The Adventures of Superman (radio) twice a week on June 5, 1950, continuing on ABC until March 1, 1951. In all, 2,088 original episodes of "The Adventures of Superman" aired on American radio. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Man of Steel first appeared in "Action Comics" #1 in 1938. The following year, the newspaper comic strip began and four audition radio programs were prepared to sell "Superman" as a radio series. When Superman was first heard on radio less than two years after the comic book appearance, the character took on an added dimension with Bud Collyer in the title role. During
Superman Universe, which is a shared universe of superhero characters owned by DC Comics, and consequently he frequently appears in stories alongside the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, and others. Superman has sold more comic books over his lifetime than any other American superhero character. Exact sales figures for the early decades of Superman comic books are hard to find because, like most publishers at the time, DC Comics concealed this data to deny competitors, but sales of "Action Comics" and "Superman" probably peaked in the mid-1940s and thereafter steadily declined as part of a general trend in comic book sales.