Happy birthday, Superman! The Man of Steel turns 75, shares fame with creators

As the champion of the little guy, Superman would have wanted it this way: that on his 75th birthday, he share the spotlight with the blue-collar roots of his creators in Cleveland. Their neighbors would have approved, too.

 

The iconic superhero, who has given many people hope through tough times, was created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who lived through the Great Depression in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Brad Ricca, a professor at Case Western Reserve University who uses Superman in his classes, said Superman's origins - as an alien who landed on Earth and was raised in America - reflects the backgrounds of Siegel and Shuster, whose parents had fled to America from Europe for a better life.

 

"(Siegel and Shuster's parents fled for a new life) and they end up on this alien world, which is Cleveland," he said in an Associated Press story posted on the New York Daily News.

 

Ricca also said both Siegel and Shuster reflected Cleveland's ethnic mix, being sons of Jewish immigrants and who struggled during the Depression.

 

Siegel's daughter, Laura Siegel-Larson, said her father's creativity was tempered by Cleveland's public library, comic pages and high school mentors.

 

"The encouragement that he received from his English teachers and the editors at the Glenville High School newspaper and the literary magazine gave my dad a real confidence in his talents," she said.

 

First appearance

 

Superman debuted in Action Comics No. 1 on April 18, 1938 and went on to appear in nearly 1,000 Action Comics.

 

He has since evolved: being featured in a 1940s radio serial, a 1950s TV series and in several movies.

 

The Man of Steel could even be up there globally with George Washington and the Super Bowl as American icons, pop culture expert Charles Coletta at Bowling Green State University said.

 

In 2011, a rare, pristine copy of Action Comics No. 1 set the record for the most money paid for a single comic book, at $2.16 million.

 

That marked the first time a comic book broke the $2-million barrier.

 

Yet, the story of Superman as a powerful hero always on the lookout for those in distress started in Siegel's bedroom: he recalled looking up at the stars and imagining such an icon.

 

Big celebration, low profile

 

Shuster's home has been demolished but the fence features oversized Superman comic book pages.

 

Nearby, a commercial strip has a state historic marker marking Superman's Cleveland roots.

 

Yet, hometown fans likely want a bigger way to celebrate Superman - like a granite statue, comic store owner Markus Benn said.

 

"I don't understand why Cleveland won't own up to owning Superman. What do I suggest for a Superman statue? He should be downtown, he should have the shield or the eagle, that classic pose where he's standing up there with the eagle on his arm," he said.

 

Yet, Superman has had a relatively low profile in Cleveland, partly due to Siegel and Shuster selling their rights to Superman so early, said Cleveland broadcaster Mike Olszewski.

 

Olszewski is president of the nonprofit Siegel & Shuster Society.

 

Superman Day, other tributes

 

This year, the city is holding a Superman Day proclaimed by the mayor and giving out a birthday cake at the airport's Superman display.

 

Last year, a check for $412 that DC Comics wrote in 1938 to acquire Superman and other works by Shuster and Siegel sold for $160,000 in an online auction.

 

Also, the release of Hollywood's latest Superman tale, "Man of Steel," is expected to renew fan interest once it debuts in June.

 

According to Comics Alliance, as of April 2013, new DC Comics publications featuring Superman bear the credit: "Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster by special arrangement with the Jerry Siegel family." — TJD, GMA News