PRINTSuperman meets his super fan
The man in tights stands tall in small-town Southern Illinois
Michael Stonacek
Metropolis, Ill., is nothing like the big city that Metropolis is depicted as in the comics. The town is much closer to Clark Kent’s adoptive rural birthplace, Smallville, which is supposed to be somewhere in the middle of Kansas.
September 20, 2007 | 12:00 a.m. CST
From a distance, Metropolis could look like any other small Illinois town. The view consists of corn, the occasional barn and the big blue sky. Most buildings are two stories or fewer. It’s a very different place than the bustling concrete jungle of Metropolis in the DC Comics universe. But the two towns do share one thing: The Planet, an ode to the fictional newspaper that employed Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.
On my left is the first indication that I’m close to realizing a dream I’ve had for about six years. A water tower emblazoned with an airborne Superman points me toward the town that celebrates my childhood hero.
Population: 6,500
Established: 1839
Location: 290 miles southeast of Columbia, at the southern tip of Illinois on the Ohio River.
Why visit: Known for a 15-foot Superman statue, museum and Superman Celebration every June.
A four-and-a-half hour drive from Columbia, this charming river town of 6,500 people lies at the southern tip of Illinois. It embraced its name when it became the official “Hometown of Superman” in 1972, a title sanctioned by both the state legislature and DC Comics.
When I get closer to town, small blue road signs read “Giant Superman Statue Ahead.” A billboard from the Chamber of Commerce officially welcomes me, and I slow down like an onlooker at a car crash.
As I pull into one of many open parking spaces in Superman Square, I catch a glimpse of the statue’s red cape and boots from under a tree. I grab my camera out of the back seat, and the 7-year-old in me runs wild. My best friend, Sam, and I take our pictures next to the 15-foot Man of Steel who is forever frozen in a bronze statue atop a 10-foot tall pedestal. It’s photographic proof that we are dorks and drove 290 miles for this moment.
The Super Museum stands across the street and is everything I imagined. From props to pictures, it’s hard to believe the collection of more than 65,000 items is one man’s life work. Jim Hambrick has been collecting Superman memorabilia his whole life and built the museum 15 years ago. It starts from the beginning, when Jerry Siegel and Joel Schuster created the ink-and-paper hero in 1938 and continues through all the TV and film iterations. One of the highlights was the Fortress of Solitude, Superman’s hideaway, from the first movie with Christopher Reeve (may he rest in peace).
It’s a shame I didn’t make this trip earlier. In June, the town celebrates its name with the annual Superman Celebration, which brings in comic artists, actors and tons of fans to commemorate their hero. Next year will be the festival’s 30th anniversary.
For folks in need of a bite, there are many local places to grab some grub, such as the hometown cooking of Farley’s Cafeteria. Open since 1954, the restaurant serves up country classics including fried catfish, liver and onions and homemade bread and pies. Other eateries dapple the view along Highway 45, most of which have the familiar backlit plastic signs with magnetic black lettering boasting the specials and hours.
Just down the street from my beloved Superman lies another formidable statue. At about 30 feet tall, the Big John grocery man is another impressive sight, but I didn’t care. Big John doesn’t pull thousands of tourists into the tiny town every year, and Big John doesn’t stand for truth, justice and the American way. Most importantly, Big John didn’t hang out with me on my living room rug and defeat hordes of Power Rangers and Ninja Turtles whenever I was bored 10 short years ago.
