R.C. Harvey makes a Superman-worthy effort to reconcile conflicting stories about how Superman went from being an unsold newspaper strip by two kids from Ohio to the cover of Action Comics #1 and Americana. I'm not sure yet I buy all his deductions and such. I'll have to read it a few more times. But maybe you'd like to read it with me.
(Oh — and the illustration of Superman, Batman and Robin which Bob says is "Maybe Al Plastino's" is not Al Plastino.)