Cranboyz Online

A place for the members of the Cranboyz to share stories about Comic Books, Conventions and Artwork!



Thursday, December 30, 2021

Cleveland, the Birthplace of Superman!

While looking through photos from 2021 I realized 2 things, we made zero blog posts this year (We'll be playing catch-up in 2022)! And I enjoyed a really fun trip that I'd like to share with everyone!

So for the first and last blog post of 2021, I bring you My Trip to the Birthplace of Superman! 


  No, I didn't travel to the planet Krypton. I did travel someplace much closer and slightly less exotic, Cleveland, Ohio! That's right, Cleveland, the Birthplace of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the Creators of Superman!

Having grown up as a young kid in the greater Cleveland area, not to mention being a huge comic book fan, I was a little disappointed with myself that I'd never visited these historic landmarks before. There's no big museum or anything like that but it's still pretty touching to see Cleveland acknowledgee the creation of this iconic hero!  

First stop, the Ohio Historical Marker declaring Cleveland the "Home of Superman!"

This 2-sided marker is located on the corner of St. Clair Ave and E 105th St, next to 10505 St. Clair Ave, Cleveland, Ohio. The Marker stands in a little park-like area right on the street corner.

The Marker briefly explains Siegel and Shuster's creation and the impact he's had on the world!

 

The next stop, just down the road, is the childhood home of Jerry Siegel!

 The home is located at 10622 Kimberley Ave, Cleveland Ohio and as you can see, even the street signs have been upgraded to show the importance of this location!

This is a private home but the residents have covered the porch and windows with Superman items and the fence out front proudly displays the Superman S!


 


 

Just minutes from there is the location of where Joe Shuster was born! The original apartment building no longer stands but you can't miss the fence on the corner of Parkwood Dr and Amor Ave! 

 This is located in front of a private residence at 998 Parkwood Dr, Cleveland, Ohio.

Signs on this house clearly read, No Trespassing. But the Fence is adorned with information on Superman's creators and reproductions of the pages to Action Comics #1!






It should be noted that the signs and restoration at both properties were done through fundraising and donations from the Siegel and Shuster Society! They were formed to preserve and promote not only Superman but his Creators and his home of Cleveland! 

Another project of the Siegel and Shuster Society was to create a Superman display at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport!

I have to say, there's something that really gets to you while riding down the escalator at the airport and seeing this impressive vision!

I'm thrilled that I finally made a point to visit and take in this little bit of comic book history, so close to home. As exciting as these historical locations are, I would love to see the City of Cleveland itself create a statue downtown or in some other way embrace that the Man of Steel came from Cleveland!