Grandma Lois Lane

Over the decades, multiple women have claimed to be the inspiration for Lois Lane. One name that seems to pop up more than most others is Lois Amster, who went to high school with Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Various sources report that Joe, Jerry, or both had a crush on her. It was ultimately a Mr. Rothschild who won her heart.

Since July 22, I've been announcing the release of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman to my network. If you've ever met me, you have probably heard from me within the past week. Yes, even you, the guy I small-talked with in line at the bagel place on 1st and 23rd in NYC in January 1996.

Another person on the list is a friend of mine from BBYO, the Jewish youth group I belonged to in high school. His name is Jason Rothschild. If you've paid attention, you may already know where I'm going with this.

Jason responded to my e-mail saying that Lois Amster (now Rothschild) is his grandmother, now age 92, still in Cleveland.

Yes, the love of Superman's life is my old friend's Nana. That's one version of it, anyway.

Even though Jason remembers that I was a superhero buff, somehow his alleged Lois Lane link never came up back then—or it did and I somehow forgot.

Yet another sign that you may never really know who you know until you do an e-mail blast.

Update: Lois Amster Rothschild passed away on 4/24/14 at age 97.

Before Bill Finger's "Dark Knight"

I give Bill Finger credit for as much as I accurately can. I credit him with being the co-creator of Batman. I credit him with nicknaming Batman "the Dark Knight." However, I have been careful not to credit him with coining that phrase.

Savvy writer J.L. Bell picked up on this subtlety and took it a step further. His post brilliantly shows one kind of gap that blogs fill. Where else would you see such a piece of research?

"...best and most accurate depiction...in print"

Brad Ricca, whose Superman documentary Last Son debuted this past weekend, posted very nice words about Boys of Steel on his blog. (I was unable to attend the movie premiere but have heard only raves and look forward to watching it this fall.)

5/18/11 update: Brad's wonderful blog appears to be deactivated, so here is his kind review in full:

All Ages Means Everybody Gets It

I’ve been waiting for the right time to plug Marc Tyler Nobleman’s new book, i.e., when people actually came here (slight glare). But no worries, and now is the time as it has just come out: it is an illustrated, non-fiction book about Joe and Jerry that a) is not only the only book of its kind on the creators, but is also b) the best and most accurate depiction of their lives in print. Yes, I used a period there. Marc is a tireless researcher who has opened up MANY a dead-end others (me included) had abandoned. And the illustrations are really amazing. So go buy his book at the store or order it here. It is definitely for all ages—if you like Superman, want to learn more about his creators, or just want to pass the story on to the next generation OH JUST BUY IT. It’s the same as three gallons of gas and makes a great gift.

Keeping up appearances

I've added a list of upcoming appearances; look down and to the right and please check back regularly for updates.

"Engrossing...wonderful..."

Another kind review.

(Shortest post ever.)

Dads, guys, "Boys"

The GeekDad blog on the WIRED site reviewed Boys of Steel: "an excellent read."

An interview about this and a future book is at a blog called Guys Lit Wire.

A write-up on the book is at Cool Cleveland, a cultural round-up of the city's offerings.

"Boys of Steel" is in stores today

Wrote the first draft on May 3, 2004.

Many drafts later, sold the manuscript on March 3, 2005.

Today, July 22, 2008, the book comes out.

You can get it here or here.

Thank you for your support!

"New" Bill Finger photo 1 of 9

In honor of...

a) the imminent release of Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman (7/22/08—tomorrow!)
b) the imminent start of Comic-Con 2008
c) the success of The Dark Knight (a term Bill Finger first used for Batman)

...I am making good on a commitment I made soon after I started this blog in February 2008. I posted a "new" but murky image of Bill Finger (uncredited co-creator of Batman), saying that around now I would begin to post the nine better "new" photos of him I found while researching a book. Only three photos of Finger have previously been published, one only once, in 1941.

Here's the deal: linking to these images is more than appreciated but please do not re-post or use any of them in any way without permission. If anyone breaks the deal, no more photos! Given the subject is Bill Finger, I'm sure the unspoken parallel is clear.

First, to wade in slow, a photo of one of Finger's aunts and his mother on a beach in the 1940s:

photo courtesy of Bill Finger's first cousin

Now "new" Bill Finger photo 1 of 9 (I don't officially count the one from that previous post since it's virtually unrecognizable), also on a beach and also probably from the 1940s:

photo courtesy of Bill Finger's granddaughter

That's Portia, his first wife, with him. The scene gives a wee look at a side of Finger's personality that hasn't been seen; they are hamming for the camera.

And yes, the second Finger photo I've shown is also the second in which he's topless. (I actually have a third topless Finger shot, which happens to be the best of all the "new" photos, topless or otherwise.)

"This book is that good"

Boys of Steel was plugged in the Chicago Tribune. But the Chicago Tribune did not say "This book is that good."

That was here. Hadn't heard of them, but I instantly liked them. This is one sharp reviewer. Did I consciously intend all the levels of his analysis? Uh...yeah, of course.

What "The Dark Knight" is missing

The Batman movie The Dark Knight opens today. Even though I have not yet seen it, I already know what it's missing.

Batman’s “Dark Knight” nickname first appeared in 1940 in Batman #1 (page 7, last panel) and shortly after in Detective Comics #40, in stories Bill Finger wrote. (For those just joining this blog, Bill Finger is the uncredited co-creator and original writer of Batman.)

By virtue of having written a book on a DC character but with no real clout otherwise, I asked a decision-maker at DC several months ago if that Batman #1 citation could be acknowledged in the screen credits for The Dark Knight—after all, “Batman” is not even in the film’s title. I emphasized that I was not asking if Finger could be credited as “co-creator” (because that's a legal minefield right now) or even if Finger could be credited with coining the term "dark knight" (because it's unlikely that can be proven one way or the other). I was asking only for a simple statement of fact.

The answer was expected. The answer was no. So Finger’s name is not there, but as with all Batman stories, his Fingerprints will be all over it.

Superman and superstars

The Cleveland neighborhood (Glenville) in which Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman wants to acknowledge that. Part of the fundraising effort is an appeal to high-profile Superman fans via a letter that went out this week.

The celebrities:

* Howard Stern—mentions Superman on air quite often
* Jerry Seinfeld—featured Superman in almost every episode of his sitcom
* Jon Bon Jovi—Superman tattoo
* Nicolas Cage—named his son Kal-El, Superman's Kryptonian name
* Gene Simmons (KISS)—has a self-proclaimed "passionate" relationship with Superman
* Shaquille O'Neal—Superman tattoo
* John Ondrasik (Five for Fighting)—big hit song "Superman (It's Not Easy)"
* Joey Fatone ('N Sync)—Superman tattoo

The pitch:

Ask “Who is Clark Kent?” and most anyone can answer that it’s Superman’s secret identity. Ask “Who are Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster?" and you’ll probably get only shrugs and head scratches.

Before Metropolis, Smallville, and Krypton, Superman came from Cleveland. The world’s first comic book superhero was created by teenaged writer Jerry Siegel and his artist friend Joe Shuster, who lived 9.5 blocks from one another in the Glenville neighborhood. For too long, we in Cleveland have done little to pay tribute to our red, yellow, and blue legacy.

For this year’s 70th anniversary of Superman's debut, the city is beginning to change that. Among our plans:

* restore Jerry Siegel’s former home
* place matching markers at Jerry's house and the site of Joe’s former apartment building (demolished in 1975)
* install honorary street signs Siegel Lane and Shuster Lane
* host a Siegel-and-Shuster-themed race and block party to promote good health and community spirit
* erect a larger-than-life statue of Superman flying off a building in the center of our business district

Your fondness for Superman is no secret. And while none of us in real life have “powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men,” we all have the power to do great good in different ways.

We are working to raise $x by September 10, 2008 to pay for the two commemorative markers we would like to erect this fall. We would be super-thrilled and super grateful if you would help us reach our goal—any amount is deeply appreciated. Any money we raise in excess of the final cost of the markers will be redirected to the fund for the Superman statue. We will gladly provide documentation itemizing how all contributed money spent and list your name as a sponsor on all marketing and media materials. And of course, if we do reach goal, we’d be honored if you would join us for the race, block party, and marker unveiling. After all, where else will you get to run a sixth of a mile to the stirring John Williams theme from Superman: The Movie or snack on organic mini-pizzas in the shape of Superman’s emblem?

The response:

Cross your fingers that there will be one.

Meanwhile, please spread the word! To contribute, e-mail me and I'll send you the right way.

Joe Shuster draws...Batman

Though I've been immersed in Superman and Batman research for four years, a somewhat obvious question had not occurred to me: did Joe Shuster, Superman's co-creator and original artist, ever draw Batman?

Today, a gentleman who interviewed me recently for both ComicMix.com and a Connecticut radio show called Fairfield County Business Showcase sent me this:

(In other words, yes.)

Other Jerry Siegels

A tale of marketing madness:

One night I took a break from sensible promotional tactics and Googled "Jerry Siegel." I was not looking for the Jerry Siegel of Boys of Steel. I was looking for any other Jerry Siegel. I found maybe five or six with e-mail addresses online.

And I e-mailed them.

I asked if they knew of their almost-famous namesake. I heard back from three. None of them deemed me deranged—not to my digital face, anyway:

Jerry Siegel, the dean: "I am very familiar and of course a fan of both the character Superman but also the creators. ... It is interesting how often people ask me if I was the creator of Superman even though that would make me considerably older than I am."

Jerry Siegel, the professor: "I used to watch the old Superman TV show as a kid and enjoyed my namesake's achievement. I have a replica of Superman and a cel from a Superman cartoon and a little Superman doll in my office. When I first came to LA in 1973, they were shooting the Superman movie with (I think) Christopher Reeve. I was called by a couple of reporters who found my name in the phone book. I was introduced for one of my professional talks at the University of Chicago as 'the creator of Superman' and told the person introducing me that that was the best introduction I ever had (even if slightly inaccurate). So me and Jerry go way back."

Jerry Siegel, the photographer: "I was a Superman fan as a kid, but not so much now. Should be considering the name. The other side of the team, Joe Shuster—well, my father was Schuster Siegel."

I found even fewer Joe Shusters and heard back from none.

Two of the subjects of the next four nonfiction picture books I'm working on are quite likely the only people in the world with their respective names. Those cases will necessitate some new form of marketing madness.

Jerry Siegel's next house

On my January 2007 photo research trip to Cleveland, my second stop (after Jerry Siegel's Kimberley Avenue house) was the house he moved into after Superman was a success.

The snow was still falling as I parked in front of it at 4 p.m. I didn't need images of this for my book, but I am a completist, so I took a couple of steps onto the snow-thick driveway and began to take pictures.

Then the front door opened.

A smiling man called to me to come inside.

"I'm sorry?" I said.

"Are you the appraiser?" he said.

I could have pulled a Lois Lane and lied so I'd get to go in, but I told the truth—and still got to go in.

I was quite surprised to find myself standing in my second former Jerry Siegel house in one day. The man graciously showed me around. He had not known the co-creator of Superman used to live there. I thought that might help up the list price. The only aspect of the house that dated back to Jerry's time in it (early 1940s) was a (refinished) bathtub.

However, I am not a complete completist because I didn't photograph that.

A white and Gray day

Common sense says a writer does his research before writing the book. I first visited Cleveland, the setting of Boys of Steel, in January 2007—nearly two years after I wrote (and sold) the book.

However, my mission was to gather photo reference for the illustrator. I wanted the images in the book to be as authentic as possible, though most readers would not know one way or the other. My first stop would be 10622 Kimberley Avenue—the address of the still-standing house where Jerry Siegel lived when he thought up Superman in 1934.

I wanted to get in to take photos so I didn't want to show up unannounced. I did not know that the family now living there regularly and kindly lets people in, nor did I know that certain comics professionals could have given me the family's name and phone number.

In advance, I wrote a letter to the unknown occupants, including my cell number. I planned to drive immediately from the airport to the house; if no answer, I'd leave the letter and hope they'd call me before my four-day research trip was over. (I'd mailed the house a similar letter in August 2005 and hadn't heard back, but that lacked urgency because I wasn't in town at the time.)

I landed in a snowstorm. I arrived at the house mid-afternoon. It was so cold my digital camera pretty much shut down. I didn't expect to see anyone outside, so I was happily surprised that a woman was scraping ice off her windshield right across the street from 10622.

I trudged up to her. "That's Superman's house," I said, pointing to the one painted red and blue and displaying numerous pieces of Superman merchandise in the first-floor windows. Yeah, dumb thing to say, for more than one reason.

"That's my house!" she said.

I introduced myself. Turns out this was Fannie Gray, around age 30, tutors kids in the neighborhood. She said it'd be up to her dad whether or not I could go inside, and as it happened, he pulled into the driveway right then. I am not embellishing.

Standing in shin-high snow on the front lawn not much bigger than a large picnic blanket, Jefferson Gray said I could come back on Thursday afternoon. It was Tuesday. Thursday was the day before I would leave. That was cutting it close—what if at the last minute they wanted to move the date? I would have almost no cushion. I asked if I could come anytime sooner but he didn't budge on Thursday.

So I came Thursday. The family, as has become legendary among Superman aficionados, was more than gracious. I spent at least 30 minutes in their house, taking photos with both a digital and a backup disposable camera.

I will see the Grays later this summer when the neighborhood commemorates both Jerry's former house and the site of Joe's former apartment building with some special markers.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the attic where Jerry typed stories. Jefferson Gray shows up in one, pulling back a curtain so I can shoot the window. Pay attention to that window—you'll see it again.

The other building in which Superman was created

In the decades of literature about the history of Superman, I've noticed an odd omission.

The house in which Jerry Siegel lived when he envisioned Superman is still standing. Cleveland protects it as a designated landmark. An illustration of its interior is in Boys of Steel.

But Superman was not fully created in Jerry's house. He was not fully created until Joe Shuster drew him.

Why hasn't anyone published a picture of where Joe lived in 1934?

For starters, it's no longer there. And since apparently no one knew its significance when it was torn down, it was just another derelict building, requiring no special archiving. Which meant it could take a lot of looking now to find a picture of it. After my research trip to Cleveland in January 2007, I can confirm that it took a heckuva lot of looking.

Armed with the address of Joe's former apartment building on Amor Avenue, I was pumped. First stop: Western Reserve Historical Society. For more than six hours, I rifled through archival photos. They were not digitized. The staff brought containers out to me—big, often dusty boxes. It wasn't that long ago but I already forgot how they were organized. No matter—I searched every possible container and did not find the Amor address.

Second stop, next day: Cleveland State University archives. Similar process—only there it was folders, not containers. End result was the same—no Amor address. (On the plus side, it didn't take six hours to learn that.)

Third and final stop: Cleveland Public Library. I was the least optimistic about this. It just seemed that something so unlikely to exist could not be found at a place so mainstream. Here the photos were stored in small boxes, organized by street. I hunkered down, the only guy in the room besides the librarian. I went through all the Amor photos. Nothing.

Then a new thought brushed up against me. Joe's building had an Amor address but was on the corner of another street, Parkwood. I asked for the Parkwood box.

On the back of one photo someone had scribbled a Parkwood address—and then an "AKA xxxxx Amor" address. Joe's Amor address.

That was it. This is it:

photo courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library

This photo of what was once called the Maple Apartments is from November, 1974. The building was demolished the next year.

I had to tell someone. Couldn't use my cell phone in the library. So I went up the guy behind the desk and said, "I know you probably won't care, but this is the building in which Superman was finalized."

He tried to care but I think he was mostly glad I was done asking for boxes.

When I got home, I had another idea. I checked with my contact at the Cleveland City Planning Commission and he managed to uncover a second photo of the address, this one from July, 1959:

photo courtesy of the Cleveland City Planning Commission

In that unassuming building, Superman first put on a cape and an S-emblem. In fact, he was almost certainly named in there, too (though Jerry and Joe had already used "Superman" for two earlier unrelated characters).

My Planning Commission man also confirmed that the building was indeed the same that would've been there in 1934. He could even tell me it was built in 1916 (though at first I thought it looked more modern than that).

You have to think that if the city had kept track of its history, the building would still be there today. You have to wonder how no fans came forward to tell the city. It's not likely because fans didn't care. Hard as it is to process in the Internet age of quick-grab info, it's most likely because fans didn't know.

Now I am in touch with people who are in touch with the Shuster family and I could just ask them if the Shusters have a photo of the building, maybe even one circa 1934. But at that time, people had little to be sentimental about, so perhaps not.

More news to come about these photos as we sweat closer to August.

Loss

None of us has experienced loss on the level that Superman has.

As a baby, he lost nearly everything at once—his parents, his home, his planet, his very identity. Like any baby, he did not yet know conscious love, but it's a heartbreaking reminder of the power of the human condition that, years later, he would feel it for people and places he will never remember. And he isn't even human.

What we mortals experience is typically the opposite. Most everything we lose is something—or someone—we first loved, consciously. In practical terms, anything we lose has to be smaller than what Superman lost, yet when it's your turn to grieve, it sure can feel like you lost your planet.

What strength can we take from a fictional character's lifelong struggle? Not much, and truthfully, not much from a real person's struggle, either. No matter how inspirational or comforting we find another's willpower, and no matter how loved and supported we are by others in any time of need, we must all handle the hardest part of loss alone.

I don't know about Kryptonians, but the human heart has four chambers. Yet sometimes it feels like we could use many more than that.

Talking about "Boys of Steel" in the rain

This short interview filmed on a digital camera under an overhang during a rainstorm at the Superman Celebration begins at 1:52:



The interviewer is the kind Steve Younis, maestro of the Superman Homepage. We'd met in person for the first time mere moments before. He introduces me as "Mike." He did correct himself with no prodding, but even if he hadn't, it's still better than spelling "Marc" with a "k."

Another Batman mystery

Every post for the past two months has been about Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman.

However, I have not forgotten about my pledge earlier in the year to reveal never-published info about and photos of uncredited Batman co-creator Bill Finger as the July release of Boys of Steel nears.

Earlier this month, on the writers' panel at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois, I mentioned Finger. The audience applauded him with the same fervor they did Siegel and Shuster.

Before I peel back additional layers of Bill Finger I did uncover, I need help solving yet another Bill Finger mystery.

Les Daniels's Batman: The Complete History (1999) is an essential book on the subject. It includes quite a few Finger quotations—but no bibliography. Finger died in 1974 so Daniels obviously did not interview him personally. I have researched Finger extensively and know of only two previous published works quoting more than two lines of his actual words: the transcription of the 1965 New York comics convention creators' panel (published in the comics history magazine Alter Ego) and Jim Steranko's 1970 book History of Comics, Volume 1. Yet many Finger quotations in Batman: The Complete History can't be traced to either source.

So where are they from?

Daniels does not remember nor does he still have his research. The man at DC Comics who apparently edited the book was "unable to help," without further explanation. I don't know if he also doesn't have record or if he does know but for some reason won't share.

Below are the Finger quotations that I haven't been able to account for. While in some cases, similar comments have appeared elsewhere, the fact that these are all in quotation marks means the author is affirming that Finger said each line verbatim:

page 25 - "Batman was written originally in the style of the pulps."

29 - "He can’t stop bullets, you know."

38 - "The thing that bothered me was that Batman didn’t have anyone to talk to." - 7/2/08 SOLVED: from Steranko's History of Comics, Volume 1

38 - "The pulps were grim, lacking in humor."

38 - on adding Robin: "The puns were there; the dialogue easy, fluid, and flowing. It brightened up the strip and added characterization to the main figure of Batman."

39 - on editors: "You lack a certain amount of freedom in dealing with the character. I could usually do better on my own." (Daniels notes Finger said this decades later)

65 - "Writing for comics is difficult. You have to describe scene so completely that the artist knows exactly or as nearly as possible what to draw"

69 - "Sometimes I’d be working all night on a script, depending on how an idea hit." (Daniels indicates this is from an interview—though wouldn't they all be?)

Does anyone know where any of these first appeared? If not, does anyone know someone who might? If so, please e-mail me.

9/23/24 addendum: Though for some reason I neglected to note it here immediately, on 2/8/09 (yes, fifteen years ago, and a year after I asked the public to help solve this mystery), I got the answer. All of these quotations were from a 1965 self-published article by Tom Fagan.

Not a starred review...

...but a good review nonetheless, from The Horn Book, which they say is hard to please:

Faster than a bionic pencil, more powerful than the disdainful looks of their high school classmates, able to think of a plot line in a red-hot moment...it’s Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, creators of Superman! Missing his father, who died during a robbery, and trying to survive the Great Depression, young Jerry buries himself in the lives of Tarzan, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, and other characters of pulp fiction and comic strips. Short, shy, and lacking athletic ability, Jerry turns to his typewriter for solace. Jerry’s look-alike friend Joe loves to escape into the same stories, and soon he is illustrating Jerry’s work. One night, Jerry is struck with inspiration and imagines a hero, an alien with incredible strength who rescues humans and whose secret identity is that of an ordinary meek and mild guy. MacDonald’s retro illustrations, reminiscent of the tone and color of his earlier Another Perfect Day, are the perfect foil for Superman’s story. The twin friends, sporting matching glasses and button-down shirts, fit right into MacDonald’s circa-1930s world. A fascinating author’s note follows the story of Jerry and Joe until their deaths and explores the business side of the comic industry. Budding cartoonists will be inspired by the lives of the hard-working supermen who created the beloved comic book-hero. r.l.s.

Four more reviews, including third starred one

Last night, I Googled "boys of steel" for the first time...last night.

To my pleasant surprise, four new reviews turned up. One is in the main mag of the book trade, Publishers Weekly—and it's the book's third starred review! The other three reviews are from sites new to me.

"Vibrant and well-researched...Nobleman details this achievement with a zest amplified by MacDonald's...punchy illustrations"
—Publishers Weekly 6/23/08

"I have to praise this wonderful book. It has something for children and adults, fans of comics and otherwise...I don't use the word a lot, but the book is very charming."
—PLAYBACK:stl (a St. Louis arts site) 6/20/08

"Terrific...elegantly laid down"

—Comics Waiting Room 6/22/08

"Bright and cheerful"
—BookLoons 6/23/08

I'm heartened how each review picked up on different small details. I'm heartened, period.

Boars of Steel

After my school visits, I'm often privileged to receive written feedback from students. I began incorporating Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman in my presentation in January—the book was still a half-year away from release but the cover had just gone up online.

Not every young person who mentions Boys of Steel in his or her comments remembers the title exactly. Here are other ways it's been called:

Men of Steel
Boys of Steal
Brothers of Steel
Steel Boys
Metal Men 
your Spider-Man book

3/29/11 addendum: More.

book promotion story 4: Summer reading at Six Flags

When you think "amusement park," you probably next think "books."

Some Six Flags locations feature Superman-themed rides. I approached the company in the winter to see if we could somehow promote Boys of Steel there. They were open to considering it, particularly for the parks with the Superman attractions. I pitched ideas, trying to focus on promotions that would not be labor-intensive for them. My favorite was what you might call super hide and seek:

Before opening, the park would "hide," say, fifteen small durable placards of the Boys of Steel cover throughout the park. These would be affixed to places that can be easily—but not too easily—seen, such as on the side of a garbage can, a fence or wall that encloses a ride, even on a bathroom door.

Upon entering, kids would be offered the chance to play a hide and seek game for a chance to win a signed copy of the book. They'd be given a small card listing possible locations for the placards—but the list would contain, say, three times more locations than placards, so some would be red herrings.

Any child who, upon leaving, turns in a list on which he's circled only the locations of the fifteen placards receives a signed book. It is not a scavenger hunt and is not a race—an important factor to parks since running can lead to injury. No matter what time a child leaves, so long as he turns in a correctly completed list, he's a winner.

I saw this as win-win: it encourages patrons to explore the entire park and it exposes my book to a key part of my audience in a memorable way.

No matter. Six Flags said no.

6/30/08 addendum: Could this be why?

Superman Celebration: the rundown

From June 12 to June 15, I was among the nicest people I have met in recent memory. Combine the homespun charm of a small Midwestern town with the attentive enthusiasm of serious Superman fans and everyone is treated like a VIP. Thank you to those who personally made me feel welcome and made sure I was fed and hydrated and air-conditioned and well-positioned. 

Here's a quick look at the experience, first by the numbers, then by the pictures. 

• Hours it took to drive from St. Louis to Metropolis: 3
• Highway signs for Cracker Barrel restaurant I passed: at least 5
• Wrong turns my GPS gave me: 1 (if I'd listened to it, I would have ended up in the Ohio River)
• Degrees when I arrived: 94
• Degrees when I left: 96
• Babies dressed as Superman: dozens
• Dogs dressed as Superman: at least 2
• People dressed as dogs: I think I saw 1
• Percentage of people dressed as Superman who lack Superman's physique: 98%
• Times I dressed as Superman: 0
• Times I dressed as someone from the 1940s: 1 (sort of; see below)
• Pieces of Superman merchandise I bought: 1 (see here)
• Presentations I gave: 3
• Minutes each presentation lasted: 30
• People who e-mailed me during my presentation to tell me they were sitting in my presentation: 1
• Copies of Boys of Steel I raffled off: 2
• Homemade bookplates I signed: more than 100 
• Boys of Steel postcards I started with: 4,800 
• Postcards I left with: 0 * 
• Times people asked if they could buy Boys of Steel right then: too many (only because I didn't have books)
• Items signed by Siegel and Shuster up for bid at the Superman charity auction: at least 3
• Of those, items I won: 0
• Of those, items I bid on: 0
• Highest amount one sold for: $600
• Amount an unbound advanced reader's copy of Boys of Steel sold for: $110
• Nights I had beer for dinner because food was no longer being served: 1

Now for photos. (Spoiler alert: I'm not posting those typical street festival scenes with half the crowd dressed as superheroes; you can see those on many other sites.) The second of two highway signs for Metropolis that I saw:

Appropriately, the first sign I saw when I got off the highway:

Welcome sign (sorry for the distorted head; I took this myself at too-close range):

One of approximately ten signs like this I passed (see note above about distorted head):

The writers' panel:

photo credits: Sue Schnitzer

I didn't see this while I was there; a kind new friend e-mailed it to me. Note the rare correct spelling of all names:

photo credit: Michelle Lyzenga; correct spelling credit: Kevin Williams

One of my talks:

photo credit: Lin Workman

My humble station:

The first non-press person to own a copy of Boys of Steel (he won the first of two raffles):

The 1940s ball:

photo credit: Michelle Lyzenga

Allison Mack, who stars as Chloe Sullivan on the TV show Smallville, graciously allowing herself to be exploited:

The event ended on Father's Day:

One last note: I'm happy to report that every audience I spoke to heartily applauded at the first mention of Siegel and Shuster. I'm glad they knew that without those two, Metropolis, IL, might be just another town sandwiched between Cracker Barrels.

* 6/19/08 addendum: Jamie Reigle of Super Collectibles generously took a big stack of postcards off my hands to distribute to his customers. Please visit his site. He's got it all!

The only real Metropolis

In Superman mythology, there is only one Metropolis. In the United States, there is also only one Metropolis. Superman's Metropolis is in an unspecified state. America's Metropolis is in southern Illinois. Tomorrow, I'm going to the real one for the 30th annual Superman Celebration.

Naturally, I planned this trip to sell books. However, we will not have books there. An order was placed for 500 copies but we were unable to get them shipped from China (the book is scheduled to be released on July 22).

But I will still be selling books. I have several speaking slots over the four-day event. I have hundreds of postcards to distribute. (It will be sweltering and they'll make great lightweight little fans.) I made simple bookplates with a custom logo that I will sign and hand out; these may prompt people to buy a book next month (or pre-order online now) or else they'll have no logical place to stick it. I will also be raffling off two copies of the actual book, two of the three advanced copies I was sent.

I will report when back and possibly also when there. One thing I can already confirm: selling books without having books does have one advantage. No heavy lifting.