- Dennis Dooley, Superman at Fifty (1988)
It's amazing the number of discussions I've had with people about this book who deem the art inside as some of Shuster's worst, as if Superman was all he had to give and that it defined him in some way. Yoe's book is more than a salacious recount of serial killers inspired by fetish comic art and makes for quite fascinating reading - after all, who could resist reading about a war against comic books that involved '...psychiatrists, senators, religious leaders and parent groups...'?
Superman was all about heroism and justice, interestingly enough none of which can be found in the Nights of Horror images highlighted in Secret Identity. The drawings seem to show people at their worst. No, that's not right. Perhaps it's more accurate to say that they depict fetishists as 'bad' or 'kinky' people. A value judgement that would have been underlined by the fact that these publications were sold 'under the counter' at the time. (These days I don't know if it would be so shocking, or if we would be so quick to make such a judgement of people. Maybe we're at the point where we can own our 'kinks' so as not to be made to feel vulnerable about them? I don't know).
There's an introduction at the front by Stan Lee, who writes, 'Joe Shuster eventually found himself in a position where he had to accept any art job that was offered to him because of his need for funds.' Money issues aside, the artwork is spectacular - if unusual. Or at least, not something we talk about in polite company - which is probably why I read this in the first place.
One more thing - don't be surprised when you realise that some of the characters in the fetish images resemble Lois Lane or Clarke Kent. Whether that was intentional or not I have no idea.
If you're after cheap thrills and pictures of scantily clad men and (mostly) women in compromising positions then this is definitely your kind of book. However...if you're a longtime fan of graphic novel art and can separate the aesthetics (and the talent) over the subject, then you'll get a kick out of this title.
Title: Secret identity : the fetish art of Superman's co-creator Joe Shuster
Author: Craig Yoe
Published: Abrams ComicArts, 2009
