millions of dollars off of a character that Jerry co-created and allow him to live in this unbelievable poverty?" In the late 1970s, DC Comics agreed to pay both Siegel and Shuster a stipend of $20,000 per year for life, but Joanne Siegel was not satisfied and continued the fight, even after her husband died in 1996. She filed a lawsuit in 1999 seeking partial ownership of the Superman character. In 2006, Siegel won partial summary judgment in a lawsuit with DC Comics. The Court found that Joanne Siegel and her daughter had successfully recaptured the Superboy
copyright in 2004 and opined that the television program Smallville
was infringing the Siegels' copyright. In 2008, Siegel secured a further ruling from a federal court in Los Angeles restoring her husband's co-authorship share of the original Superman copyrights. In a 72-page decision, the Court ruled that Jerry Siegel was entitled to claim a share of the United States copyright to Superman, while leaving intact DC Comics' international rights to the character. Following the ruling, Joanne Siegel told the press, "We were just stubborn. It was a dream of Jerry's, and we just took up the task."
Siegel died on February 12, 2011 at St. John's Hospital
in Santa Monica. Following her death, Siegel's lawyer noted, "All her life she carried the torch for Jerry and Joe — and other artists. There was a lot of Lois Lane in Joanne Siegel."
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
creator Joe Shuster
Joe Shuster
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...
as the model for Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, Superman's love interest. She later married Superman's co-creator Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and sued for restoration of her husband's authorship copyright in the Superman character.
Siegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, in 1917, the daughter of Hungarian immigrants. Her birth name was Jolan Kovacs. In 1935, while still attending high school, Kovacs placed an advertisement in Cleveland's The Plain Dealer offering her services as a model. The ad stated: "Situation Wanted — Female ARTIST MODEL: No experience." Joe Shuster, who was working on a new comic character, Superman, responded to the ad. Prior to the modeling sessions, Shuster's co-creator, Jerry Siegel, had developed an idea for a journalist to be Superman's love interest, Lois Lane. Shuster hired Kovacs as a model for Lane, and his depiction of Lane was based on his drawings of Kovac's hairstyle and facial features. Interviewed in 1996 by The Plain Dealer, she recalled, "I remember the day I met Jerry in Joe's living room. Jerry was the model for Superman. He was standing there in a Superman-like pose. He said their character was going to fly through the air, and he leaped off the couch to demonstrate." The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote, "Ms. Siegel was the first in a long line of Lois Lanes, who have included Phyllis Coates
Phyllis Coates
Phyllis Coates is an American film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of reporter Lois Lane in the 1951 film Superman and the Mole Men, and during the first season of the Adventures of Superman television series.-Early life and career:After graduating from high...
, Noel Neill
Noel Neill
Noel Neill is an American actress in motion pictures and television. She is best known as her portrayal of Lois Lane in the film serials Superman and Atom Man vs...
, Teri Hatcher
Teri Hatcher
Teri Lynn Hatcher is an American actress, writer, and presenter. She is known for her television roles as Susan Mayer on the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives, and Lois Lane on the ABC comedy-drama series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman...
, and Erica Durance
Erica Durance
Erica Durance is a Canadian actress. She has also been credited as Erica Parker. She is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Superman-inspired television series Smallville.- Early life :...
on television, as well as Margot Kidder
Margot Kidder
Margaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
and Kate Bosworth
Kate Bosworth
Catherine Ann "Kate" Bosworth is an American actress. Bosworth starred in the television series Young Americans, in which she played Bella Banks. She became known with a leading role in 2002's Blue Crush. The following year, Bosworth played the teenage girlfriend of porn star John Holmes in...
in the movies."
Following her modeling work for Shuster, Kovac worked as an artist's model, sometimes using the professional name Joanne Carter. She worked for a ship builder in California during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, Kovacs moved to New York, where she ran into Jerry Siegel at a costume ball to raise money for cartoonists. Both had been married and divorced previously, and the two were married in 1948. They lived in Connecticut and New York before moving to California in the 1960s. They remained married until Jerry Siegel's death in 1996 and had a daughter, Laura, who later recalled, "My father said she not only posed for the character, but from the day he met her it was her personality that he infused into the character. She was not only beautiful but very smart and determined, and she had a lot of guts; she was a courageous person." In a profile of Siegel, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
noted, "Though a number of actresses played [Lois Lane] on television and in the movies over the years, Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel always said that his wife, Joanne ... inspired the character of Lois Lane."
Despite the success of Superman in comic books, television and motion pictures, Siegel and Shuster had sold the copyright to Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
for $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
130, and the Siegels led a modest lifestyle. Their daughter recalled, "My mother and father lived in complete poverty for many, many years." Joanne Siegel worked for a time as a car salesman in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, to help support the family. Siegel lived in the Marina Del Rey
Marina del Rey, California
-Demographics:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Marina del Rey had a population of 8,866. The population density was 6,094.6 people per square mile...
section of Los Angeles in her later years.
Siegel devoted herself to reclaiming the original Superman copyright. At one point, she called the publisher of Superman and said, "How can you sit by and continue to make millions of dollars off of a character that Jerry co-created and allow him to live in this unbelievable poverty?" In the late 1970s, DC Comics agreed to pay both Siegel and Shuster a stipend of $20,000 per year for life, but Joanne Siegel was not satisfied and continued the fight, even after her husband died in 1996. She filed a lawsuit in 1999 seeking partial ownership of the Superman character. In 2006, Siegel won partial summary judgment in a lawsuit with DC Comics. The Court found that Joanne Siegel and her daughter had successfully recaptured the Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
copyright in 2004 and opined that the television program Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
was infringing the Siegels' copyright. In 2008, Siegel secured a further ruling from a federal court in Los Angeles restoring her husband's co-authorship share of the original Superman copyrights. In a 72-page decision, the Court ruled that Jerry Siegel was entitled to claim a share of the United States copyright to Superman, while leaving intact DC Comics' international rights to the character. Following the ruling, Joanne Siegel told the press, "We were just stubborn. It was a dream of Jerry's, and we just took up the task."
Siegel died on February 12, 2011 at St. John's Hospital
Saint John's Health Center
Saint John's Health Center is a hospital in Santa Monica, California, United States. The hospital was founded in 1942 by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.-List of famous patients:*Former US President Ronald Reagan, 2001, taken to St...
in Santa Monica. Following her death, Siegel's lawyer noted, "All her life she carried the torch for Jerry and Joe — and other artists. There was a lot of Lois Lane in Joanne Siegel."