A lot of the writers here are based in or around good old Salt Lake City, UT. I’ve never been, but from what I hear, it’s a nice place to live. As for me, I grew up in Northeast Ohio. I grew up learning how awesome my birthplace used to be. Akron used to be “Rubber Capital of the World”, and Cleveland was known for more than their lake catching on fire. One thing that I always thought to myself as a young comic-loving lad was, “At least Siegel and Shuster created Superman here!” Yet the city itself didn’t seem to want to celebrate that fact too much. Sure, when the Man of Steel got a stamp, it was first unveiled in Cleveland, but there is no monument to Superman or his creators here, unless you count Shuster’s boyhood home (which they tore down). Luckily, there is a non-profit based in Cleveland that wants to change that, The Siegel and Shuster Society!
Local Cleveland paper, the Plain Dealer reported that the City Council will likely vote to allow the Society to build a Superman shrine in Cleveland Hopkins Airport (CLE). As you can see from the artist’s rendition above, the centerpiece of the exhibit will be a larger than life Superman statue, appropriate for photo taking. While, that is certainly cool, I’m more excited about the accompanying text which will educate airport-goers not only about Superman’s creation but also about his creators. As you may or may not know, Siegel and Shuster had to have a small miracle happen just to be acknowledged for their contribution to the comics world, even in the comics themselves!
So, the hard part is over, if the city OKs everything, the Society can build, the only problem? They are a non-profit organization and the project is estimated to take anywhere from $40,000 to $50,000 to build. While an anonymous donor has already contributed $5,000, you can still help if you feel the need to have a part in a piece of history. Me? I just can’t wait till I fly back to visit old friends, and have my picture taken in front of the Action Ace myself!
Donations can be sent to the Siegel and Shuster Society, 7100 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, 44103.
P.S. The Siegel and Shuster Society also used funding to restore the Shuster home. They’re a good bunch of people there.