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“The Man of Steel” swoops into Metropolis for the 45^th Annual Superman Celebration

“Superman & Lois” star Tyler Hoechlin leads the group of visiting celebrity visitors

The USA Boxing News’ Superman Jeopardy proves to be a fan-favorite event at the Celebration

Story by John and Alex Rinaldi

Photographs by Janine Rinaldi

“The spirit of Superman is great to have around.” – Brandon Routh (who played Superman in 2006’s Superman Returns film)

METROPOLIS, IL. Since Ray Middleton adorned the costume on July 3, 1939, on “Superman Day” at the New York’s World’s Fair, there have been only a handful of men portraying “The Last Son of Krypton” on Earth.  Luckily, the latest cape-holder, Tyler Hoechlin, star of the huge hit on CW’s Superman & Lois television show arrived at the recent Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois to the delight of “The Man of Tomorrow” fans who ventured around the globe to attend.

Hoechlin displayed a humble Clark Kent-type personality during the various Meet and Greets with the fans, and in his Question-and-Answer session on Saturday. Tyler also revealed what an honor it was to portray the legendary superhero during his Q&A session hosted by John Gleckler

Beforehand, Tyler posed in the town square in front of the imposing and colorful 15 ft. Superman. It was surely a great catch for the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce to obtain an actor who is currently portraying Superman.  There were actors who played the character in the past, but this was the first time that an active Superman was on hand for the festivities. In fact, a few days later, Superman & Lois was renewed for a fourth season on the CW.

2023 was a special year for Superman. It marked the 85^th anniversary of his first appearance in comic books, it was the 45^th anniversary of the classic film, Superman – The Movie, along with Metropolis’ Annual Superman Celebration. It was also the 30^th anniversary of the construction of the Superman statue. Those are wonderful Super milestones to achieve.

Besides Tyler Hoechlin, other celebrities on hand featured Jesse Rath and Nicole Maines, who portrayed Brainiac-5 and Dreamer, respectively, on the Supergirl TV show, that premiered on CBS in 2015 and ended its run in 2021 on the CW for a total of 126 episodes. The final guest on hand was Sam T. Jones who performed the title role in the hit 1980 film Flash Gordon.

On Friday, Jones had a Question-and-Answer session hosted by Chris Brockow.

A great story happened involving two of the celebrities at the Celebration. One of the Superman Jeopardy helpers Kristen has a sister who is disabled. After Jesse Rath and Nicole Maines finished with their Meet and Greets, Kristin approached the two for a big favor – if they could give her sister a quick call. In most cases you can predict what the answer would be, namely a “no”, but then you would not be at the Superman Celebration. Well, Kristin made the call to her sister and Jesse got on the phone first and had a nice conversation in his funny Brainiac-5 persona. Then the phone was handed to Nicole who spoke in the voice of her familiar Dreamer character. It sure was a wonderful gesture by the two Supergirl celebrities, and a phone call that Kristin’s sister would never forget.  That is the kind of goodwill that is constantly taking place during the Superman Celebration. It is a place where pockets of this kind of magic often happens.

Nicole and Jessie held a lively Q&A session hosted by Ray Martinez and Sondra Ruth before a packed tent.

One can never do enough to beautify a town and make it better. Two such individuals are Morgan and Adam Siebert, who own the fabulous Super Museum that is right across the street from the imposing Superman statue. The museum is the must-see destination spot.

Inside the museum are near priceless items of artifacts from the Superman serials of the 1940s, TV shows such as The Adventures of Superman, Lois & Clark, Superboy and Smallville, along with Superman films from the Christopher Reeve era up until the present day.  One can spend hours perusing in the edifice. There are also memorabilia dating from the 1930s onwards. From toys, cereal premiums, original costumes, lunchboxes, records, action figures, movie posters, and nearly everything else one can imagine are on display. It is worth the trip to Metropolis just to see the museum (https://supermuseum.com). Founded by Morgan’s father Jim Hambrick, the museum is beyond super!

Morgan Seibert is not only the person owning and running the Super Museum with her husband Adam but is also a very talented artist. On a wall in the town, she painted a Greeting from Metropolis mural highlighting the town and Superman. On Friday of the Celebration, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Morgan, Adam, and Jim. It is just another stop to make along the way in Metropolis for a great photo op. 

Other photo ops are the large Superman sign that greets fans when they enter Metropolis and the Lois Lane statue, in honor of the legendary Adventures of Superman star Noel Neill, who portrayed Lois Lane in the classic series from 1953-1958, along with playing Lois in the 1948 Superman serial and the 1950 Atom Man vs. Superman serial. The statue is another spot to catch in Metropolis.

On Friday and Saturday night, fans were treated to an amazing live wrestling by the Tennessee Championship Wrestling group, which is promoted by K.C. Gold. The matches featured “Mr. Marvelous” Mike Mayo, Isiah Cone, Candi Jewel, and Jennifer Justice. The highlight were the two matches with long-time Superman Celebration performers Justin “The Broken Arrow Bad Boy” Lee and Ray “Triple X” Martinez. There was a lot of fun and laughs watching these two characters tangle in the ring. More importantly, it was a free event and the fans on hand were provided with a great time. It is another yearly event that makes the Superman Celebration so special to attend.

The Superman Celebration is a result of a lot of hard work of many volunteers, along with the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce. Two special people who have worked on the Celebration for over a quarter of a century include the dynamic duo sisters Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower. The tireless work of all the volunteers is what makes the Celebration so unique. A super “Thank You” is given to all those dedicated volunteers.

Another popular event was the 13^th Annual Superman Supersite Meet & Greet at Fat Edd’s Roadhouse. Hosted by the site’s owner Neil Cole, it is an event that gives a boatload of Superman-related prizes by raffle tickets and is well worth attending. You can have a nice lunch while waiting for your ticket number to be called for prizes.

Chris and Helen Brockow were on hand again hosting their Stump the Superman Expert game. Chris became a “Superman Expert” from winning the Superman Jeopardy Game a few straight years in the past. This year, Chris made a comeback in winning Saturday’s Superman Jeopardy Game. In their game, Helen and Chris had the audience members trying to stump each other to win prizes. The winner of this year’s game was Jack Canterbury.

Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower hosted The Superman Eating Contest, which featured participants trying to eat a chocolate cheesecake smothered by a heaping pile of whipped cream and M&M candy. It is always quite hilarious watching people stuffing their faces without using their hands as their faces are buried in their plates like rabid bears to honey! After a messy couple of minutes, Ray Martinez took 1^st Place, and John Rinaldi grabbed the 2^nd Place honors. There always historically seems to be a member of the Rinaldi Family in the game, and it usually ends up being John!

Another presentation was Celebration 30 Years – The Super Museum, hosted by Zach Curtis, with Morgan Siebert, Adam Siebert and Jim Hambrick. It was a very fascinating show that gave the audience the inside information of how Jim Hambrick became the biggest Superman collector of all-time and how he took his items and established the remarkable Super Museum. Recently renovated, the museum is not only great, but its gift shop is simply a site to behold.  It is almost a museum in and of itself!

There were so many numerous other events worth attending and plenty of shows for the kids and adults, including, an Artist Alley & Writers Way featuring current comic book artists selling their artwork and doing personal artwork for the fans, and comic book writers, a Super Dog Contest, a Heroes & Villains Costume Contest, a Kids Superhero Contest, a Super Car Show, a Supergirl & Superboy Pageant, a Superhero Training Academy,  Wonder Woman & Green Arrow Archery Shoot, Teen Titan’s Bingo, a Fireworks Spectacular, Cheralyn & Julia Electric Violin Powerhouse Duo, Authors Bonnie Siegler and Helene Stapinski discussing their book THE AMERICAN WAY, Super Space Engineering with NASA engineer Nick Mastramico, and Author Edward Gross promoting his book VOICES FROM KRYPTON.

A major highlight of the Superman Celebration Weekend features those that visit dressed up like their favorite superhero or super villain.  The costumed characters seen at Six Flags, Disney or Universal Parks must take a backseat to those on hand at the Celebration, where they populate the main street posing for photos with anyone who asks. It is a very remarkable experience. This year even saw a someone dressed as The Green Hornet and one costumed as the Planet of the Apes gorilla!

While in most places people get ripped off and taken advantage of – but not in Metropolis. Here there were street vendors selling some fascinating items and food trucks with their flavorful delicacies – all at reasonable prices.

Unlike in Disney World and at other well-known amusement parks where people literally park their wallets at the door, Metropolis is actually very fan and family friendly.

Other Superman and superhero items can be purchased in the various shops in town, including the Chamber of Commerce and the Hidden Gems Novelty and Collectibles store. Hidden Gems (owned by Morgan and Adam Siebert), and the Chamber of Commerce are also like mini museums.

The character of Superman and the Superman Celebration have had a major boxing connection since George Reeves, who portrayed “The Man of Steel” in 104 episodes that aired from September 19, 1952, to April 28, 1958, and whose costumes and film-used items are on display in the Super Museum, was an amateur boxing champion and one of boxing’s rising stars in the 1930s. He gave up his boxing career to enter acting, which later worked in his favor since he turned into not only a legendary Superman on the small screen on a ground-breaking show that is still in reruns today around the planet, but also into a timeless cultural icon.

At the time of his tragic murder in 1959, Reeves was preparing to participate in an exhibition tour with the then reigning light heavyweight boxing king Archie Moore across the country. George was also ready to begin a new season of The Adventures of Superman in the fall of 1959, where he would be filming an additional 26 episodes, along with directing a good share of the new shows.

Another Superman-Boxing connection is Jack O’Halloran who portrayed the famed and unforgettable Kryptonian villain Non, in Superman – The Movie, Superman II, and Superman II – The Richard Donner Cut. O’Halloran was a leading heavyweight contender in the 1970s when the heavyweights were experiencing a classic era of super talent.

Superman also “fought” Muhammad Ali in the popular 1978 comic, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali that featured “The Man of Steel” joining forces with “The Greatest” to save Earth from invading aliens.

In the Super Museum there is also an edition of The USA Boxing News newspaper in The Adventures of Superman Daily Planet prop room.

So next year, if you want a wonderful adventure to go on, just take flight to Metropolis, IL. On June 7-9, 2024. Up, Up and Away for an amazing weekend!

  SUPERMAN JEOPARDY

The Super Game for fans of the world’s greatest superhero!

2023 is a BIG year for The Man of Steel.  It marks Superman’s 85^th Birthday along with the 45th Anniversary of the Superman Celebration’s in Metropolis, Illinois.

It was indeed 85 years after the birth of Action Comics #1 (cover dated June 1938) featuring the first appearance of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s famed creation of Superman. The comic book sold for 10 cents and had a print run of 200,000 copies, all of which immediately sold out on the newsstands.

Not surprisingly, all these years later Superman is still very much alive and kicking and continues to remain a cultural icon and huge part in the entertainment and visual psyche both in America as well as in all the other countries overseas.

Besides these anniversaries, this year also ushered in the 22nd straight year of The USA Boxing News’ Superman Jeopardy Game. As in the previous 21 years, The Superman Jeopardy Game has once again been honored to be a part of the festivities during the Superman Celebration. 

Thanks to the assistance and promotion of the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce along with the help and faith of Jim Hambrick and the Super Museum, for the last nearly quarter of a century The USA Boxing News Superman Jeopardy Game has become the top go-to game to test one’s knowledge of “The Last Son of Krypton” with other fans of the legendary superhero.

The huge fan-favorite event during the Celebration, The Superman Jeopardy Game was sponsored by The USA Boxing News and hosted by Boxing Hall of Famers John and Alex Rinaldi (Editors of The USA Boxing News), along with former Superman Jeopardy Champion Eric Dietrick and Award-Winning Boxing Writer Janine Rinaldi. Three shows were presented on each day of the Celebration, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before packed houses. It was the go-to game to test your knowledge of “The Last Son of Krypton” with other fans of the legendary superhero.

Fans and game contestant hopefuls annually flock to The USA Boxing News Superman Jeopardy Game from countries as far off as Australia and England to nearly of all of America’s states bordering from sea to shining sea ranging from California to New York, to all the states in between such as Oklahoma, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, Montana, Texas, Michigan, New Mexico, Tennessee, Maine, and Boston, to name just a small few.

Besides the game itself, Superman Jeopardy is also known for the wonderful, galactically astonishing prizes that are given out at each and every game both to the contestants as well as to the audience!

In its third decade, the Editors of the world renown publication The USA Boxing News (John and Alex Rinaldi), along with their children Janine, Alexander, Ron John, Juliann, and Joseph Rinaldi, have entertained the visitors at The Annual Superman Celebration with the amazing Superman Jeopardy Game that is a fun-filled event for fans of ALL ages.

Each game had different categories and questions.

Based on the long-running TV game, Superman Jeopardy has a Kryptonian twist where ALL categories are Superman related. SUPERMAN & LOIS, SMALLVILLE, SUPERMAN ON TELEVISION, SUPERMAN I, II, III, AND IV, 21ST CENTURY SUPERMAN MOVIES, SUPERGIRL, SUPERMAN AND BEYOND, MAN OF STEEL, BATMAN v SUPERMAN, AND SUPERMAN POTPOURRI round out the various categories.

As a result, the contestants and fans on hand do not have to necessarily be a Rhodes Scholar to answer the questions. Instead, they have to be something greater, something even more academically versatile, which is nothing less than a true and knowledgeable expert in all things Superman!

To make things even more interesting, each of the three games have different game boards, categories and questions.

Eight contestants were chosen from the audience by answering Superman questions from the hosts. From there, after each question is asked of the contestants, a question is then sent to the audience. 

 “Prize-holder Janine” then gave the audience member a Superman Jeopardy prize if they answer a question correctly. From there, “Smallville Eric” or “Smallville Joe” and other assistants threw out a question regarding the TV series SMALLVILLE to the audience. The audience member who answered the question was then rewarded with a mighty prize.

Asking the kids in the audience questions were “Kids Quizzler Alexander” and “Kids Questionnaire Juliann” both of whom awarded children Super prizes for their correct answers regarding the world’s favorite Superhero!

So, whether you make the stage, or are part of the audience, EVERYONE got a chance to win a Superman Jeopardy prize.

After the last game of the Celebration was completed, those in the audience who did not win a prize were awarded a stupendous Superman Jeopardy prize.

All in all, it was a Super Time to celebrate “The Metropolis Marvel” and win amazing prizes in the process!

Returning to the game were 2022 Superman Jeopardy champions Matthew Vincenty and Daniel Layne.

The competition throughout the 3-day event was fierce and the winners were Scott Duran, of Georgia (on Friday), Chris Brockow, of New Jersey (on Saturday) and Daniel Layne, of Arkansas (on Sunday).  Some of the other participants included Matthew Morelli, Adam Thurmond, Brad Bruhn, Jordan Roy, Morgana Breidt, Ray Martinez and Justin Olininghouse. Ray and Justin were also the star wrestlers and always provided additional entertainment to Superman Jeopardy with their humorous antics.

Next year (2024) will be another big year for Superman Jeopardy and if you tell the hosts that you read this story on The USA Boxing News website (theusaboxingnews.com), they will hand you another prize before the games begin. Every person who attended a game this past year wound up leaving with an incredible Superman Jeopardy prize, whether it was a cooler bag, t-shirt, backpack, color-changing cup, baseball hat, fanny pack, sunglasses and so much more!

The Superman Jeopardy Game is honored with a display in the Super Museum.

During the 2023 Superman Celebration, hundreds of spectators checked out the thrilling Superman Jeopardy Game hosted by the Rinaldi Family and sponsored by The USA Boxing News, and all left the game mighty winners!

As Janine Rinaldi wrote,

In Metropolis, Illinois, the Superman Celebration was near,

And John and Alex, twin brothers, had a great idea, oh dear!

They thought, “Why not host a game, a game of wits and fun, A game of Superman Jeopardy, with prizes for everyone!”

So, they prepared the questions, with categories galore, From “Kryptonian History” to “Villains and More.”

So, if you’re ever in Metropolis, with trivia in your brain,

Make sure you check out the Superman Jeopardy Game.

 

2023 GREETINGS FROM MET ROPOLIS AND THE SUPER MUSEUM

 

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Places of Wonder at the Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois

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SMALLVILLE stars and a Kryptonian villain entertain thousands at the 2022 Superman Celebration

The USA Boxing News’ Superman Jeopardy leads the pack of fun events during the 4-day festivities in Metropolis, IL

 

Story by John and Alex Rinaldi

Photos by Janine Rinaldi, Alexander Rinaldi, Daniel Layne, and Super Fans

“…some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” – Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine – The Dark Knight -2008)

METROPOLIS, IL. These are certainly dark days as this beautiful country descends into turmoil, violence, riots, killings and destruction.  Prices for EVERYTHING are out of control and as all this goes on, the country’s leaders are sitting back and watching the world burn.  Is the Joker running the country? Who knows? Maybe.

The press are liars, even the sports press.  In over 40 years our publication, The USA Boxing News, has persevered due to our bedrock of honesty in our reporting.  We put ourselves in the shoes of fans and the Everyman out there who are simply trying to get by and survive these horrible, difficult times. Unlike the elite journalists who are on a crusade of falsehoods, extreme bias, and injustice, The USA Boxing News is firmly on the front line preserving the knighthood and promoting the dreams of the current and the next generation of Americans – the ones who are bravely trying to emerge from the landslide of despair to plant their flag firmly in their hopes and cherished aspirations to come.

It is days like this where the world cries out for a hero. And just as they did in in the later years of the Great Depression – it is none other than Superman, the strange visitor from another planet, who is coming to their rescue once again.

A rescuer he is as Superman is alive and ever present here in Southern Illinois for the masses to escape from their desperate lives and times to enjoy the America that the caped man from Krypton sought to save and protect.

And where else can one go and take their families where the values of Truth, Justice and The American Way still stand for something?  Well, look no further than to “The Home of Superman” in Metropolis, Illinois.

You mean the same Illinois where eight hours north there are killing fields like those of Cambodia from the late 1960s to the early 1970s? Thankfully, the stench of Chicago and its nightly slayings are a safe distance from the peaceful hamlet of Metropolis.

Families are hurting today. The prices of gas, supplies, food, and all needed essentials are at stratospheric record levels, squeezing working families to the edge. Family outings have also been priced light years away for an average family to manage. Maybe vacations to Disneyland and Disney World? Really? With tickets prices north of $100 per person a day, only a family of Rockefellers can afford four days’ worth of enjoyment.

That is where the annual Superman Celebration comes in. For four days there is an abundance of FREE activities for people of all ages. There is non-stop fun and enjoyment.  Besides the wonderful events that take place, there are food trucks down the Superman Square with very affordable food options.  There are also street vendors selling cool items at reasonable costs.  The annual Celebration is a mix of a state fair, Comic-Con, sporting events, game shows and concerts all rolled into one incredible package of delight.

Holding court during the festivities is the giant 15-foot Superman statue that towers over the area and proceedings. Just down the street there is a Lois Lane statue honoring Superman legend Noel Neill, the talented actress who portrayed intrepid reporter Lois Lane in the 1948 “Superman” movie serial, the 1950 “Atom Man vs. Superman” movie serial, and in 78 episodes of the classic television show, “The Adventures of Superman” from 1953 to 1958.

A special charm to the weekend is the various guests who dress up as superheroes or villains.  Their costumes are more elaborate than one would find at a Six Flags, Disney or Universal Studios Parks. Better yet, every costumed character is more than happy to pose for pictures with kids and adults alike. As a result, there is a sense of magic and wonder as the costumed personalities inhabit the streets and sidewalks of the Celebration area.

This year marked the 50^th Anniversary of the year that the town of Metropolis adopted Superman in 1972, and its 44^th straight Celebration.  The festivities went on from June 9 to June 12.

The celebrity guests on hand were actors Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, who starred in the classic Smallville series that ran for 216 episodes from October 16, 2001, until May 13, 2011. The show aired on the WB Network from 2001-2006 and later the CW Network from 2006-2011. The charismatic Welling portrayed Clark Kent on all ten seasons and 216 episodes, while the multi-talented Rosenbaum played a wonderful Lex Luthor in Seasons 1-7, and Season 10, for a total of 153 episodes. Smallville was the gold standard when it comes to superhero television programs and has a gigantic fan base. 

While Rosenbaum was making his third appearance at the Superman Celebration, this year marked the first time that Welling was on hand.  Tom Welling has always been considered a Holy Grail celebrity for the Celebration to land, and the crowd turned out in thousands to greet him and Rosenbaum. The VIP tickets to meet the two celebrities sold out quickly and their appearance on Saturday for a Q&A Session drew a packed house and was filled with insight and humor to the fans’ delight.

On Saturday night, Welling and Rosenbaum hosted an event called Smallville Nights, where fans had the chance to see the duo re-enact memorable scenes from the great series and recruit some lucky audience members to help them out.

The two Smallville stars delighted the fans that met with them with smiles, jokes and behind-the-scenes stories. Everyone who encountered the two had nothing but wonderful things to say about them.

On the boxing front was Superman legend and former heavyweight contender Jack O’Halloran, who portrayed the Kryponian villain Non in the classic Superman The Movie (1978) and Superman II (1980) films. From 1966 to 1980, O’Halloran battled top-ten fighters such as Alvin Lewis, Henry Clark, Ron Lyle, Terry Daniels, Cleveland Williams, Ron Stander and Jose Roman, along with facing future heavyweight kings George Foreman and Ken Norton. O’Halloran is a Boxing Hall of Famer, and as luck would have it, was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame on the same ballot with the Rinaldi Brothers.

O’Halloran is always a fan favorite to meet and greet fans, pose for photos and chat with them. O’Halloran is placed near the top as the most famous screen villains in a superhero film, as one of the famed Kryptonian villains, along with General Zod (Terrance Stamp) and Ursa (Sarah Douglas). Since 1980, there have been countless movie villains, but few rise above the Kryptonian trio, who escaped from the dreaded Phantom Zone.

Jack also conducted a popular Q&A before the crowd at the main tent on Saturday, where he proved to be a funny and engaging individual.

Two other celebrities on hand were stars from the Adventures of Superboy TV series that ran from 1988 to 1992, filming 100 episodes. Michael Manno, who portrayed Clark Kent’s friend Leo from 1988 to 1990, and Douglas B. Meyers, who played a fantastic version of Bizarro in the 7 episodes of the series from 1989 to 1992. Both actors were popular with the fans and conducted a Q&A on Saturday.

Another celebrity in attendance was George Newbern, who voices Clark Kent/Superman in the cartoon series Justice League, The Batman, and Justice League Unlimited, along with the animated films Superman/Shazaam – The Return of Black Adam, Superman vs. The Elite, Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, Justice League: War, and Justice League vs. The Fatal Five.

The fun started on Thursday, June 9 with the United Way Superman Fun Run/Walk and Super Friends Bowling.

A notable place to visit in Metropolis is the Super Museum, which is run by Jim Hambrick, his daughter Morgan and her husband Adam Siebert. The trio do a wonderful job in maintaining near priceless Superman artifacts. The museum was built around George Reeves, the legendary star of The Adventures of Superman.

Reeves portrayed “The Man of Steel” in 104 episodes that aired from September 19, 1952 to April 28, 1958, and then later in endless reruns on television networks around the globe. Reeves, a promising amateur light heavyweight boxing champion, who was once compared in style with the legendary Billy Conn, was persuaded by his mother to abandon his pugilistic career after breaking his nose for the seventh time. One time, a well-known Pasadena sportswriter Mannie Pineta sparred with Reeves in the boxing ring. Following the workout, Pineta said, “He [Reeves] was the greatest ring prospect in 1932.” Reeves won the light heavyweight championship at the Pasadena Golden Gloves tournament in three straight years!

George then pivoted effortlessly into acting, where he became a television icon with his memorable portrayal of Superman.  At the time of his tragic murder in 1959, Reeves was preparing a nationwide exhibition tour with the then reigning light heavyweight boxing king Archie Moore. George was also preparing for a new season of The Adventures of Superman, where he would be filming an additional 26 episodes.

The Super Museum has props and costumes not only from the television shows, The Adventures of Superman, The Adventures of Superboy, Smallville, and Lois & Clark, but from movies like Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Superman VI, Supergirl, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League.

There are over 7,000 items on display ranging from screen-worn costumes, props, merchandise, statues, premiums and toys dating from the early 1940s to present day.

The USA Boxing News’ Superman Jeopardy Game is also honored with a display in the museum. If one is a fan of “The Last Son of Krypton” then the fascinating Super Museum at 517 Market Street in Metropolis is the place to check out and enjoy for a spell.  It is currently open seven days a week from 8 AM to 7 PM and is operated by Jim’s daughter Morgan and her husband Adam Siebert. For more information, go to supermuseum.com. General Admission is only $8.00 and children 5 and under are free. They are also Super Pup friendly!

 

On Saturday, Jim and Morgan co-hosted a chat before a packed tent talking about the Super Museum and various collections.

For the 20^th straight Celebration, The USA Boxing News performed three jam-packed shows of the popular crowd favorite Superman Jeopardy Game over the course of the Celebration.  Hosted by Boxing Hall of Famers John Rinaldi and Alex Rinaldi, co-hosted by Alexander “Smallville Alex” Rinaldi and Janine Rinaldi, the game was performed on Friday at 3:00 PM, Saturday at 4:30 PM, and on Sunday at 10:00 AM before a full crowd at the CNB Metro Tent.

Superman Jeopardy is the oldest event at the Celebration, since its inception back in 2002.  Due to efforts putting on and producing the show and to the charity work that The USA Boxing News has done over the course of the years in Metropolis, the Rinaldi family has been honored with the “Superman of the Year Award” and the “George Award” for Help Making the World a Better Place, along with being given a large, colorful display in the Super Museum.

Superman Jeopardy begins with 6-8 contestants picked to come up on the stage after answering various questions correctly.  On the stage, host John Rinaldi handles the questions of the contestants.  After the contestants are asked a question, co-host Alex Rinaldi then fires a Superman related question to the audience members. Questions are then asked of the audience from the show Smallville given by Alexander “Smallville Alex” Rinaldi and then special kids only questions for the youngsters on hand are provided. Prizes are handed out to each person in the audience that answers the specific questions. All in all, over 100 wonderful prizes a game are given out to the audience members and prizes are also handed out to the contestants by prize manager Janine Rinaldi.  The wonderful prizes consisted of various colorful t-shirts, cooler bags, earphones, drawstring packs, fans, hats, and many other super items!  A popular t-shirt this year was Superman saving Lois Lane from a falling helicopter.

Guest hosts this year included Patrick O’Neal handing out questions to the audience on the Supergirl T

V Show, and Chris Brockow handling the Kids Questions.

This summer the competition was tough as Matthew Vincenty, of Boston, MA captured the championship in the first two games, while Daniel Layne, of Paragould, AR, was the Superman Jeopardy champion in the final game.

Contestants over the course of the three games were:

Matthew Vincenty, of Boston, MA

Daniel Layne, of Paragould, AR

Patrick O’Neal, of Los Angeles, CA

Adam Thurmond, of Huntsville,  AL

Brian Day, of Southington, CT

Jack Canterbury, of Tintah, MN

Angela Evans, of Kawkaulin, MI

Brian Burget, of Beardstown, IL

Jordan Roy, of Belleville, IL

Ray Martinez, of Tulsa, OK

Justin Hayes, of Memphis, TN

Chris Brockow, of Medford, NJ

Morgana Breidt, of Willow Springs, MO

Eric Dietrick, of Ford City, PA

Adam Wrenn, of Roanoke, VA

Superman Jeopardy holds such a longstanding popularity because terrific prizes are given out to adults, and the children, plus on the final day of the show, super prizes are also handed out to those kids and adults who were unable to win prizes in the previous games. Also, it is the top-rated show where Superman trivia experts can test their Kryptonian knowledge with Superman questions that span through the early comic books, movie serials, TV shows, pop culture, music, movies and anything else Superman related.

At next year’s 2023 Superman Celebration, visit our show and tell them you read about it in The USA Boxing News, and the hosts will hand you out a prize!

Besides Superman Jeopardy, there were plenty of super activities going on throughout the 4-day Celebration.

On Saturday night, fans were treated for free to a fun-filled Championship Wrestling promotion featuring Justin Olinghouse, Ray Martinez and a staff of entertaining wrestlers.

On Friday, the day opened at 10:30 AM with the Stump The Superman Expert game, hosted by Chris and Helen Brockow.  Chris is a former Superman Jeopardy champion who parlayed his knowledge into his own game, which was in its 11^th year. The show is another event where Superman-related prizes are won.

From 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, Neil A. Cole hosted the 12^th Annual Superman Supersite Meet & Greet at Fat Edds Roadhouse. Cole is the chief editor, head writer and webmaster of the informative Supermansupersite.com site. The Meet & Greet is another function that fans can win various assortments of Superman gifts.

On Sunday following the Superman Jeopardy Game, Karla Ogle hosted the fun-filled Superman Eating Contest, where contestants had to eat mini–Superman Birthday cakes without using their hands! It was Super Fun and a messy, laugh-riot for all involved.

The Artist Alley/Writers Way was a place where fans were able to meet comic artists to purchase their comic artwork, or even have personal sketches done.

Other events included Metropolis Memories Lecture, Draw Something Funny for Adults, Superhero Gameshow, Superhero Training Academy, Superman Photo Booth, Super Kickball Game, Kids Superhero Costume Contest, Superhuman Chess, Jim Hall Comic Style, Southern Draw Band, Draw Something Funny for Kids, 34^th Kiwanis Superman Bicycle Ride, LEGO Shield Reveal (and raffle for it), Meet Superman, Super LEGO Engineering with Nicholas Mastramico, Teen Titan Bingo for Kids, Draw with Guy Gilcrest, Archery with Green Arrow and Wonder Woman, Dr. Charles “Superman” Chandler Discussion, Beautiful Baby Contest, Supergirl/Superboy Pageant, Superdog Contest, 1972 Glo Dance & Karoke, Heroes/Villains Parade, and Super Silly Games.

The weekend closes with the popular Heroes and Villains Costume Contest that provides a glimpse of cool costumes and entertaining performances.

The unsung heroes of the Celebration are all of the volunteers who help out, the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower.

As one could imagine, there is no shortage of fun and enjoyment for the whole family to participate in. All the activities are FREE and many give out fantastic prizes for kids and adults.

Mark your calenders for the 2023 Superman Celebration, which will be held from June 9 to June 11. Up, up and away!!!

Truth, Justice and the American Way are still on display at the Annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois!

 

 

THE 2021 SUPERMAN CELEBRATION SOARS BACK TO METROPOLIS, ILLINOIS

After a 14-Month Hiatus Fans take flight to Metropolis, Illinois to enjoy weekend of stars, games, action and laughs

Story by Joseph, Alex and John Rinaldi

Photos by Janine Rinaldi and Super Fans

JULY 29-AUGUST 1 – METROPOLIS, IL. Up in the air…It’s a Bird..It’s a Plane…it’s the return of the 2021 Superman Celebration in Metropolis!

With all the problems going on in the world, and the Earth appearing like one big Phantom Zone, nestled in the southernmost part of Illinois, there is a place for people to take solace and have a grand time, and that place is, and shall always be, Metropolis.

While up north in Chicago there appeared to be a killing zone going on, down south in the Prairie State, thousands of people congregated to honor the greatest of all the comic heroes – none other than “The Man of Steel” – Superman!

In the town of Metropolis, there is a giant 15-foot statue of Superman in the town square and down the street is a bronze statue honoring actress Noel Neill, who portrayed reporter Lois Lane in the 1948 “Superman” movie serial, the 1950 “Atom Man vs. Superman” movie serial, and in 78 episodes of the classic television show, The Adventures of Superman from 1953 to 1958.

The start of the Superman festivities came about from Jim Hambrick who grew up watching “The Adventures of Superman” on television in the 1950s. As young boy he began collecting lunch boxes and all he could on Superman.  Later on he expanded his collection and began acquiring props and costumes from “The Adventures of Superman” – to the point that he had a couple of capes and costumes actually worn by George Reeves himself!

After taking his exhibit on the road as a traveling museum, he finally landed in Metropolis, IL, where he opened up the Super Museum to house over 70,000 Superman related artifacts that cover not only the 1950’s television series, but the movie serials, the Christopher Reeve Superman films, the Zach Snyder Superman movies, Superboy TV show, Smallville TV program, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV show, Superman Returns movie and variations of The Man of Steel from cartoons, to food and to toys.  If one is a fan of Superman, the Super Museum at 517 Market Street in Metropolis is the place to visit.  It is currently open seven days a week from 8 AM to 7 PM and is operated by Jim’s daughter Morgan and her husband Adam Siebert. For more information, go to supermuseum.com. General Admission is only $8.00 and children 5 and under are free. They are also Super Pup friendly!

Superman is written up in this publication and website because it has an amazing, historic boxing background.  George Reeves, who portrayed “The Last Son of Krypton” in 104 episodes of “The Adventures of Superman” from September 19, 1952 to April 28, 1958, was an outstanding amateur light heavyweight boxing champion, who was once compared in style with the legendary Billy Conn. Because his mother forbade him to further his pugilistic career, he turned to acting where he became an icon for his wonderful portrayal of Superman.  At the time of his tragic murder in 1959, Reeves was preparing a nationwide exhibition tour with the then reigning light heavyweight king and boxing immortal Archie Moore.

Another Superman boxing connection is when former leading heavyweight contender Buddy Baer appeared on the 1950’s “The Adventures of Superman” in the show’s 101^st episode, “Three in One” that aired on April 7, 1958.

The legendary Muhammad Ali even fought Superman in the famous 1978 comic book, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali: The Fight To Save Earth From the Star-Warriors.  That issue was so popular, that it has been reprinted on numerous occasions, and was even a favorite of the great Muhammad Ali.

Another person with a huge boxing connection is Jack O’Halloran, who portrayed the Kryptonian villain Non in the classic “Superman The Movie” and “Superman II” films. He was a top heavyweight heavyweight contender in the 1960s and 1970s, having fought many great heavyweights of his generation including two future heavyweight champions – George Foreman and Ken Norton.

This publication has conducted a series of interviews with the “Superman The Movie” and “Superman II” star villain Jack O’Halloran, whose two Superman films are still considered the gold standard for super hero movies.  In his interview with The USA Boxing News, Jack describes how he fought his way to the top of the rankings in the talent-laden heavyweight division of the 1960s and 1970s to eventually becoming one of the most famous super hero villains of all time.

Usually the festivities started on Thursday, but this year the Celebration was from Friday to Sunday.

Superman Celebration team co-chairs Lisa Gower (L) and Karla Ogle (R), with super friend Michelle Lyzenga (C).

Credit to the Celebration must be given out to the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, Karla Ogle, Lisa Gower, Tim Gardner, Jim Hambrick, Morgan Hambrick, Adam Siebert, and all the Superman Celebration volunteers! Without this group of Super staff workers, the Celebration would not be what it is today.

As with every Celebration, there are always well known and often times iconic celebrities who land in Metropolis. This year the celebrities on hand were:

         K Callan – Portrayed Martha Kent on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” in 88 episodes from September 12, 1993 to June 4, 1997.

       Ilan Mitchell-Smith – Played Andy McCallister on 27 episodes of the “Superboy” TV series from 1989-1991.  Mitchell-Smith is most famous from his starring role in the 1985 hit film “Weird Science” that was directed by John Hughes.

        Nicholle Tom – Starred in 141 episodes of the popular sitcom “The Nanny” from 1993-1999, provided the starring voice for the 1994 animated series “Beethoven” over 13 episodes, and voiced Supergirl/Kara Kent on the great “Superman: The Animated Series” from 1998-2000.

        Stacy Haiduk – Starred as Lana Lang in all 100 episodes of the TV series “Superboy” from October 8, 1988 to May 17, 1992.  Stacy later was a regular on the TV show “SeaQuest DSV” that ran for 23 episodes from 1993-1994. Haiduk has recently been a regular on the TV Soap Opera, “The Days of Our Lives” from 2018 to the present. She was a great sport and was extremely friendly with the fans.

The USA Boxing News performed three packed-to-the-rafters shows of the crowd favorite Superman Jeopardy Game over the course of the three-day Celebration.  Hosted by Boxing Hall of Famers John Rinaldi and Alex Rinaldi, along with co-hosts Joseph “Smallville Joe” Rinaldi and Janine Rinaldi, the game was performed on Friday at 3:30 PM, Saturday at 3:30 PM, and on Sunday at 10:30 AM before a full crowd at the Metro Tent.

Superman Jeopardy has proven to be such a fan favorite, that it is the oldest event at the Celebration, with its 19^th annual performance held this year.  Due to efforts putting on the show and to the charity work that The USA Boxing News has done over the course of the years in Metropolis, the Rinaldi family has been honored with the “Superman of the Year Award” and the “George Award” for Help Making the World a Better Place, along with being given a large display in the Super Museum.

Superman Jeopardy begins with 6-8 contestants picked to come up on the stage after answering various questions correctly.  On the stage, host John Rinaldi handles the questions to the contestants.  After the contestants are asked a question, co-host Alex Rinaldi then fires a Superman related question to the audience members.

After that, questions are then asked of the audience from the show “Smallville” by “Smallville Joe” Rinaldi and then Joe has special kids only questions for the youngsters on hand. Prizes are handed out to each person in the audience that answers the specific questions. All in all, over 100 wonderful prizes a game are given to the audience members and prizes are handed out to the contestants.

The fabulous prizes consisted of various colorful t-shirts, cooler bags, earphones, drawstring packs, fans, hats, and many other super items!  A popular t-shirt this year was Superman battling Lex Luthor in a boxing ring!

This year the competition was tough as 2019’s triple returning champion Daniel Layne, of Paragouild, Arkansas, took on seven challengers. He lost in the first game to Matthew, of Boston, MA, but captured the next two games.

Superman Jeopardy holds such a longstanding popularity because terrific prizes are given out to adults, and the children, plus on the final day of the show, super prizes are handed out to those kids and adults who were unable to win in the previous games. Also, it is the top-rated show where Superman trivia experts can test their Kryptonian knowledge with Superman questions that span through the early comic books, movie serials, TV shows, pop culture, music, movies and anything else Superman related.

In 2022, look up our show and tell them you read about it in The USA Boxing News, and the hosts will hand you out a prize!

The activities began on Friday, July 30 with meet and greets with the above celebrities on hand, and then from 10 AM on, visitors were treated to the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, the Lighting McQueen Car, Superman Live Radio Show with Actors and Sound Effects (which is an amazing show that brings to life radio broadcasts from the 1940s), Draw Something Funny!, The 13^th Annual Superman Homepage Meet & Greet (the popular website by Steve Younis that annually hosts the event, where DVDs are given to those who can answer various Superman trivia questions), the Award Ceremony for Metropolis Planet’s Lois Lane Award, Sixty Seconds to be Super Games, The 11^th Annual Superman Supersite Meet and Greet (an enjoyable event hosted by the Superman Supersite host Neil Cole, where fans can win Superman DVDs, books and calendars with raffle tickets), Knightmage Cosplay 101 Program, Teen Titans Bingo for Kids, Superhero Gameshow, Superhero Training Academy, Passion to Profession Program with Blake Armstrong, Super Human Chess: A Game of Fate Chess Match with Live Characters, Kids Super Hero Costume Contest, Panel with Comic Artists Chad Hardin and Ale’ Garza, Little Superhero Parade, Metropolis Sings: Karaoke/Lip sync Celebration hosted by Ray Martinez (which was a lot of fun due to the humorous antics of Ray Martinez, who is a regular on Superman Jeopardy), Draw Something Funny!, Krypton Glo Dance with Ray Martinez, and Championship Wrestling starring Justin Olinghouse (who did a spectacular job combining wrestling skills and humor).

Saturday was another jam-packed day of fun that started at 8 AM until the last event at 7 PM. Starting off was the Kiwanis Bike Trek, Super Silly Games, various Q & A sessions with the Celebrities, Artists Alley/Writers Way, Becoming a Hero Panel with Cosplayers to the Rescue, Teen Titan Bingo, Sully’s 9 Ball Tournament, Super LEGO Engineering Program with Nicholas Mastramico, Patriot II Flag Presentation of Colors, Eating Contest (won by Superman Jeopardy Host John Rinaldi), Hero NYFD fireman Joe Torillo Speaking, Archery with Wonder Woman and the Green Arrow, Zeta Zeta’s Beautiful Baby Contest, Championship Wrestling with Justin Olinghouse and Ray Martinez, There’s a Character in Your Closet: Costuming on a Budget Program with Knightmage, Superdog Contest, The Aquaducks Band, and Adrian Lee presenting The Ghosts and Hauntings of Metropolis.

Other events on Saturday, featured the Stump The Superman Experts Show, hosted by Chris  Brockow and Helen Brockow.  Chris is a frequent contestant on Superman Jeopardy and for many years he was an unbeatable champion. He parlayed his “Superman Expert” reputation to host his own show. For its 10^th Anniversary, the Brockows provided contestants with mighty questions and rewarded them with prizes of shirts, DVDS and books.

Lisa Gower hosted the Save the Massac Auction, which is an annual event to raise funds to restore the town’s fabled Massac Theater.  As usual, the auction was a success thanks to the tireless work of Gower and the big crowd that turned out to help.  It was an enjoyable auction that had items priced from a few dollars to items much much higher priced.  With sandwiches, snacks and beverages on hand, the event was a success.

Another auction afterwards was hosted by Tim Gardner and Zach Curtis, where a portion of the  proceeds were given to the local battered women’s shelter. There were a plethora of items available where auctioneer Zach Curtis was able to get high prices for.  It was a fun night of pizza, soda and Superman items, with plenty of funds going to a good cause.

Besides the last Superman Jeopardy Show for the weekend, Sunday featured a Superfriends Kickball Game, Supersilly Games for Kids, Cosplay 101 Program with Knightmage, Drawing Funny!, Superhero Gameshow, Writers Panel with Authors Brian Morris and Ken Sills, Parade of Characters, Teen Titan Bingo, Karaoke & Kids Comic Coloring, and the popular Heroes & Villains Costume Contest.

The super workers and volunteers are certainly heroes who provide a friendly welcome and plenty of fun for those visitors who trek to Metropolis.

Even with Covid fears still going on, there was a great turnout this year. “The Sunday crowd, I think, was as big as it was in the past,” remarked Superman Celebration co-chair Lisa Gower.

Next year marks the 50^th Anniversary of the city of Metropolis becoming the official city of Superman by DC Comics and Warner Brothers. “We’re looking very forward to next year,” said co-chair Karla Ogle.  “It’s going to be so exciting.”

In today’s world, prices for most things appear to be smashing through the roof faster than even Superman could, as families today are in a tight spot to afford a great vacation, or events to go to that are affordable. Look no further than the city of Metropolis, Illinois and the annual Superman Celebration.  A family can get a bang for their buck and a lifetime of wonderful memories.  You cannot get better than that!

So next year, you don’t have to look no further than take flight to Metropolis, Illinois for the 2022 Superman Celebration, which will be held from June 9 to June 12. Up, up and away!!

_______________

      

THE HOSTS OF THE USA BOXING NEWS

SUPERMAN JEOPARDY GAME

Some Photos of Former Amateur Boxing Champion  George “Superman” Reeves

Batman, Superman, and the Superman Celebrations in Metopolis, Illinois

THE 2019 SUPERMAN CELEBRATION IS A KNOCKOUT WEEKEND FOR FANS

Fun, games, celebrities and activities provide an enjoyable time for Superman fans who venture from all around the globe

Former amateur boxing champion and TV’s Superman George Reeves in honored in 60^th anniversary of his death

Story by John and Alex Rinaldi

Photos by Janine and Joseph Rinaldi

METROPOLIS, IL. Every year there is a special place that people from all corners of this planet journey to that celebrates a superhero from another planet.  Of course, the planet is Krypton and the hero is Superman.

For 41 years, the southern Illinois town of Metropolis has yearly hosted a 4-day festival dedicated to Superman.  Unlike other functions that showcase superheroes, the patrons that attend the annual Superman Celebration (www.supermancelebration.net) are not taken to the cleaners and get a bang for their buck from all the events that take place.

Actually where can a superhero fan see stars of various Superman related television series and motion picture films, participate in multiple superhero events, dress up as one’s favorite superhero or super villain, and see two museums containing real and rare artifacts, exhibits, and collectibles not seen anywhere else in the world? The Answer is only in Metropolis, Illinois. The greatest part of it all is that most of these events are free of charge!

As those who are readers of our newsstand publication, The USA Boxing News, or visit this website, “The Man of Steel” is written about and covered many times.  For the last six issues of our publication, we have featured the most expansive interview with Boxing Hall of Famer Jack O’Halloran, who was not only a talented and leading heavyweight contender in the 1970’s, but also was a former NFL football player for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles.  Over the years, he has become most famous for his magnificent portrayal of the Kryptonian villain Non, who appears in the classic films Superman (1978) and Superman II (1981). Because those two Superman films that have set the benchmark in excellence for the genre, O’Halloran has been in non-stop demand for personal appearances and has twice visited at the Superman Celebration, most recently last year in 2018, where he was a fan favorite.

Another Superman-Boxing connection was Buddy Baer, who challenged the immortal heavyweight champion Joe Louis on May 23, 1941 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC, before a crowd of 16,689.  After knocking the 10-1 favorite champion Louis down and through the ropes in the opening frame with a crackling left hook (Louis rose at the count of “four”), Baer gave Louis all he could handle before being disqualified in 7^th round.  The disqualification by referee Arthur Donovan occurred when Buddy was unable to come out for the 7^th round after he was knocked unconscious when Louis clobbered him with a mighty right hand after the bell rang to end the previous frame.

On account of this, Baer received another shot against Louis on January 9, 1942 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. On that night, a sell-out crowd of 16,689 saw Louis drop Buddy to the canvas three times in the opening frame before referee Frank Fullam stopped the bout at 2:56 of Round 1.

The Louis rematch was the last fight Baer would engage in as he next signed up for U.S. Army during World War II. Upon his release following the end of the war, Buddy Baer began an acting career.

Buddy would eventually appear on the 1950’s classic television program, The Adventures of Superman, in the show’s 101^st episode, “Three in One” that aired on April 7, 1958.

The legendary Muhammad Ali even fought Superman in the famous 1978 comic book, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali: The Fight To Save Earth From the Star-Warriors.

In The Adventures of Superman series, the lead character of Superman was portrayed by none other than former amateur boxing champion George Reeves.

In 1932, a Pasadena, CA sportswriter named Mannie Pineta, who once sparred with Reeves, later said in Garry Grossman’s Superman Serial To Serial book, “George was the greatest ring prospect in 1932. His mother, though, wouldn’t let him fight, because she was afraid that he’d get banged up and ruin his budding acting career.”

Although George became a collegiate boxing champion, because of his nose being badly broken in a fight, which was the seventh time it happened, George’s mother begged him to leave the ring. The young man then took up acting, where he changed his name to George Reeves and soon appeared in 1939’s classic film Gone With The Wind.

In 1951, George signed on to appear as “The Man of Steel” in 1951’s hit film, Superman and the Mole Men. After the filming of the movie, George then began starring in the television show The Adventures of Superman.  If one looks closely at the series, especially the Season One episodes, Reeves’ Superman throws punches just like a prizefighter.  The popular show ran for an impressive 104 episodes from 1952 to 1958.

In 1959, George was set to film an additional season of 26 episodes and go on an exhibition tour with reigning light heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Sadly, he was murdered on June 16, 1959.  Because of a then reportedly corrupt Los Angeles Police Department, his death was wrongly ruled a suicide to shield the real killers, who were either one of the three suspects: his current girlfriend, who had a history of violence, his former girlfriend, who was still infatuated with him, or her big shot Hollywood executive husband, who had major underworld and police connections.

Regardless of who the murderer was, George Reeves cruelly met a uncalled and tragic death at age 45.

This year marked the 60^th anniversary of Reeves’ untimely death and on the opening day of the 41^st annual Superman Celebration on Thursday, June 6 at 9 PM, a George Reeves tribute film was played.

Earlier on in the opening day of the festivities, there was a Welcome Ceremony at the impressive 15 ft. tall colorful Superman statue that stands in the town square.  The statue, along with the Super Museum, which sits right across from it, is two of the top roadside attractions in the United States.

Other events on the opening day was the opening of the Sonshine Carnival, the Lois Lane Award Ceremonies, Super Friends Bowling, Gospel Music with the Tribute Quartet, Family Quickdraw and the Superman Road Race, which featured 177 runners and 33 walkers. The Superman Road Race is run by Janet Foster, with help from the Community Christian Church, members of the local Girl Scouts and many volunteers from the area.  The Superman Road Race benefits the Massac County United Way.

Friday is the day that fills up with wonderful events as the Artists’ Alley opened up and events began with The Superman Radio Show, Puppet Making Workshop.Meet and Greets held by first the Superman Home Page website and the Superman Super Site website, Super Silly Games, Super Friends Animator Program, Super Hero Training Academy for Kids, The Great American Puzzle Team Competition, Muley and Friends Puppet Show, Super LEGO Engineering Show, Heroes and Villains Chess Challenge, Toppling Towers Game, 60 Seconds to be Super Game, Kids Super Hero Costume Contest, The Comedy of Andy Imlay, Costume Parade, USA Championship Wrestling, Draw Something Funny Presentation, Super Fan VIP Party, Superhero Glo Dance, and Movies Under the Tent.

At 1:30 PM, Karla Ogle hosted the fun Eating Contest, where various items such as piles of Kryptonite Jell-O, lemon pies, Superman Birthday cake, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Cheetos were distributed to ten contestants. Each contestant drew one of those items from a box and had to eat their respective dessert without hands, with the first two to finish winning prizes.  This year’s winner was Azor Cigelske and the runner-up was The USA Boxing News’ editor/publisher John Rinaldi, who had won the two previous years. Karla who is one of the organizers of the Superman Celebration, has such a winning personality that she, along with her staff, makes it such a fun game to attend and participate in.

At 6:30 PM, an amusing new event was the Super Sing Lip Sync Show hosted by notable characters Justin Olinghouse and Ray Martinez. These two zany madcaps know how to have a good time and have an infectious way of turning others on to their craziness. All, of course, in good fun and cheer. Many people performed and the audience had a lot of laughs.

If those events were not good enough to guarantee a fun for all experience, Boxing Hall of Famers and editors of The USA Boxing News – John and Alex Rinaldi, along with Janine and Joseph Rinaldi performed the popular Superman Jeopardy Game.  This year marked the 18^th straight year that The USA Boxing News sponsored the event. Due to the immense popularity of the game, three shows were performed before packed tents on the main stage at the Metro Tent.  A game was played on Friday at 12:00 PM, Saturday at 3:30 PM, and Sunday at 11 AM.

Superman Jeopardy features 7 contestants picked to come up on the stage as host John Rinaldi handles their questions. After the contestants are asked a question, then co-host Alex Rinaldi fires a Superman related question to the audience members. Following then are questions from the show “Smallville” given by Joseph “Smallville Joe” Rinaldi and then Superman Kids questions given by Janine Rinaldi. Prizes are handed out to each person in the audience who answers the specific questions. All in all, over 80 wonderful prizes a game are given to the audience members and prizes are handed out to the contestants.  The fantastic prizes consisted of various colorful t-shirts, hats, earphones, back packs, drawstring packs, fans, children’s toys, and many other super items!

This year the competition was fierce as contestants on stage consisted of former champions Patrick O’Neal, Chris Brockow and Eric Dietrick, along with gallant challenges by Matthew Morelli, Bradley Bonkowski and Ray Martinez, among others.  As tough as the stage contestants were, the returning champion Daniel Layne, of Paragould, Arkansas, could not be beaten as he captured the trifecta this year in winning all three games!The USA Boxing News Superman Jeopardy game has become a regular go-to game because fabulous prizes are given to children and adults, plus on the final day of the show, gifts are given to those who were unable to win in the previous games. Also, it is the best show where Superman trivia experts can test their knowledge with Superman trivia that spans the comic books, cartoons, movie serials, TV shows and movies.

This year, SYFY show “Krypton” was a big sponsor of the festivities and provided a cool t-shirt featuring the show to everyone who purchased a VIP ticket to the 4-day event.

With all the great events on Friday, it appears that Saturday could not possibly beat out Friday’s events. Well the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, headed by Amanda King, along with the hard-working Superman Celebration volunteers, was up to the task by bringing in popular celebrities to meet, pose for photos, and provide a question and answer panel.  This year’s celebrities were headed by Erica Durance, who memorably portrayed Lois Lane in the 2001-2011 series “Smallville” that aired on the WB and later the CW.  Durance first joined the show in 2004 and continued to the end in 2011, appearing in 141 episodes. Durance was one actress that fans have waited years to meet at the Celebration, and her friendliness did not disappoint anyone.   Also on hand was Helen Slater, who portrayed the title character in the 1984 movie Supergirl, and is currently a recurring character on the CW series Supergirl. To round out the celebrities was Katrina Law, who portrays Nyssa al Ghul on the popular CW series Arrow.

Saturday also had events such as Helicopter Rides, Kiwanis Superman Bike Trek, Save the Massac Theatre Breakfast with Superheroes, Color a Cape, Superhero Bingo, NASA and the Science of Superman Presentation, Quickdraw for Kids, Swearing in Ceremony for Honorary Citizens of Metropolis with Mayor Billy McCaniel, Drawing Comics and Ninjas, Todd Aaron Smith: From Smallville to Metropolis – An Artist’s Journey, Beautiful Baby Contest, Artist Panel “Let’s Talk Comics” With Various Artists, Superdog Show and Movies Under the Tent.

At night at 4 PM, Lisa Gower hosted the Save the Massac Benefit Auction, where the proceeds go to a great cause, and that is restoring the historic Massac Theatre. The Massac was built in 1938 as an Art Deco movie theater.  Gower and her staff have been working fiercely on the project for years and once it is renovated it will be a great building for the town that could host movies, school productions, concerts and numerous other events.  In an incredible coincidence, the theater opened up the same year that Superman arrived on the scene in Action Comics.

Following that auction, at 7 PM, the Super Museum hosted a Superman Auction, which featured various items for auction.  The event was produced by Super Museum owners Morgan and Adam Siebert, along with Tim Gardner.  The auctioneer was Zach Curtis, a former Superman Jeopardy Champion and a Super Collector.

Both auctions were packed to the rafters and featured wonderful items and were a lot of fun to attend.

Sunday is the final day of festivities, and featured the 33^rd Annual Metropolis Rotary Club Super Car Show, MSC Heroes and Villains Contest, Superhero Gameshow, Parade of Characters, Teen Titans Bingo, Superman Scavenger Hunt, and Kids Karaoke.

Following Superman Jeopardy on Sunday, former Superman Jeopardy champion Chris Brockow, along with his wife Helen Brockow, performed their Stump The Superman Expert Game, which is another enjoyable show with those people who possess great Superman knowledge. Prizes, such as comic books, DVDs and t-shirts were handed out to participants.

Thankfully, in Metropolis, Reeves’ memory, thankfully,  still lives vividly on as his costumes and memorabilia are on display at the Super Museum run by the world renowned super collector Jim Hambrick, along with his daughter Morgan Siebert and her husband Adam Siebert.

Besides the Superman statue and the Super Museum, other attractions to see is a life-size statue of Noel Neill, the popular actress who played Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman from 1953-1958, and Fort Massac State Park.

The whole celebration was the brainchild of Jim Hambrick, who has the largest collection of Superman memorabilia in the world. From originally having a traveling museum, he eventually settled into the town of Metropolis, Illinois and set up base with a permanent Super Museum (supermuseum.com) and an additional Americana Hollywood Museum where his other movie memorabilia and artifacts are on display.This year, The USA Boxing News and Superman Jeopardy were honored with a large display in the Super Museum, which is a treasure chest of Superman artifacts and displays. There is no other museum that comes to close with their wonderful displays. Some exhibits include the original costumes of iconic 1950’s Superman TV star George Reeves and  Superman movie star Christopher Reeve, along with original items and props from Smallville, Superboy, Supergirl and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

To house additional memorabilia, The Super Museum is already working on a second floor display area, which would feature even more terrific items.  The museum is chock filled with precious items that it could take hours to see everything.  The Super Museum is simply fantastic and the main place to visit in Metropolis. It is only a three-hour or less ride from such major cities as Nashville, Memphis, Louisville and St. Louis.

Many kudos go to Celebration Chairperson Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower, and the Metropolis Tourism staff, along with their crew of workers and volunteers that provide a wonderful time to all visitors who attend from numerous states and countries.

All of the friendly workers and volunteers are mighty heroes in their own right and cannot make the days super enough for the large crowd of guests who show up.

So next year if you want to go somewhere with your family, friends, or even by yourself, for a long weekend and have an incredible time, all you have to do is look up in the sky and take flight to Metropolis, Illinois for the 2020 Superman Celebration. A super time will be guaranteed for all who attend! Up, up and away and we hope to see you there!

   

 

Superman, Superboy and former heavyweight contender and Kryptonian villain Jack O’Halloran fly into Metropolis for the 2018 Superman Celebration

Story by John Rinaldi, Joseph Rinaldi and Alexander R. Rinaldi
Photos by Alex Rinaldi, Juliann Rinaldi and Janine Rinaldi

June 7-10 – Metropolis, IL. Each year fans from around the globe venture to Southern Illinois and down to the town of Metropolis to participate in the fun-filled annual Superman Celebration.

This year the sport of boxing was represented by the visit of the always popular boxing Hall of Famer and former heavyweight contender Jack O’Halloran, who portrayed the mute Kryptonian villain Non in the blockbuster films Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980). Jack was one of the featured guests at the 40th Superman Celebration and was a fan favorite as he posed for photos and signed countless autographs.

As a professional heavyweight boxer in the Golden Age of heavyweights, O’Halloran fought the likes of George Foreman, Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Henry Clark, Larry Middleton, Alvin Blue Lewis, Charlie Harris, Cleveland Williams and Manuel Ramos. After his successful career in the ring, that saw him emerge as a top ranked heavyweight contender and the heavyweight champion of California, Jack took up acting following his retirement from the ring in 1974. On March 28, 1977 at the Pinewood Studios in London, O’Halloran began filming the highly anticipated Superman movie in a scene featuring the 2-time Academy Award winning and screen legend Marlon Brando on the planet Krypton set.

Superman opened up in theaters on December 15, 1978 and by the end of its historic run, it grossed a whopping $300.2 million worldwide on a $55 million budget.

Because of the success of the original film, and also that over 50% of the sequel was already filmed, Superman II was released in the United States on June 19, 1981. Like the first one,  Superman II was another huge success, grossing $190.4 million worldwide on a $54 million budget.

Superman II had Christopher Reeve returning as “The Man of Steel” and was highlighted by his battles against three Kryptonian villains who escaped the Phantom Zone. The three villains were General Zod (Terence Stamp), Ursa (Sarah Douglas) and Non (Jack O’Halloran). In all of super hero film history, the three Kryptonian villains would become film icons and the actors would be in demand for festivals around the world ever since.

Jack, who last appeared at the Celebration in 2001, also engaged in an enjoyable Q&A session before the fans on Friday from 1:30-3:00 PM with the producer of the Superman films, Ilya Salkind and actor Aaron Smolinski, who portrayed Clark Kent as a toddler in the 1978 movie.

Besides Jack, another prominent guest was Brandon Routh, who portrayed “The Last Son of Krypton” in 2006’s Superman Returns film. Routh is also famous for playing the Atom (Ray Palmer), in 20 episodes of Arrow, 2 episodes of The Flash and on three seasons of Legends of Tomorrow, which all air on the CW Network. There will be more of the Atom for fans to see next year since Legends of Tomorrow was recently renewed for a fourth season.

Routh, who last appeared at the Celebration in 2011, was a huge hit with the fans on hand as engaged in a Meet and Greet, posed in front of the 15 ft. Superman statue in the town square, and did a Q&A with the audience on Saturday at noon on Saturday.

This year was not only the 40th anniversary of the Superman Celebration, it was also the 40th anniversary of the Superman movie, the 80th anniversary of Superman’s debut in Action Comics, and the 30th of the Superboy TV series.

On hand from the Superboy TV series that ran on syndication from 1988-1992, compiling 100 episodes, was actor John Haymes Newton, who portrayed “The Boy of Steel” in the first season of 26 episodes. Like O’Halloran and Routh, Newton was also a popular celebrity with the thousands of fans that turned out.

Other celebrities included two actors from the popular new Krypton series that runs on the Syfy Network and was just renewed for a second season. Shaun Sippos, who portrays Adam Strange and Blake Ritson who plays the villain Brainiac on the series arrived at the Superman Celebration on Saturday and had four autograph sessions and a Q&A.

Rounding out the guest list were Ilya Salkind, producer of Superman, Superman II, Superman III and the Supergirl movies, along with the Superboy TV series, Jeff East, who portrayed a teenage Clark Kent and Aaron Smolinksi, who played the toddler Clark Kent who lifts up Pa Kent’s truck in the famous scene in the Superman movie.

It is not just the celebrities that fans congregate to Metropolis from all corners of the Earth, it is also the wonderful free activities that are going on from Thursday to Sunday.

A fan favorite is the Superman Jeopardy Game that is sponsored by The USA Boxing News and is hosted by the publication’s editors John and Alex Rinaldi, along with Janine Rinaldi, Alexander R. Rinaldi, Joseph Rinaldi, Juliann Rinaldi and Ron John Rinaldi.

This year’s Superman Jeopardy Game was packed to the rafters with fans and the winning champion on the game that took place on Friday was Patrick James O’Neal, of Maryland, and the champion in Saturday’s game was Daniel Layne, of Arkansas. The Superman Jeopardy Game not only gives prizes to the contestants that take the stage, but also to those hundreds in the audience.

The Rinaldi Twins discovered years ago, that everyone wants test their Superman knowledge, along with having a chance to answer a question for a prize, which is why the audience gets even more chances to win as more and more questions are continuously thrown their way. Prizes included various designs of t-shirts, backpacks, earphones, fans and drawstring bags. Besides questions to the adults on hand, there are special Kids Questions, where youngsters have a chance to win toy prizes by answering Superman questions. If that is not enough,  those who are unable to answer a question, are provided with prizes following the Saturday game.

The Superman Jeopardy Game has lasted for 18 years because fans leave with super prizes and get a chance to test their mastery of “The Man of Steel” history and legacy with other like minded super hero fans.

The Metropolis Chamber of Commerce headed by President Mindy Harris and Director Amanda King, Metropolis Mayor Billy McDaniel, the city officials of Metropolis, and the Superman Celebration volunteers that include Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower, perform a herculean task of putting on such a jam-packed and fun-filled weekend of activities and enjoyment.

It is not just the activities and guests, but there are terrific street vendors selling affordable memorabilia, clothing, drinks and food down the town street in the shadow of the Superman statue that add to the delight of the four days of festivities.

At any event, people love to purchase souvenirs and Metropolis has plenty to offer. Between the wonderful items available at the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce and the wide selection of Superman items sold at the Super Museum, an individual patron, or especially one with a family, will find a super bang for their buck with the amazing reasonable prices that can be found in Metropolis. This is not just during the Superman Celebration, but all year round.

On Saturday night at 5 PM was the Save the Massac Benefit Auction to raise funds to bring back to life the historic Massac Theatre that was built in 1938, the year Superman came out. The head of the organization, Lisa Gower and her staff have been working hard to restore the structure. It is a worthy charity to donate to at www.savethemassac.com. The auction featured many fabulous items to bid on for such a meritorious cause.

Friday featured the Superman Birthday Cake Eating Contest hosted by Karla Ogle, who also is one of the head volunteers of the Superman Celebration. Ten people’s names were pulled from a box and whoever finished the birthday cake honoring Superman’s 80th birthday won a prize bag. And for the second time, the winner was The USA Boxing News’ own John Rinaldi!

Jim Hambrick, who has the largest Superman collection on the planet, is one of those special individuals who help put the Superman Celebration and the town of Metropolis on the map. With the help of his daughter Morgan Siebert and his son-in-law Adam Siebert, fans have two sensational museums to visit during their time in Metropolis, the Super Museum (supermuseum.com), and the Americana Hollywood Museum.

The Super Museum features the original Superman outfit worn by the legendary George Reeves, who starred as the title character in the classic The Adventures of Superman series that ran from 1953 to 1958 for a total of 104 thrilling episodes, along with the show’s original set pieces. Reeves not only was a terrific actor, but was previously a talented amateur light heavyweight boxing champion.

Besides George Reeves being showcased in a few sections of the museum, are other areas featuring Christopher Reeve’s Superman films, Kirk Alyn’s Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman movie serials, Dean Cain’s Lois and Clark TV series, the Superboy TV series featuring John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher, Brandon Routh’s Superman Returns film, Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel, Batman v Superman and Justice League movies, and even Helen Slater’s Supergirl film. Besides those sections, the museum is filled with Superman memorabilia over the past 80 years. A visitor can spend hours touring the magnificent museum.

The Americana Hollywood Museum is another treasure, with original Elvis Presley outfits and memorabilia, Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein shoes, screen-worn John Wayne and Clint Eastwood items, the Batshield from the Batman TV series all the way from the 1960’s, Lost in Space props, The Forbidden Planet set pieces, original Harry Houdini magic equipment, and rooms featuring Marilyn Monroe, classic movie westerns, super hero toys, horror movies, and other genres. It is another building where visitors can occupy their time with and soak in the wonder of it all.

The annual Superman Celebration has events for everyone and every hour. The Celebration kicks off Thursday with the opening of the Sonshine Carnival and later the Superman Road Race is held at the Ft. Massac State Park, where proceeds go to the United Way charity.

Following the Save the Massac Benefit Auction on Saturday, later that evening starting at 7:30 was the 25th Superman Collector and Collectibles Auction that is put on by Tim Gardner and Zach Curtis. Zach also promotes Superman collectibles on his wonderful Superman Collectibles Buy/Sell/Trade/Share FACEBOOK page, that is worth checking out. The auction run by Tim and Zach at the Superman Celebration features items that range from as little as $1 to over $1,000. There are plenty of things to bid on for people of all ages and price levels. Before the auction, there is complimentary pizza and soda and it is a lot of fun to bid on such cool items. It is worth checking out each year. The two hosts are friendly and willing to share their knowledge with anyone who asks. Besides being a champion collector, Zach Curtis is also a former Superman Jeopardy Champion, so he sure possesses of plethora of Superman information.

On Sunday, the day closes out with the MSC Heroes and Villains Costume Contest. Before that is the Stump The Superman Expert Game hosted by Chris and Helen Brockow. Chris Brockow was a former Superman Jeopardy champion, who after winning for nine straight years, earned a reputation as a “Superman Expert” with those who attend the Celebration. Eventually he decided to host his own game with his wife Helen and gives out prizes of graphic novels, comics, DVDs, t-shirts and books. You have to be a Superman expert to win this game because the questions cover anything involving Superman, from obscure comics to the movies and TV shows.

There were also Meet and Greets to attend. The first one was sponsored by the informative Superman Homepage (www.supermanhomepage.com) and was hosted by the site’s owner Steve Younis, who ventured all the way from Australia to attend, at Hardees at 10:30 AM on Friday. Later that morning at 11:30, Neil Cole, the owner of the Superman Super Site (www.supermansupersite.com) hosted his Meet and Greet at Fat Ed’s Roadhouse. They were both enjoyable events to attend to meet fellow Superman fans and there were plenty of chances to win Superman DVDs or other prizes. Both hosts were very friendly and each packed their respective venues.

During the course of the 3-day celebration, other activities included, Super Friends Bowling, Artist Alley and Writer’s Way, Super Silly Games, Superhero Training Academy For Kids, The Great American Puzzler Team Competition, Superman vs. Batman Tug of War, Muley and Friends Puppet Show, Super Cruise-In Classic Car Show, Kids Superhero Costume Contest, Costume Parade, The Music of Corey Evitts, U.S.A. Championship Wrestling, Superman Classic Push/Pull Competition, Puppet Making Workshop, NASA and the Science of Superman Presentation Lecture, Color A Cape, Superdog Show, Beautiful Baby Contest, Entertainment by Jamie Kelley, Supermen: World War II Fan Film, Helicopter Ride Adventures, Superboy 30th Anniversary Screening, Superman Scavenger Hunt, Superhero Gameshow, the Superman Radio Show, Supergirl & Superboy Pageant, Kids Karaoke & Color a Giant Comic, and 80 Years Looking Super – live models showcasing the ever-changing “Man of Steel” through the years.

Another nice touch that was added to this year’s Celebration were various designs of Superman “S” shields that were placed on the street, along with the year and brief description of the Superman that wore them at the time. The symbols started from the first Superman “S” in 1938 to the “S” worn by Henry Cavill in 2013’s Man of Steel movie. The “S” shields were an imaginative idea that only added to the fun during the super event.

Remember, the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, the Super Museum, the Americana Hollywood Museum are open all year round to visit. Fans can take photos at the famous 15 ft. tall Superman statue and at the Noel Neill “Lois Lane” statue every day of the year.

So 2018 was a nice mixture of Boxing and Superman. It is worth the trip to attend the Annual Superman Celebration. Up in the sky! Is is a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is the 2019 Superman Celebration to look forward to!

__________

An Everlasting American Icon

By Alexander R. Rinaldi

Known worldwide as The Caped Crusader, The Bat, The Dark Knight, or The World’s Greatest Detective, whatever you want to call him, for almost eighty years the Batman has emerged and evolved as one of the premier super heroes and icons of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. From the waning years of the Great Depression, through four military wars, including a World War, continuing past 9/11 and its aftermath, the only constant has been Batman and the people’s reliance upon him as a savior.

His metamorphosis over the various stages of his numerous incarnations has both mirrored western heroes and anti-heroes, as well as reflected the life and times he was confronted with, much like a chameleon able to change and reflect the changes around him.

Born from the violent deaths of his parents, and as a twisted epitaph to their memories, Bruce Wayne re-invented himself as an alter-ego avenger fighting crime and saving his local community of Gotham City.  Whatever the time period or the political unrest or social upheaval of the various eras, ever since Bob Kane and Bill Finger first created him in 1939 for Detective Comics, Batman has remained the only stable and steady force of goodness and heroism. More importantly, he has always been there if you needed him.

As our society continued changing over the years, so did Batman.  From his outfit, to his colors, to his gadgetry, up to his technology and vehicles, Batman has been analogues to the changes in the world around him. Still, Batman has continued to remain in America’s lives like a living and breathing sentinel, sent to protect, stand up and keep watch over the lives of the citizens of Gotham and the world.

Batman is more than just another superhero, “Batman has become an icon to understand the changes in American society through its portrayal of the justice system and social values, also creating a historical context to his mythos.” (Kendrick). A myth of something or someone will only hold value if there is a meaning behind it, though the meaning can be achievable through the structure. Myths are structured in conditions of binary oppositions and when the world is split into restricted groups, the meaning is then created.

John Storey explains that the function of structuralism, “is to make explicit the rules and conventions (the structure) that govern the production of meaning (acts of parole).” (119). Essentially, structuralism in terms to myths, means that they can only be true or hold real meaning if the myth is proven to have value through social, cultural and historical context. Levi-Strauss argues, “that all myths have a similar socio-cultural function within society. That is, the purpose of myth is to make the world explicable, to magically resolve its problems and contradictions.” (Storey 120).

To truly look into the meaning of the myth of the Batman, we will focus our study on four of the men who donned the costume of the masked vigilante.           

Will Wright went on to use Levi-Strauss’s structuralist methodology to examine Hollywood Western movies and he believes that a lot of the narrative power of the Western films are obtained from its structure of binary oppositions. Though, Wright differs from Levi Strauss in that his theory, “is not to reveal a mental structure but to show how the myths of a society, through their structure, communicate a conceptual order to the members of that society.” (Storey 120). Still both men could not come to an agreement since, “while Levi-Strauss’s primary concern is the structure of the human mind, Wright’s focus is on the way the Western ‘presents a symbolically simple but remarkably deep conceptualization of American social beliefs.’” (Storey 120).

In essence, the structuralism in the Batman movies are very similar to those in Westerns, as they both tie in various and often times conflicting representations of societal values as reflected by the way their lead actor is able to portray their particular role. Therefore, we will discuss both the social and cultural context of the portrayal and character of the Batman, with a focus on the actors, Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale and Ben Affleck, as well as drawing upon the parallels between Batman and certain iconic and famous Western film characters.

In the end, the synergy of the two types of characters, whether they are superheroes or cowboys, will demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, how they can impact a film based on how they choose to portray a character within the reference of the society they derive from.

In the mid to late 1950s, the Pop Art Movement exploded into the British and American cultures, “Pop reveled in cartoonish characters, cheap industrial tools, gimmicky special effects, a flattened-out and exaggerated use of colour, repetitious imagery, and factory-like production.” (Brooker 181).

By the time the 1960s rolled around, American society and art was immersed in a brassy stylishness dashed with vibrant, bright colors. When television producer William Dozier was eventually approached about taking on the new Batman television series, he was all aboard with keeping the Pop Art Movement continuing in full force and effect. In a stroke of genius that mirrored the age, Dozier created a unique, multi-colored show filled with live action and special effects that included both comic and cartoon art such as the “POW” and other comic action devices.

To round out his vision, Dozier was able to find the perfect leading man in the actor Adam West, who fully embraced his new role for both the television series that ran from 1966-1968 and in the Batman character’s first full length theatrical film in 1966.

Adam West’s Batman became the new poster boy for the “campy” culture that involved high fashion and the use of brilliant colors.  Even his car – the Batmobile, was sleek and curved similar to the famous muscle cars of the era. As one reviewer of the show said, “the pop art fad . . . made Batman almost flop proof.” (Brooker 194).  Writer David Gardner agreed, “Holy smokes, Batman – it’s Adam West! Whether you’re a fan of the ‘60s TV series or not, it’s impossible to argue that West’s campy take on the superhero didn’t leave a mark on American culture.” (Gardner 18).

The Batsuit West wore for the series and film even strayed from the traditional dark colors, as it was now light gray and purple with a bright thick yellow belt and adorned with a yellow ellipsed bat emblem to embrace the times. Immediately and forever more, Adam West became viewed as the loveable and likeable hero, with no apparent psychological undertones, that both the public and police embraced, similar to Gary Cooper’s character in High Noon (1952).

The film High Noon was produced by Stanley Kramer and directed by Fred Zinnemann, and it focused on a man named Will Kane, a marshal of a small New Mexico town who stands strong alone while the townspeople around him refuse to help. (Fontana). Like Gary Cooper, Adam West was a tall impressive, but also a likeable hero, whose very presence bled both respect and intimidation to the others.

After Adam West’s rise as the Caped Crusader ended, the Batman film industry hit a dry spell for over two decades. Then in 1989, Batman premiered, directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton as the Batman and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. After the long period off, the creative team decided they had to go back to the dark and lonely roots of superhero. One way they decided to get back to the roots, was by establishing Bruce Wayne’s back story of growing up as an orphan after watching his beloved parents get murdered by Jack Napier, who later turns into the Joker. This leads to Michael Keaton taking on the role of the vengeful hero who seeks revenge, and in fact, becomes the first Batman to deliberately kill and actually remained as the only till our latest in Ben Affleck’s portrayal of the Bat.

In Keaton’s Batman’s case, his outfit was pure black with the exception of the yellow utility belt and the yellow background around the black bat symbol. In essence, it was a darker and more rigid costume than Adam West’s Batman and it was also replete with built in armor and rubber costume material. The rigid suit was similar to the rigid times during the Reagan era America where no one took a backward step and the country, after the malaise of the Vietnam War era, came back onto the world stage with a vengeance – so did its Batman.

The 1980s was also the height of the era of the Cold War,  that revolved around two nations – the United States and the Soviet Union, waiting to push the button to begin the descent into nuclear Armageddon. Though there was no visible war going on, the society was still aware of what was happening in places they could not see. It was similar to Keaton’s style of attack as Batman, hitting the sewers at the darkest of night, and seeking out the creatures that murked below.

In a way, Keaton’s Batman was similar to the avenging and solitary character the actor Clint Eastwood’s portrayed in the film, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), as they both embraced the role of the vengeful hero after personally witnessing brutal murders in their immediate family. In Keaton’s Batman’s case it was against criminals in general and the Joker, played by actor jack Nicholson, in particular; while Eastwood’s Josey Wales went after the red-legged Union soldiers and its leaders who massacred his family.

Like the Joker in Adam West’s time, Nicolson’s Joker was also mean, but his meanness never had the edge that was displayed later by Heath ledger. Though still a killer, referring to himself as “the world’s first fully functioning homicidal artist,” (IMDB). Nicholson’s meanest remark in the film was “You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” His Joker was also funny, smart, and shrewd compared to Ledger, whose Joker was mentally and emotionally unbalanced.

Also replete with the times, the mood was dark, but the colors and costumes, like the clothes and fashion of the 1980’s were colorful and garish and the women were sleek and sexy, like the famous singers of the time like Linda Ronstadt, Pat Benatar, and Stevie Nicks.

Though one major theme of the 1980s came after the premiere of the Batman; that was the skyrocketing of the Batman brand as a whole after the film became so immensely popular. So huge was this film that nearly every one who viewed it entered the movie theaters wearing shirts featuring a bat symbol. After the sequel, Batman Returns in 1992, director Tim Burton decided to not continue with the superhero series and Michael Keaton hung up his cape, as they watched the next two Batman films become one flop after another.

Christopher Nolan felt that it was his turn to revamp, not just the Batman movies, but superhero movies as a whole when he became the director for Batman Begins that premiered in 2005. Nolan would go on to make two more Batman movies, The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), subsequently referred to as the Dark Knight Trilogy. Christian Bale became the new Prince of Gotham for all three films and The Dark Knight Trilogy is now the gold standard of superhero cinema.

The Trilogy took on a whole new meaning when thinking about displaying realism in a movie. In the films, Nolan and Bale brought a new significance to the role of Batman, exploring the social and cultural concerns of the post 9/11 world and the fight against terrorism, “Nolan’s trilogy, particularly The Dark Knight, is on one level about how far it is moral to go when fighting a ‘war on terror.’” (Tranter). Though the focus will be mainly on the second film, The Dark Knight, all three films expressed similar realism.

 “Batman Begins, displays an overt preoccupation with terrorism. From the use of fear as a weapon, to the plot to destroy Gotham’s most iconic skyscraper, the film allegorizes 9/11 in a way that is jarring in its bluntness.” (Feblowitz). Strong symbolism was even used on a promotional poster for The Dark Knight, “This imagery is hauntingly familiar. The flaming wing-shaped hole in the side of the building, the smoke-darkened sky, and flaming debris all conjure up painful memories. ‘Welcome to a World Without Rules,’ the caption reads dramatically.” (Feblowitz). Christian Bale’s Batman literally and figuratively took on the war against terrorism. The realism of the film truly peaked though, anytime the late Heath Ledger stepped onto the screen, for arguably the best portrayal of a villain or character in any film.  In his role as the Joker Ledger revolutionized the super hero villain.

Heath Ledger’s Joker truly embodied what it meant to bring fear and terror to a city. The Joker’s plan in the film to bring down the city of Gotham was simple, “Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos.” (IMDB). Joker further explains that once social structures are brought down, everything else will then crumble. In effect, Ledger’s Joker represented the greatest forms of evil that takes place in our society and culture. As Alfred put it, “some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” (IMDB). Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker became a reality of our darkest fears, a man with no morals and his only goal in mind blowing, mass destruction.

Bale’s portrayal of Batman was also complex due to the realism shown in the movies. He was the brooding hero, depicted as a villain to both the public and police. In The Dark Knight, Police Lieutenant Gordon described the Batman as, “the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we’ll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he’s not our hero. He’s a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.” (IMDB). With Gotham in ruins and its citizen’s growing disloyalty for their city’s masked man, Bale’s Batman saw no other option but to take on the terrorist attacks, in hopes of defending his city.

This depiction of the hero draws some parallels to the rag tag, but talented and seasoned group of fighters seen in the film, The Magnificent Seven, made in 1960 and remade in 2016. The film depicts a group of gunmen who were hired in hopes of defending a small village from a group of bandits. Though the men were initially unwelcomed by the other villagers, they held their ground and won back the land, defeating the bandits. More importantly, these men that assembled to fight were not your average choir boys or members of the cloth. Instead, they were a group of gun fighting and gun slinging heroes and killers determined to defend the land and the townspeople. Bale’s Batman and the shootists in The Magnificence Seven showed similar moral character as their true hero inside comes out, as exemplified by their actions in helping and fighting for the disenfranchised and the underdogs. Christian Bale’s Batsuit for the Trilogy was an armored suit with the only real color coming from the bronze utility belt, while the rest of the costume was dark gray and black, making this the ideal suit for the hero known as the Dark Knight.

The theme of the fight against terror does not stop in regards to the most recent Batman films, but expands to the actual global effect of terrorism. Batman was only a reflection of the times he lived in.

Ben Affleck took on the role of the Batman in the latest films, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). The people of Gotham turn their heads to Affleck’s portrayal of the aging superhero, who after years of fighting villains and crime, is depicted as a broken down shell of the man and hero he used to be.  He is aging just as our society today is living older and lasting well beyond generations that preceded it. Batman, likewise, is seeing in America that, in addition to a human body aging and slowly fading away, common beliefs and intrinsic and moral values can also fade as well.

It is readily apparent just by looking at Affleck’s Batman, that the decades of battling bad guys and injustice has taken a toll on him. He is looking at America and the world, much like him, breaking down badly in both its values and culture; notwithstanding, the world still wants to rely on him to save the day. Almost sadly, Affleck’s Batman has realized that he cannot do it alone anymore, like back in his heyday, and that the world has gotten more complicated and significantly evil. In society now, there is no sense of respect and decency anymore. Respect has gone out the window and instead, everyone is looking out for themselves, leaving Batman alone to pick up the pieces, As he declares in the film, “We’ve seen what promises are worth. How many good guys are left? How many stayed that way?” (IMDB).

The Batsuit that Affleck’s Batman wears even displays the aging process with its almost canvas type looking material, and it is suited with more armor than we have seen in the past, indicating that this Batman needs more protection when fighting crime. The colors of the suit also show the worn out emotion of the man underneath, with its dull, faded gray coloring along with an even faded  black for the bat symbol, mask and cape.

John Wayne was a Western movie hero for over 30 years, and by the time he starred in the film, True Grit (1669) he had become the broken down, one eyed,  gun fighter of the aging U.S. Marshal Rueben “Rooster” Cogburn, in which he portrayed, with physical pains and limitations similar to that of Ben Affleck’s Batman. He also appears, like Batman, as a symbol of the Old West and culture that was disappearing swiftly and permanently from the landscape. Both him and Batman exist as  nothing but aging dinosaurs on the dawn of extinction.

In Batman v Superman and Justice League, the enemies are not only from within, like the common criminals in the Lex Luther’s, but they are also from outside of this world. This could be analogy of what the world is like now because of with the technology and the internet, villainy has extended beyond cities, beyond states, and beyond countries. It is like a world wide net capable of destruction and evil deeds. For instance, in society, terrorist groups have fully taken advantage of the world wide net to aid in their recruitment and extend their violent, criminal activities to cities around the globe. Unlike the Adam West days, when the crimes and villains were localized to Gotham city, the criminals now are global in character and realization.

Basically, the world and society today is lacking a hero. There are no heroes nowadays and no confidence in politics, pubic figures or politicians and, once again,  it takes the aging hero to come to the rescue the day again. “American audiences seem to want to watch movies in which gritty superheroes restore order, justice, and hope to imperiled societies. The resurgence of the campy superhero and waning of interest in superheroes will likely come again, but at this point, Americans may be too concerned about crime, terrorist attacks, and financial crises to begin laughing at such symbols of law, order, and justice.” (Bosch 51). It almost harkens back to the Simon and Garfunkel song, “Mrs. Robinson” referencing Joe DiMaggio because there were no more heroes. “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? A nation turns its lonely eyes to you … What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson, ‘Joltin Joe’ has left and gone away.” (AZLyrics). The songwriter has to transcend back to Joe DiMaggio because there are no more noble heroes left that could take his place. Similarly, as to Affleck’s Batman, society was forced to go back to the aging hero because there were no heroes left.  He is the last vestige of the last of the true heroes, who happens to be just a mere mortal, “He is a man whose parents were killed, who swore to fight a war on crime armed only with his intellect, his physical abilities and his financial resources. He is a superhero with no superpowers.” (Tranter). “Batman has always been a liminal character suspended between the human and the superhuman, social as well as psychological normalcy and deviance, dystopian social realism and the fantastic.” (Cortiel and Oehme 10).

Through this discussion, I believe that Batman does in fact live up to his myth. The myth of Batman does have meaning seen through the structuralism used in the Batman films and the portrayal of the character. Adam West, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck were able to represent social and cultural context through their portrayal of the character or the Batman, while also being able to make parallels between Western Movies and their main roles. Batman has been an icon of American culture for more almost eighty years, and what we have seen with the success of the character on the motion picture and television screens,  it will not be ending anytime soon.

“As a man, I’m flesh and blood, I can be ignored, I can be destroyed; but as a symbol…as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.” (IMDB).

Bibliography

Bosch, Brandon. “‘Why So Serious?’ Threat, Authoritarianism, and Depictions of Crime, Law, and Order in Batman Films.” Sociology Department, Faculty Publications, 4 Feb. 2016.

Brooker, Will. Batman Unmasked: Analyzing a Cultural Icon. Bloomsbury, 2000.

Brooker, Will. Hunting the Dark Knight: Tweny-First Century Batman. I.B. Tauris, 2012.

Feblowitz, Joshua. “ FEATURED ARTICLE: The Hero We Create: 9/11 & The Reinvention of Batman.” Inquiries, vol. 1, no. 12, 2009.

Fontana, David. HIGH NOON: Celebrating The Power Of Individual Fortitude.

Kendrick, Kiristen. “ Batman, Social Issues, and Justice .” Rollins, 19 Jan. 2015.

Kendrick, Kiristin. “Batman, Social Issues, and Justice .” Rollins, social.rollins.edu/wpsites/theworks/2015/01/19/batman-social-issues-and-justice-by-kiristin-kendrick/.

Storey, John. 2015. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. 7th edition. Essex, UK: Pearson.

The Best of BATMAN 50th Anniversary in Film and Televison. Harris Publications.

Tranter, Rhys. “Batman Unmasked: Analyzing A Cultural Icon.” RhysTranter, 13 Dec. 2016.

 

Memories of the legendary and great caped crusader Adam West 

When Adam West was a guest at the Superman Celebration he was one of the friendliest and warmest celebrities who ever appeared there. He was icon and a wonderful person and his legion fans have never forgotten him.

Superman Dean Cain, the volunteers of Metropolis, and The USA Boxing News  take flight during the annual Superman Celebration

 Story by Alexander J. Rinaldi and John Rinaldi

Photos by Janine Rinaldi, Juliann Rinaldi and Alex Rinaldi

If there ever is a great weekend of fun and festivities where a family can get the most of their fistful of dollars, it is at the annual Superman Celebration that is held the second weekend in Metropolis, Illinois.  It is a 4-day event where people can participate in wonderful activities, purchase super hero merchandise at reasonable prices, meet celebrities, and have a simply wonderful time.

The 2017 Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois,  was no exception as they celebrated the greatest super hero of all-time – Superman!

Superman is given a lot of space in our newspaper and website because it is the only super hero with major connections to boxing.  The favorite Superman actor of all-time, George Reeves, who portrayed “The Man of Steel” during the classic The Adventures of Superman  television series that aired from 1952 to 1958 with 104 spectacular episodes, was a former amateur boxing champion, who was also considered a prime light heavyweight professional prospect.  Due to the pleadings of his mother, he reluctantly traded in his gloves for the footlights, which turned out to be boxing’s loss, but the Superman fans’ gain. If one would watch the first two seasons of the series, where there was more physical violence, George Reeves threw his punches just like those of a well-trained fighter with his fists turned in as he blasted away at villains on the memorable TV series.

Another mighty boxing connection is Jack O’Halloran, who played Non, one of the trio of Kryptonian villains (along with  Terence Stamp (General Zod) and Sarah Douglas (Ursa) as the other two super villains), who terrorized the planet Earth and Superman in the classic Superman (1978) and Superman II (1981) films. Not only was O’Halloran part of the Kryptonian trio, who are not only the best villains to ever appear in a super hero film, he was a heavyweight contender during one of boxing’s golden ages in the 1970’s.

The USA Boxing News has been publishing his interview series in its newspaper with many more segments to come.  O’Halloran was not only a talented heavyweight, who would easily be a champion today, he is a terrific actor and a Superman icon.

Another Superman connection was in 1978, when DC Comics published the epic Superman vs. Muhammad Ali jumbo comic book. In the 72-page comic, Superman joined forces with heavyweight king Muhammad Ali to defeat a species of aliens called the Scrubb (on the cover of the comic they are referred to as The Star Warriors) from destroying Earth.  The story was by Dennis O’Neil and was adapted to the comic book by Neal Adams, who also did the pencil work, and the inking was completed by Terry Austin and Dick Giordano.  On the cover, many celebrities from 1978 are in attendance, such as President Jimmy Carter, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Woody Allen, and many others. Boxing promoter Don King and trainer Angelo Dundee are also prominently featured on the iconic cover.

The Ali-Superman comic was so popular and enduring, that it was re-released in various forms in 2010 and recent Superman vs. Muhammad Ali 7” scale figures by NECA are currently on the market.

The celebrities on hand at the 2017 Superman Celebration were Dean Cain, who played Superman in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman from 1993-1997, Sarah Douglas, one of the Kryptonian villains stated earlier, Margot Kidder, who portrayed Lois Lane in Superman, Superman II, Superman II and Superman IV from 1978 to 1987, and James Marsters, who portrayed Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, along with playing Brainiac/Milton Fine in the great Smallville series.

Cain was a legendary football star at Princeton University and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, but suffered a career-ending knee injury. The former Superman actor has always been a boxing fan, who told The USA Boxing News, “I always liked the sport of boxing and admire the great athletes who participate in it. I may not have boxed myself, but I was sure in a lot of scrapes when I was younger, where I handled myself pretty well.”

Besides the celebrities on hand, who were a joy to meet, there were the activities, food stands, super hero merchandise booths and shops, and of course, the giant 15-foot Superman statue that stands in the town square.

Much credit must be given to the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce and the many volunteers led by Karla Ogle and her sister Lisa Gower. They are surely a pair of super sisters!

 Jim Hambrick is another looming figure for the Superman Celebration, who erected two unbelievable and fantastic museums in the town. The Super Museum (http://www.supermuseum.com) is a wonderful place to see various Superman props, merchandise, photos, posters, video games and original screen-worn costumes from the 1930’s to the present day. Reasonably priced, a visitor can spend hours fascinated by all the items on display.

If that museum were not enough, the enterprising Jim Hambrick also owns the massive and expansive Americana Hollywood Museum (http://americanahollywood.com), which  not only has Superman memorabilia, but also items such as The Lost and Space robot, the Batboat and Batshield from the Batman series,  the shoes worn by Boris Karloff in the classic 1931 Frankenstein film, original Elvis Presley outfits, Superman toys, and tons more to see. It is another museum where the patron can walk through the various rooms and spend hours of enjoyment with all the rare artifacts on display.  Is is a marvelous museum for the film, entertainment and toy enthusiasts.

Both the Super Museum and American Museum have an admission price of only $5.00, which is unheard of in today’s world of high-priced museums. They are both well worth the look and time.

The activities at the 2017 Superman Celebration began on Thursday with the very popular Superman Road Race held at the Fort Massac State Park. It is a mostly flat, 2-mile walk and 4-mile running race, which goes along the Ohio River and through the streets of Metropolis,  Afterwards, there is an awards ceremony and raffles are held.  Each runner receives a colorful Superman shirt and towel and portions of the proceeds go to charity.  It is fun experience and a great event to start off the Superman Celebration Weekend.

On that same day, there is the Annual Superman Friends Super Bowling and later Superman films are played under the stars in the town square.

Friday is the day the the population of fans begin to rise and the celebrities start to meet the throng and later participate in a Q&A panel with the crowd.  Events of note were various Superman Meet and Greets held by Superman web sites, a Superman Radio Show that featured live actors and sound effects, films of George Reeves played at the Baymont Theater, Muley and Friends Puppet Show, DC vs. Marvel Tug of War, Super Cruise-In Classic Car Show, USA Championship Wrestling, Kids Super Hero Costume Contest,  and a restored International version of Superman – The Movie on view at the town’s Baymont Theater.

Another highlight included the Lemon Lane eating contest at the Man of Steel tent that featured home-made lemon pies and was hosted by Karla Ogle. Each participant received a free super hero apron, along with a mouthful of wonderful pie!

Another big event of the day was sponsored by The USA Boxing News and it is the popular Superman Trivia Game hosted by the Rinaldi Family. It is based on the Jeopardy Game, but in this instance, the audience are also asked questions, where there is a series of Superman questions, Smallville questions and questions aimed at the kids.  Hundreds of prizes, such as t-shirts, toys, backpacks, earphones, hats, capes, bags and other awards are given out at each game.

The Superman Trivia Game is hosted by the Hall of Fame editors of The USA Boxing News – John and Alex Rinaldi. Smallville questions were given by Janine Rinaldi, Kids questions were presented by Juliann Rinaldi, and Alexander Rinaldi handled the management of prizes and threw out Superman Jeopardy footballs to the delighted audience. Questions in the past have also been handled by Joseph Rinaldi and Ron John Rinaldi.

In the first game at 12:00 PM, the contestants on stage were John Ray Perez, of Linton, IN, Zach Curtis, of Columbus, OH, Chris Brockow, of Medord, NJ, Kaman Stowell, of Cleveland, OH, Mackenzie Howell, of Cleveland, OH, and Daniel Layne, of Paragould, AR. Sheri Jewell, of Benton, OH, was the scorekeeper and Melody Morse, of Murray City, OH, was in charge of crossing out the categories when a question was asked.

The categories on the Superman Jeopardy board were: SMALLVILLE, SUPERMAN ON TELEVISION, SUPERMAN I, II, III AND IV, 21^st CENTURY SUPERMAN MOVIES, SUPERGIRL AND SUPERMAN POTPOURRI.

The Metro Tent was packed to near capacity as Kaman Stowell pulled off an exciting victory.

Saturday was the day that Dean Cain and James Marsters appeared to greet the fans and participate in the popular Q&A sessions before a packed audience.

Other fun Saturday activities featured the Superman Classic Push/Pull Competition, Super Silly Games, Kiwanis Superman Trek Bike Ride, Washer Pitching Tournament, Artists’ Alley & Writers’ Way, Jason Lindsey with Hooked on Science, the Sonshine Amusements Rides, Color a Cape, Beautiful Baby Contest, Supergirl & Super boy Pageant and the Superdog Show.

The USA Boxing News’ second sponsored Superman Trivia took place at 2:00 PM and featured Daniel Layne, of Paragould, AR, Neil Cole, of Conway, SC, David Scheuer, of New York City, NY, Bill Roberts, of Indianapolis, IN, Chris Brockow, of Medford, NJ, and Dale Rehm, of Madison WI. The scorekeeper was Helen Brockow, of Medford, NJ. 

As seen by the contestants and participants, the Superman Celebration attracts fans from all over the country, and from places all over the planet.

 In another thrilling game, where over 105 t-shirts alone were given to those in the audience, long-time contestant Daniel Layne pulled off an upset to capture the championship, holding off a tough challenge by former Superman Jeopardy champ Chris Brockow.   After years of playing, this was the first win by Daniel Layne, who won in a terrific battle of Superman knowledge!

The Saturday Superman Trivia Game hosted by John and Alex Rinaldi was packed to the rafters at the Metro Tent and, along with the Celebrity Q&A sessions, the Superman Trivia Game were the top  attractions of the Celebration in terms of the number of fans who attended the events.

During the evening there was the Save the Massac Benefit Auction hosted by Lisa Gower, the President of the organization, and other members of the Save the Massac Committee.  It is an important event because all of the items for the auction were donated and the entire funds went toward the renovation of a once proud theater that was built in 1938 with a total of 727 seats – 542 on the main floor and 185 in the balcony.  In the days before television, boxing events were  seen live at the venues and listened to over the radio.  The only other way to see the fights was later through the fight films that played in such town theaters as the Massac in Metropolis, IL.  From 1938 to the late 1950’s, movies of memorable championship battles, such as Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling II, Joe Louis vs. Tony Galento, Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn I, Rocky Marciano vs. Jersey Joe Walcott I and II, Rocky Marciano vs. Ezzard Charles I and II, Rocky Marciano vs. Don Cockell, Rocky Marciano vs. Roland LaStarza, Rocky Marciano vs. Archie Moore and plenty of other famous bouts were seen by boxing fans at the Massac Theater.  For those interested of helping restore the wonderful theater, go to the website: http://www.savethemassac.com. Any amount given towards the great cause goes 100% towards the project.  Everyone on the staff is a hardworking volunteer.  It is a worthy project to donate funds to.

Later that evening, Tim Gardner and Zach Curtis sponsored another Superman Auction event that drew a nice crowd and there were plenty of incredible items to bid on.

 On the wrap-up Sunday, the Rotary Club Super Car Show at Fort Massac State Park and the early opening of the Super Museum started up the final day of festivities. 

The Americana Hollywood Museum opened up later in the morning, a “Name That Movie” game was held at the Baymont Theater, and at noon there was a Kid’s Karaoke & Color Event.

At 12:30, Chris and Helen Brockow hosted the popular Stump the Superman Expert Game at the Metro Tent.  This event has been held over the past few years and attracts a big crowd. Prizes such as Stump The Superman t-shirts, Superman DVD movies, Superman books, and other prizes are handed out.

After that event, was the Parade of Characters along Market Street, the WMOK Super Mannequin Challenge at the Superman Statue area, the MSC Heroes and Villain Costume Contest at the Metro Tent, and the final event was the Superman Scavenger Hunt at the Smallville Tent.

Another fun thing at the Superman Celebration are all the people who stroll around the town square dressed in various super hero and super villain costumes.  They are always friendly and great to pose for photographs with.  The costumed characters are another special attraction during the fabulous Superman Celebration.

Next year will be the Celebration’s 40^th Anniversary and who knows what memorable events will be planned.

One thing that can be counted on is The USA Boxing News and its Superman Jeopardy (Trivia) Game. This publication looks forward to meeting the many readers who come up to the stage to greet us.

So next year, if you are looking for adventure, set your sights and take to skies (or the road) to attend the Annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois.

It is a super terrific time for people of all ages!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Superman Celebration June 8-11 – Metropolis, Illinois

Check out some examples of the fun below:

 

Celebrating 50 years since the original and iconic show was televised in 1966!

 

2016 Superman Celebration

Story by John and Alex Rinaldi

The 2016 Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois, opened on a somber note, due to the sad fact that 230 miles away in the city of Louisville, located in the neighboring state of Kentucky, the great Muhammad Ali was being laid to rest in his hometown.

As a tribute to Muhammad Ali, on display in the Super Museum owned by Jim Hambrick, nestled in the center of Metropolis, is the statuette of the epic battle between Superman “The Man of Steel” and Muhammad “The Greatest” Ali. The item is based on the famous 72-page, 1978 Superman vs. Muhammad Ali comic book that was penned from an original story by Dennis O’Neil, adapted by Neal Adams (who also did the pencils and figure inks) and background inks by Terry Austin. The story featured heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali being recruited by the Earth’s greatest hero Superman to save the world from an alien invasion.

Also exhibited at the Super Museum are plenty of items related to former amateur boxing champion George Reeves, who portrayed “The Last Son of Krypton” in the 1950’s television series The Adventures of Superman. Reeves’ Superman costume, Clark Kent suit, fedora, glasses and original set pieces from the iconic, groundbreaking series are on display for fans to enjoy. To make the Superman boxing connection even more complete, on the actual typewriter used by Clark Kent (George Reeves) in his Daily Planet office, sits a copy of The USA Boxing News showcasing Reeves’ career.

As usual, there was also an abundance of activities and fun events on hand to entertain the huge crowds that make a yearly pilgrimage to the banks of the Ohio River on the southernmost part of Illinois. One such activity on Saturday night was a charity auction to raise funds to restore Metropolis’ historic Massac Theatre, a 1930’s era art-deco theater that not only played memorable movies through the years, but also post-fight championship films featuring many classic Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano battles. In fact, On January 20, 1970, the Massac was one of 1500 theaters that premiered the one night-only viewing of the Rocky Marciano vs. Muhammad Ali computer fight that was shown in theaters in the United States, Canada and throughout Europe, grossing a whopping $5 million.

Lisa Gower, who heads the Save the Massac Benefit, said that the auction earned $3,068.64. It is a great cause and The USA Boxing News was more than happy to donate some items to help raise funds to renovate a bygone era building that hopes to entertain a new generation of movie and theater goers well into the 21st Century.

There were similarly a plethora of fun events for people of all ages such as The Superman Radio Show, illusionist Morgan Strebler, Superman Homepage Meet & Greet, Superman Supersite Meet & Greet, Kids Superhero Costume Contest, Super Silly Games, Comics Workshop with Josh Elder, Superman Road Race, Superman Film Festival, Super Friends Bowling, Kiwanis Superman Trek Bike Ride, Jason Lindsey Hooked on Science, Super Cruise-In Classic Car Show, Freestyle BMX Bike Show, Superman vs. Batman Tug of War, Artists Alley and Puppet Making with Kevin Williams and Muley, among the many other events in store for visitors and Superman enthusiasts.

In addition to the other events, The USA Boxing News each year sponsors a Superman Trivia (Jeopardy) Game, which is performed on Friday and Saturday afternoon to packed houses. Hosted by the editors of The USA Boxing News, John and Alex Rinaldi, trivia questions are given out not only to the contestants onstage, but also to the audience in attendance. If that is not enough, at the end of the second game on Saturday, prizes are also given out to anyone who did not win during the Friday and Saturday games. Just like the fourteen previous years, this year featured plenty of fun and high drama as Patrick James O’Neil surprisingly edged out perennial champion Chris Brockow in both games to become once again a Superman Trivia Champion! With the pair of victories in both 2015 and 2016, O’Neil is now a 4-straight Superman Trivia Champion and is without question the man to beat in 2017. So fans and future contestants, be on the lookout for him next year!

One of the Superman Trivia contestants and former champion, Zach Curtis, hosted a Superman Collectibles Meet and Greet, which he followed up with a fascinating auction of his own. Zach’s Superman Collectibles can also be followed on FACEBOOK.

Longtime Superman Celebration head Karla Ogle hosted the “Superhero Serial” Eating Contest, where contestants had their choice of either the Superman or Batman cereals. The event filled up the Man of Steel tent and produced a lot of laughs and thrills for both the participants and the audience. The first contestant to finish her/his large bowl of cereal was declared the champion. To the surprise of many of hand, the winner was none other than The USA Boxing News’ own Editor and Publisher, John Rinaldi!

On Sunday, June 12, the wonderful Superman Celebration concluded with the 30th Annual Metropolis Rotary Club Super Car Show, the USAA Arm Wrestling Tournament, the Parade of Superheroes and Super Villains, the MSC Heroes and Villain Costume Contest and the Superman Closing Ceremony.

Also on Sunday was another crowd favorite, the Stump the Superman Expert Game hosted by Chris and Helen Brockow. Once again, fans were able to test their Superman expertise to outsmart other knowledgeable Superman aficionados.

In Metropolis, other sights and places to visit besides the Super Museum are the fascinating Americana Hollywood Museum and Fort Massac.

Each year the Annual Superman Celebration gathers a large crowd of people from all points on the globe, who enjoy the events, games, attractions, food vendors, souvenir vendors, museums and celebrities. Unlike many attractions across the United States, the prices are either free or extremely affordable. Either way, a splendid and super time is guaranteed for all who attend.

Up, up and away to the 2017 Superman Celebration!

THE USA BOXING NEWS SPONSORS ITS 16TH ANNUAL SUPERMAN JEOPARDY  GAME IN METROPOLIS, ILLIONOIS DURING THE SUPERMAN CELEBRATION

 

 

THE ANNUAL SUPERMAN CELEBRATION AND ITS SUPER BOXING CONNECTION

George Reeves is honored – a man who traded in his boxing gloves for a red cape

Story by Joseph Rinaldi and Ron John Rinaldi

Photos by Janine, Alexander and Juliann Rinaldi

         METROPOLIS, IL. In times like today when families have to squeeze the most out of their hard earned dollars, especially for vacations, an event that always proves to be a mighty one is the annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois.

       And it is a celebration certainly worth going to.

Although everyone knows the almost biblical tale of the child from another planet who grows up to be a positively super-man among earthlings, many are not aware of the connection between The Man Of Steel and those who fight with fists of steel, namely boxing and boxers. Not surprisingly, Boxing and Superman have always shared a close historical relationship.

     Little do people realize that boxing plays an important part in Superman lore. When Max Schmeling was preparing for his fabled 1938 rematch with Joe Louis in 1938, Germany celebrated Schmeling as an “Aryan Superman.”

     When the great Rocky Marciano was an unbeatable heavyweight champion during the 1950’s, he was known as a “Superman” in the ring.

     Besides the metaphorical comparisons, former title challenger Buddy Baer actually appeared in an episode in the 1950’s classic television show, The Adventures of Superman, and former heavyweight boxing contender Jack “The Giant” O’Halloran, who fought such renowned heavyweights as George Foreman, Ron Lyle, Joe Bugner, Ken Norton, Cleveland Williams and Terry Daniels, appeared as the Kryptonian villain Non in two classic films, Superman The Movie and Superman II.

 

      An even more interesting connection is the comic book story where the legendary Muhammad Ali fought Superman in the famous late 1970’s comic book, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali: The Fight To Save Earth From the Star-Warriors.

     In fact, the greatest and most beloved actor yet to play Superman was actually a light-heavyweight fighter who boxed during his college years in the late 1930’s. This boxer was none other than the illustrious George Reeves.

       Reeves was born George Brewer Reeves in Woolstock, Iowa in 1914. His parents later divorced and his mother then married Frank Bessolo, who adopted George. The future “Man of Steel” soon took up the name George Bessolo and fought under the same name.

     In 1932, a Pasadena, California sportswriter named Mannie Pineta, who once sparred with Reeves, later said in Garry Grossman’s Superman Serial To Serial book, “George was the greatest ring prospect in 1932. His mother wouldn’t let him fight, because she was afraid that he’d get banged up and ruin his budding acting career.”

     Although George became a highly talented and gifted collegiate boxing champion, on account of his nose being badly broken in a fight, which was the seventh time it happened, George’s mother eventually begged him to leave the ring. The young man then took up acting, and changed his name back to George Reeves. Within a few short years, this strapping young actor appeared in 1939’s classic film Gone With The Wind.

     Twelve years later, Reeves would go from appearing in the biggest film of all-time to playing the biggest part ever in what was to be an iconic role in the soon to be legendary The Adventures of Superman television series.

       In 1951, George initially signed on to appear as “The Man of Steel” in Superman and the Mole Men. After the filming of the movie, George then began starring in the television show The Adventures of Superman from 1951 to 1957. If one looks closely at the series, especially the Season One episodes, Reeves’ Superman throws punches just like that of a prizefighter.

     In 1959, with the popularity of the show still mounting, George was contracted to film an additional season of 26 episodes as well as go on an exhibition tour with the then reigning light heavyweight champion Archie Moore. Sadly, he was murdered on June 16, 1959. Because of a reportedly corrupt at the time Los Angeles Police Department, his death was wrongly ruled a suicide to shield the real killers, who were either one of the three suspects: (1) his current girlfriend, who had a history of violence, (2)his former girlfriend, who was still infatuated with him, or (3) his former girlfriend’s big shot Hollywood executive husband, who apparently had major underworld and police connections.

     Regardless of who the murderer was, George Reeves cruelly met an untimely and tragic death at age 45.

       But, though everyone dies, only few survive in the hearts and minds of others long after their death. These are the legends, the icons, the bigger than life characters, celebrities or historical figures who somehow manage to develop a post-life, a shelf-life, a cult existence, so to speak, well beyond what was ever imagined or expected.

     Thankfully, in Metropolis, Reeves’ memory still lives vividly on as his costumes and memorabilia are on display at the Super Museum run by the world renowned super collector Jim Hambrick.

     Each year the town of Metropolis, which also has a colorful 15 ft. statue of Superman standing directly in the town square, honors the most famous super hero of them all – Superman!

    In addition to that, other attractions to see in the magical hamlet known as Metropolis is a life-size statue of Noel Neill, the popular actress who played Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman from 1953-1958, and the Americana Hollywood Museum, which is wonderful museum filled with priceless show biz memorabilia, including the robot from the legendary Lost in Space series, the shoes of the monster worn by Boris Karloff in the classic horror film Frankenstein, along with a plethora of other exciting exhibits. From Elvis, to Marylyn Monroe, to Harry Houdini, to John “The Duke” Wayne, celebrities and other icons almost magically come to life in this one of a kind museum.

      

It is widely and often said that “sometimes it takes a village,” and a village Metropolis certainly is. Still, the celebration stemmed from the brainchild of Jim Hambrick, who has the largest collection of Superman memorabilia in the entire world.  Beginning originally  as a traveling museum, Hambrick eventually took his storied collection with him and settled in Southern Illinois. Located on the border of Illinois and Kentucky, separated only by the Ohio River, Hambrick eventually staked down his flag in the Town of Metropolis. Starting with a permanent Super Museum then later with the Americana Hollywood Museum, the great collector finally found that special home to display not only his vast Superman collection, but also his other priceless and rare movie memorabilia along with various entertainment artifacts.

       The U.S.A. Boxing News is also honored in a display in the Super Museum that features the original furniture and props from the classic 1950’s TV show The Adventures of Superman. Other displays include the original costumes of iconic 1950’s Superman TV star George Reeves and Superman movie star Christopher Reeve, along with original items, costumes,  and props from Smallville, Superboy, Supergirl and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

       Besides Jim Hambrick, the other heroes of the celebration are Celebration Chairpersons Karla Ogle and Lisa Gower, along with the  entire Metropolis Tourism staff, featuring a crew of workers and volunteers who provide a wonderful time for all the visitors who attend from nearly forty states and countries are far off as Australia.

       In 2005, the editors of The USA Boxing News, John and Alex Rinaldi, were proudly awarded with the SUPERMAN OF METROPOLIS Award in recognition of superior achievement by the Metro-Chamber in the great city of Metropolis, home of Superman, and in the spirit of Superman, by helping to make the world a better place.

       In the following year, 2006, which was an exciting one for the Celebration with the release of the popular film Superman Returns, the Rinaldi Family (John, Alex, Janine, Ron John, Alexander, Juliann, and Joseph) achieved the highest honor by being awarded the George “Superman” Reeves Award, which is known simply as “The George” Award. The Award has the same size and look as the Academy Awards’ “Oscar” statuette. But instead of being just a bare, stark statuette, “The George” Award bears the likeness of George Reeves in his famous superman pose.

      

At the recent 2015 Superman Celebration, events included the Superman Road Race at Ft. Massac State Park, Super Fan Baseball Game, Puppetry for Television Workshop, “Fortress of Jellotude” Eating Contest hosted by Karla Ogle, Super City Crossfit Challenge, K9 Trick Dog Show, Kids Superhero Costume Contest, Costume Parade, Superman v. Batman Tug of War, USA Championship Wrestling with Jerry Lawlor, Superman Classic Push/Pull Competition, Superman Radio Show, Superman Supersite Meet and Greet, Superman Homepage Meet and Greet, Freestyle Connection BMX Bike Show, Superman Scavenger Hunt, Heroes and Villain Costume Contest, and the Stump the Superman Expert Game Show hosted by world-known Superman expert Chris Brockow and his wife Helen, along with many other fun activities.

    

Even the editors of The U.S.A. Boxing News join in the festivities as they annually present their highly anticipated and popular Superman Trivia Game both on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Hosted by John and Alex Rinaldi, along with assistance from their children Joseph, Ron John, Alexander, Juliann and Janine, the two performances score a knockout every year with the fans. This past year was doubly thrilling when contestant Patrick O’Neal became a 2-time Superman Trivia champion by capturing a pair of come-from-behind victories.

   

  Another fantastic part of the celebration is that there are many people walking along the street dressed up as a Super Heroes or well-known Villains. The Superman Celebration is the only place in the world where it is actually cool to walk around as a costumed hero. In a wholly memorable way, the Super Heroes also bring a sense of imagination to the festivities as the characters actually love posing with fans.

       Another popular attraction are the celebrity guests that visit and greet the fans. In the past former Superman actors Kirk Alyn from the Superman Serials in 1948 and 1950, Dean Cain from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman that ran from 1993-1997, and Brandon Routh from 2006’s Superman Returns (and who is now playing Atom Man in the CW’s Arrow and the upcoming Legends of Tomorrow show) have made their way to Metropolis to wow and excite the crowds.

       Besides the actors who played Superman, other guests in the past included such actors from the popular show Smallville as John Schneider (Jonathan Kent and also Bo Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard show), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Allison Mack (Chloe Sullivan), John Glover (Lionel Luthor), Cassidy Freeman (Tess Mercer), Justin Hartley (Oliver Queen/Green Arrow), Sam Witmer (Davis Bloome/Doomsday), Laura Vandervoort (Kara/Supergirl), Alessandro Juliani (Dr. Emile Hamilton and also Officer Sekowsky from 2013’s Man of Steel blockbuster film) and Alaina Huffman (Black Canary).

       There were also two actors who played the title character in the Superboy TV series that ran from 1988-1992, John Haymes Newton (Season 1) and Gerard Christopher (Seasons 2-4) who also made visits to the Annual Superman Celebration.

       Without a doubt, one of the best celebrities ever to appear, as well as  being a major fan favorite, was none other Adam West, who played the title character in the iconic Batman series that ruled the airwaves from 1966-1968. West was generous with his time, was friendly with the fans, and was an all-round wonderful man.

       The guests at the 2015 Celebration were Candice Patton (Iris West on The Flash TV program), Caity Lotz (Black Canary on the Arrow TV show), Diane Sherry Case (Lana Lang from Superman: The Movie), Stacy Haiduk (Lana Lang from the Superboy TV series), and John Shea (Lex Luthor from Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman TV show).

       The Superman Celebration is also the type of event where one could develop lifelong friendships. The Rinaldi Family can vouch for that.

     The celebration is hosted by the Metropolis Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the City of Metropolis and the Metropolis Area Tourism Commission.

     Like in the sport of boxing, all of the workers and volunteers of Metropolis are Champions in their own right. They make the early part of summer days – into Super Days, for the guests that arrive from all over the planet.

     So next year if you want to go somewhere for a long weekend and have a wonderful time, all you have to do is look up in the sky and fly out to Metropolis, Illinois for the 2016 Superman Celebration. A super time is guaranteed for all!

Information concerning  the Superman Celebration can be obtained from the following website:  http://www.supermancelebration.net

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MUHAMMAD ALI  V.  SUPERMAN

The Comic Book Fight of the Century

By John and Alex Rinaldi

       In 1978, DC Comics rocked the sports and comic book worlds when it published an oversized comic book featuring the popular and iconic heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali facing the mightiest of super heroes – the one and only Superman – in a fight to save the Earth from the Star-Warriors called the Scrubb.  Written by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams and drawn by Adams, Dick Giordano and Terry Austin, the story and likeness not only had to be approved by DC Comics, but also by Muhammad Ali and the Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad.  Besides the story involving the fantastic pairing of Muhammad Ali and Superman, is the cover artwork that makes the issue so memorable and such a big collector’s item to this day.

Taking a page out of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band record album, the Ali vs. Superman comic features on its cover and back page, comic likenesses of giants in the entertainment and sports arenas, as well as those in the comic book and super hero worlds. Even U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford were prominent at ringside for the battle. Some of the more notable personalities were The Beatles, Cher, Johnny Carson, The Jackson Five, Ron Howard, Noel Neil, Jack Larson, Donny and Marie Osmond, Christopher Reeve, Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Woody Allen, John Wayne, Lucille Ball and Dick Clark, to name just a few. Besides that, there were sports celebrities such as Pele and Joe Namath, and even the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster.  Not to be satisfied with real-life people, the cover also includes some legendary super heroes in their secret identity forms, such as Barry Allen (Flash), Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) and Ray Palmer (Atom). Batman and Plastic Man were also ringside, as well as Mad Magazine’s cover boy Alfred E. Neuman. To promote the Ali vs. Superman comic, DC had ads looking like actual fight posters in their line of comic books ballyhooing the upcoming comic superfight.  The Comic begins with the aliens Scrubb, from the Planet Bodace, threatening to destroy the planet Earth unless it sends its greatest fighter to face Bodace’s champion Hun‘Ya. 

Since it is without question that Superman and Ali are the planet’s most famous fighters, they both agree to a boxing match to determine who gets the honor of fighting Hun’Ya. The only problem for Superman is that he and Ali have to fight on the planet Bodace, which is near the red sun. This in effect diminishes Superman’s powers, thereby making Ali the more complete and compelling fighter when all things are equal.  The story features thrills, an action-packed narrative, and surprises. It is not everyday that “The Greatest” faces off in the squared ring against Krypton’s “Man of Steel” with the whole world watching.   It was so popular that the comic was later re-released in 2010. It is just another example of Superman’s connection to the sport of boxing.

 

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