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Discover Mid-America — March 2008

Superman’s hometown

My wife and I were driving down I-24 in southern Illinois recently, on our way south. Near the Metropolis exit, she exclaimed, “That’s Superman’s hometown — I hear they’ve got a giant statue of him.” We pulled off the interstate to check it out.

On the way into town, we passed a supermarket with a large statue of a man carrying groceries — an eye-catching attraction, but not Superman. A few blocks farther, on Superman Square across from the courthouse, there was the real thing: a figure 15 feet tall atop a raised platform surrounded by an iron fence. He was standing in the typical Superman pose, hands on the hips, staring resolutely into space with his cape flared behind him. It looked like he was ready to go “up, up and away!” The only disquieting thing about him was a red and white Santa hat on his head, which, I would guess, was in keeping with the holidays — somewhat distracting for the “caped crusader” image.

Metropolis, a town of about 6,500 in Massac County, is located at the southern tip of Illinois on the Ohio River, about 10 miles from Paducah, KY. Metropolis’ local newspaper, the Metropolis Planet, is derived from the Daily Planet of the Superman legend. As far as we know, no one by the name of Clark Kent works there. However, Lois Lane has a street named after her.

According to the local chamber of commerce, DC Comics declared Metropolis to be the “hometown of Superman” in 1972. The same year, the Illinois Legislature made it official with a special resolution. Today, in addition to the statue, there are Superman graphics and posters all over town, a “Super Museum” with every Superman artifact you can think of, and an annual festival in June.

As I parked the car and grabbed my camera, a couple walked up with their grandson to give the Superman statue a closer look. The little boy was dressed in a complete Superman costume, and he strode purposefully to the statue to have his picture taken with his hero.

I learned that this ardent Superman fan was Trent Herndon, 5, on his way to Disney World in Orlando with his grandparents, Dennis and Connie Herndon. The Herndons own and operate a cleaning company in Page, AZ, where they specialize in detailing boats and RVs at Lake Powell.

“This has been a great trip,” Dennis said, as I took pictures of the family in front of oversize action figures with cutout holes for their faces. “Trent was really excited to see Superman.”

A little later, I saw the family again at the “Super Museum” about 100 feet north of the statue, on Market Street. For a small entrance fee, the visitor can see thousands of items, including one of the largest collections of Superman and comic book memorabilia in the world. Jim Hambrick, owner of the museum, has been a Superman enthusiast and collector for years, and may own more items relating to the “man of steel” than anyone.

I talked with Kevin Hambrick, Jim’s brother, at the museum, who said the largest part of the museum is dominated by Superman merchandise. “We’ve got everything from breakfast cereal to board games to action figures,” he said. “The items in the museum are just a small part of Jim’s collection.”

“Before each Superman Celebration each year, many of the items are switched around,” Kevin said. “That way, new visitors will always find things that are new and different.”

On my tour of the museum, I saw costumed mannequins, including Lois Lane and Clark Kent figures; stuffed Superman toys, lobby cards and posters, and more “stuff” than I had time to peruse. While I was there, a steady stream of visitors of all ages came through the place. Although the Superman legend celebrates its 70th birthday in 2008, many of the enthusiasts were college age or younger. The official Superman website, www.supermanhomepage.com, boasts more than 5,700 registered members, with thousands of “hits” from enthusiasts each month. The legend lives.

The first museum to memorialize Superman in Metropolis was the “Amazing World of Superman,” which opened in 1973. It closed a year later, largely because of gasoline shortages and delays in completing I-24, all of which discouraged tourism. All the artifacts and museum fixtures were auctioned and scattered across the U.S.

Calls from Superman enthusiasts prompted local officials to put together the annual Superman Celebration, called a “giant street party” for the town’s “adopted son.” Today, the event includes a Superman Road Race, SuperTrek bike tour, children’s games, beauty pageants, Superman skits, a benefit auction, car shows, music shows, food, crafts and more.

Later, I learned that the present Superman statue is the second one erected by the town. The first, made of fiberglass, was considerably smaller (and “uglier,” according to www.roadsideamerica.com, who reports that Jim Hambrick has it in his collection). The present statue, erected in 1993, is made of bronze and weighs more than two tons. The statue, along with its monument base and walkway, cost nearly $125,000, and was paid for by local citizens, largely through the sale of personalized bricks.

Other points of interest around Metropolis include nearby Fort Massac State Park, site of Fort Massac. Originally built by the French in 1757, the fort was rebuilt by the Americans in 1794. In 1802, the Lewis and Clark Exposition stopped at the fort and recruited two volunteers for the Corps of Discovery from the area around present-day Metropolis. The fort, in its 1802 configuration, was reconstructed in 2003.

For more information about the Metropolis area and upcoming events, call 618-524-5025. For Super Museum info, call 618-524-5518.

Ken Weyand can be reached at kweyand1@kc.rr.com

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