On my recent visit to Metropolis, Illinois for the 2018 Superman Celebration I asked a few people if they were aware of anything strange about the huge billboard that’s been a part of the local landscape for quite a few years. Seems nobody had noticed anything strange…
If you’ve visited Metropolis, Illinois to see the giant Superman statue or to attend the annual 4-day Superman Celebration, then you’ve probably driven past the giant billboard on your way. Maybe you’ve even pulled over to the side of the road to take your photo in front of the billboard.
The sign reads: The Massac County Chamber of Commerce Welcomes You to Metropolis. “Home of Superman”.
Along with a star showing you the location of Metropolis in the state of Illinois, the billboard has a very familiar image of Superman in flight. But there’s something not quite right about the picture.
The image is a familiar one to many Superman fans, as it comes from the very famous wrap-around cover, drawn by Neal Adams, from the 100 page Super Spectacular issue of “Superman #252” dated June 1972.
If you take a closer look at both the billboard in Metropolis and the full cover to “Superman #252”, you soon notice there’s something not quite right about Superman’s cape on the billboard.
Yep, Hawkman’s wing has somehow been included as part of Superman’s cape. The artist responsible for the design of the billboard in Metropolis incorrectly traced around the feathered wings of Hawkman, who is flying below Superman on the cover to “Superman #252”, and incorporated them into the image that was included on the famous billboard in Metropolis, Illinois.
Now you know…
Whoa… Hawkman’s wing was accidentally left in? How did that not get noticed by the finalists is beyond anyone’s comprehension. ;p
And now you’ll never not see it…
It’s even more interesting than that… It’s a plane! It’s Superman! It’s a bird!
Well, maybe there is no plane there, but look at the negative space between Illinois and Superman — am I the only one who sees a bird there? Its tail is by Superman’s boots, its head is between the bottom of Superman’s cape and his leg, and one wing is visible between Superman’s original cape and what was originally Hawkman’s wing.