Cleveland Hopkins Airport Opens Superman Exhibit

The next time you fly into Cleveland, be sure to stop and say thanks to the Man of Steel for saving the world from Lex Luthor, General Zod and Doomsday all those times.

The Plain Dealer reports that Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will open a permanent exhibit dedicated to the legendary DC Comics character Superman and his creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, beginning on October 11, 2012.  Touting Cleveland as the historical birthplace of "Greater Cleveland's greatest hero," the exhibit promotes Siegel and Shuster creating Superman in the city's Glenville neighborhood during the Great Depression.

The exhibit was developed by The Siegel & Shuster Society, which raised $50,000 in donations and was approved by Cleveland's city council in January.  Designed by Studio Graphique, the exhibit will be installed in an area across from the baggage carousels where most air travelers pass through. 

After issues raised with the proposed Superman license plate, the Siegel & Shuster Society altered the greeting of the prototype shown above from “Welcome to Cleveland — Birthplace of …Superman” to “Welcome to Cleveland — Where the Legend Began.”  It seems DC Comics and Warner Bros. are exceedingly particular that Superman’s “birthplace” is Krypton, not Cleveland.  In addition, there will be a large statue of Superman as a photo opportunity for tourists.

Laura Siegel Larson, daughter of Siegel, will come in from California to speak at the 6 p.m. dedication ceremony, which is free and open to the public.  Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, other relatives of Siegel and Shuster and Airport Director Ricky Smith are among expected speakers.  There will also be a performance from the rhythm section of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, playing John Williams’ definitive theme from the 1978 Superman movie.

Michael Olszewski, president of the Society, said the airport display will educate travelers about Superman.  He and fellow Society member Brad Ricca, who teaches a course in comics at Case Western Reserve University, wrote the historical text blocks that accompany the display.  Olszewski remarked, "We want the phrase 'Meet me at Superman' to become a common saying at the airport."