2003 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives
June 13, 2003: Super Fans Fly to Metropolis
Published by News Limited.SUPERMAN fan Steve Younis lives in Australia, but the US town of Metropolis is the only place he wants to be this weekend.
The courthouse sits next to a 4.5m bronze statue of Superman.
The Illinois town of 6800 is hosting its annual Superman Festival, a time for mingling, memorabilia trading and games for Superman fans the world over.
Metropolis, a 164-year-old town near Illinois' border with Kentucky, has no real connection to the comic book hero, aside from the happy accident of sharing the name of the character's fictitious home city.
But that does not bother Younis, who travelled from Sydney for the event. To him, it's a near-sacred pilgrimage.
Metropolis "is a mecca for Superman fans", Younis, who hosts a website for Superman fans, said today. "We've got to get here at least once."
At first glance, there's little to distinguish the town along the Ohio River from any of the others in rural southern Illinois. It has a town square, complete with a courthouse, and could always use more business to provide more jobs.
But it doesn't take long for visitors to see something's different.
The courthouse sits next to a 4.5m bronze statue of Superman, and is across the street from the storefront Superman Museum. The offices of the local newspaper, The Metropolis Planet, are not far away.
Organisers started hosting the festival in 1978, on the tail of the first popular Superman movie.
They had convinced the Illinois Legislature in 1972 to declare Metropolis Superman's official hometown, hoping the declaration would spur tourism in the poorest part of the state.
"It's the only city in America with the Metropolis name," said David Olsen of Atlanta, who has attended the festival for eight years. "Anyone who's a true Superman fan knows they have to come here," he said.
In "good" years, about 25,000 have attended the festival, said organiser Becky Lambert. In a light year, about 15,000 would come, she said.
This year, fans will be treated to the usual collection of carnival rides, children's games, food booths and a memorabilia auction, besides a visit by Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in the 1953 television series, The Adventures of Superman, Lambert said.
The Associated Press
2003 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News
Listed below are all the Merchandise & Miscellaneous News items archived for 2003.- January 10, 2003: Smallville Soundtrack Cover Revealed
- January 11, 2003: New Justice League and SuperFriends DVD Covers
- February 2, 2003: Dynamic Forces Celebrates 10th Anniversary With QVC UK!
- February 5, 2003: New Superman Action Figures
- February 5, 2003: New Superman & Supergirl Shoes!
- February 17, 2003: Hear the Smallville Soundtrack Online
- March 1, 2003: Superman Returns to the GameCube and GBA
- March 6, 2003: Justice League and Smallville Trading Card News
- March 20, 2003: DC Direct Superman Action Figures Sold Out!
- March 28, 2003: New Superman Ride Opens in Texas!
- April 3, 2003: DC Comics Superhero Month Sweepstakes
- April 13, 2003: Pre-Order a Signed Copy of Noel Neill's Book
- April 15, 2003: Justice League at Burger King
- April 23, 2003: Justice League Team Up With Sargento Snacks
- May 5, 2003: EA Wins Superman Rights
- May 5, 2003: SupermanWoman Stage Play
- May 5, 2003: Superman Returns to Cleveland for Fundraiser
- May 7, 2003: Sweden Blocks Idea to Name Baby Superman
- May 14, 2003: Superman - The Stupidest Superhero?
- May 15, 2003: Superman Fundraiser a Success!
- May 22, 2003: Mythology by Alex Ross
- May 25, 2003: Bob Holiday to Perform at Superman Festival
- June 12, 2003: Superman fans visit Metropolis for annual festival
- June 13, 2003: Super Fans Fly to Metropolis
- June 17 2003: Holy Kryptonite - there's life after comics
- June 24, 2003: Countdown to Wednesday Comic Book DVD
- June 24, 2003: Cool Collecting's Second Annual Superman Celebration
- June 26, 2003: Hawaii Superman Convention Announced
- July 3, 2003: The Texas Superhero & Villain Collectors Show
- July 8, 2003: Win a Dynamic Forces Shopping Spree!
- July 9, 2003: Ohio Historical Superman Marker
- July 9, 2003: Dynamic Forces and QVCUK Heat Up the Summer!
- July 11, 2003: Midway Announces Next Generation Console Justice League Game
- July 21, 2003: Oprah Defeats Superman
- August 1, 2003: Curse of Superman... Radio Interview
- August 2, 2003: Australian McDonalds Super Heroes McHappy Meals
- August 4, 2003: New Superman Watch from Fossil
- August 19, 2003: No Superheroes in Melbourne
- August 27, 2003: Steve Younis in Superman: Metropolis #7?
- August 29, 2003: Texas Superhero & Sci-Fi Collectors Show
- September 13, 2003: Jay Morton, Coined Superman Motto
- September 17, 2003: Jim Lee at New York is Book Country 2003
- September 23, 2003: Ed McGuinness to do Animated Series
- September 25, 2003: Super Museum Featured on Discovery Channel
- October 2, 2003: Jollibee Justice League Toys in the Philippines
- October 27, 2003: Superman Watch Auction to Benefit CRPF
- October 31, 2003: Have a Super Halloween!
- November 1, 2003: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUPERMAN HOMEPAGE!!!
- November 2, 2003: Online Kids Comics at AOL
- November 9, 2003: Monogram Lands DC Bobblehead Deal
- November 12, 2003: Justice League: Chronicles on Game Boy Advance
- November 25, 2003: Fossil Release New Superman Phone Booth Watch
- December 18, 2003: WizKids Announces DC HeroClix Second Expansion
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