Superman co-creator biopic in works

The life of Joe Shuster, the co-creator of Superman, will be the subject of a biopic, Variety reports.

The Gotham Group movie will be based on Craig Yoe's recent book Secret Identity: The Fetish Art Of Superman's Co-Creator Joe Shuster, which claims that Shuster was the unnamed artist behind the mob-backed Nights Of Horror S&M and torture series.

The comics, sold under the counter at Times Square bookshops, ignited a scandal due to their controversial illustrations and alleged inspiration for a group of criminals called the Brooklyn Thrill Killers.

Yoe unearthed a collection of the underground comics at an estate sale and recognised Shuster's drawing style.

"Some people felt that when I discovered these books, I should have buried them in the back yard," he commented. "To me, it's part of his legacy, the idea that in addition to the great character of Superman, he had this whole different side to him, and did brilliant work, in secret."

Shuster's Superman collaborator Jerry Siegel hit the headlines last week when his heirs lost a ruling in their case to claim a share of Superman profits from Warner Bros and DC Comics.