Cleveland Trip #14: Visiting Joe Shuster, Superman Artist Boyhood Home

 In a previous blog, I took you to the boyhood home of Superman Co-creator and writer Jerry Siegel. In today's blog, I visited his friend Joe Shuster's boyhood home. Joe was the guy who illustrated Superman from his creation with Jerry, and for decades. Here's the story:

ABOUT JOE - Joe Shuster was best friends with neighborhood buddy and high school classmate Jerry Siegel. When Jerry concocted the idea of Superman in 1932, it was Joe who drew him. 

(Photos: Reproductions of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, surround the empty lot where Joe Shuster's boyhood apartment stood in the 1930s). 

THE LOCATION -  The apartment house where the Shuster family lived is now a vacant lot, but the fence around it has been hung with 2x3-foot metal panels that reproduce the cover and first 13 pages of Action Comics #1, the first Superman story, which was published on April 18, 1938.  The neighborhood isn't the safest area, but it is certainly worth the trip for any Superman fan. 

STREET SIGNS - The street signs for the neighborhood feature the Superman insignia and an honorary name paired with the actual name of each street. You can stand at the corner of Joe Shuster Lane and Lois Lane. (known as Amor Avenue and Parkwood Lane) 

After visiting Joe Shuster's former house site, I visited Comic Heaven - a great comic book store outside of Cleveland and spent several hours there!  I was in "Comic Heaven!" 

NEXT: Visiting with my friend Ryan

Cleveland Trip #13: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 You can't visit Cleveland, Ohio and not see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, so I visited. For about 20 years in a part-time basis, I was on the radio as either a DJ, broadcast meteorologist, doing news, or engineering. I also used to listen to the American Top 40 from the late 1970s to about 1998, so I am familiar with so many of the artists in the music industry.  Of course, 2022 was the perfect year for my visit because Dolly Parton was voted in (she's one of my all-time favorite singers/songwriters/entertainers). 

HIGHLIGHT TO ME - At the top level, there was a 25 minute film produced by Dick Clark productions with clips of countless musical artists who appeared on the American Bandstand Television show- that was the best!  

I also enjoyed seeing the displays of costumes, guitars, and other memorabilia of artists from Blondie to Heart, the Beatles, Elvis, Supremes, and countless others. Below are photos of Elvis' gold suit, Aretha Franklin's display, and those from the Go Go's, Herman's Hermits, Quiet Riot, the Beatles, David Bowie, Blondie, Prince, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" song/video jacket, a photo of Madonna at the entrance of the restrooms, and the 2022 inductees. 

It took about 2 1/2 hours to go through the 5 floors of the museum, and if you love music, you'll enjoy it, too! 

NEXT: Visiting Superman Co-Creator Artist Joe Shuster's House! 

Cleveland Trip #12: Franklin's Spirit visit & Giant Stamp Sculpture!

 Today's Cleveland blog is about 2 quirky things. One is a giant sculpture and the other is a sign from our dog Franklin in spirit.

THE FREE STAMP

WHAT'S THE STORY OF THE "FREE STAMP" ? - IN 1985, MAJOR OIL COMPANY Standard Oil of Ohio, aka “Sohio,” opened up the 45-floor Sohio Building in downtown Cleveland. At the height of 659 feet, the mundane corporate headquarters needed some color and distinctiveness to brighten it up, and Sohio CEO Alton Whitehouse had just the plan.

Whitehouse commissioned husband and wife sculptors Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen to design the world’s largest rubber stamp. The pair worked together for weeks to create a giant, 49-foot red stamp with the word “free” printed on the bottom.

The word “free” was chosen because the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument of Cleveland was located directly across the street from the Sohio Building, which honors soldiers from the Civil War and freedom from slavery.

WHO CREATED THE FREE STAMP SCULPTURE - Claes Oldenburg, the world-famous pop artist known in Cleveland for creating the beloved and controversial “Free Stamp” sculpture at Willard Park The aluminum and steel structure is 49 feet long, 28 feet high and weighs 70,000 pounds.

WHERE IS IT? - Willard Park is a public park in downtown Cleveland, in the U.S. state of Ohio. The park sits at the northwest corner of East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue, adjacent to Cleveland City Hall, and is within the boundaries of the Cleveland Mall historic district.

FRANKLIN'S SPIRIT VISIT- Our people and pets who have passed often find interesting ways to let us know they are around. One night, I met my friend Ryan for dinner. 

Right next to the restaurant was "Franklin Street" next to a Dog day care and I knew immediately that our Dachshund, Franklin (who passed in 2020) was letting me know that he is still very much around. It's all about recognizing the signs! 

(Photo: Franklin in May 2020) 

NEXT: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Cleveland Trip #11: Visited Home of Jerry Siegel - Superman Co-Creator / Lois Lane Model

In today's blog, I visited the boyhood home of Jerry Siegel, one of the two Superman co-creators. Although you can't go in the house because it's privately owned, they do have a Superman insignia and plaque outside of the house for fans. Today's blog is filled with photos and Superman history.

SPECIAL STREET NAME - Jerry Siegel was the writer and creator of Superman, while his friend Joe Shuster was the illustrator. Jerry grew up on Kimberely Street, and it has been given the additional name of "Jerry Siegel Lane." 

What happened to the Siegel home? 

Upon the sale of Jerry Siegel’s boyhood home on Kimberley Avenue in 1950, the family moved to University Heights. Over the decades, the house fell into disrepair and was sold again in 1983. When some dedicated comic aficionados and Clevelanders decided to recognize the achievements of Superman’s creators, they formed the Siegel & Shuster Society. As their first initiative, they raised funds to restore the Siegel home as the “Birthplace of Superman.” 

They also worked to create a permanent Superman display at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and campaigned to produce an Ohio license plate emblazed with the iconic “S” shield and the motto “Truth, Justice and the American Way.” These efforts helped promote Cleveland as Superman’s original home.

JERRY'S DESK & HIGH SCHOOL - The desk that Jerry Seigel used to write Superman stories is now on exhibit in the Cleveland Public Library. He purchased this desk in 1940 when he moved to University Heights, Ohio. He wrote hundreds of scripts on this desk for Superman comics and newspaper strips as well as his other character creations like the Spectre (another of my favorites), the Star Spangled Kid, Slam Bradley and Robotman. 

  His daughter, Laura Siegel Larson donated the desk to the Cleveland Public Library in 2017 where is on display. 

   At the Library, there's also a photo of the high school where he and his friend Joe Shushter went to high school. 

THE MODEL WHO BECAME "LOIS LANE"  - Jolan Kovacs was hired by Superman artist Joe Shuster to serve as a model for Lois Lane, Superman's girl friend (later wife). Joanne Siegel was an American model, who in the 1930s worked with Superman artist Joe Shuster as the model for Lois Lane, Superman's love interest. She later married Superman's co-creator Jerry Siegel and sued for restoration of her husband's authorship copyright in the Superman character.

  HOW IT HAPPENED -   In 1935, while still attending high school, she placed an advertisement in Cleveland's The Plain Dealer offering her services as a model.^[1] The ad stated: "Situation Wanted — Female ARTIST MODEL: No experience."^[2] Joe Shuster, who was working on a new comic character, Superman, responded to the ad. Prior to the modeling sessions, Shuster's co-creator, Jerry Siegel, had developed an idea for a journalist to be Superman's love interest, Lois Lane. Shuster hired her as a model for Lois, and his depiction of Lois was based on his drawings of her hairstyle and facial features. Interviewed in 1996 by The Plain Dealer, she recalled, "I remember the day I met Jerry in Joe's living room. Jerry was the model for Superman. He was standing there in a Superman-like pose. He said their character was going to fly through the air, and he leaped off the couch to demonstrate."

Cleveland Trip #10: Superman Exhibit at the Cleveland Library

 This is one of my favorite blog posts from my Cleveland adventure, because Superman is one of the main reasons I visited the city. Superman was created by two Cleveland area high school boys in the late 1930s. On my city tour, I learned about the exhibit in the library and it was awesome! There's a large statue of Superman on the second floor of the library that serves as a starting place. Today's blog has all the photos of the extensive exhibit!!

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT - The Cleveland Public Library has a huge Superman exhibit on the second floor. Exhibits feature memorabilia including art, movie and television posters, toys, comics and artifacts from the Mike Curtis Collection of Superman Memorabilia and other prominent collectors.

For more information, contact the Literature Department: 216-623-2881 or Literature@cpl.org

Who created the character of Superman?

Two young men in Cleveland, Jerry Siegel (1914-1996) and Joe Shuster (1914-1992), created Superman in 1933. Siegel and Shuster each lived with their Jewish immigrant parents in the working-class Glenville neighborhood in Cleveland. Siegel initially conceived of Superman, and Shuster brought the character to life through sketches, sometimes drawing his creations on brown wrapping paper or the back of wallpaper. The two friends drafted the first Superman comics in Siegel’s childhood home in Glenville. After struggling to promote Superman for several years, Siegel and Shuster sold the rights to DC Comics in 1938 for $130, an amount that would be equivalent to just over $2,000 in 2017.

SOME FAVORITE EXHIBITS- There was a copy of the cover of Action Comics #1 from June 1938, the debut of Superman. A poster of Henry Cavill urging kids to read (he played Superman in the Man of Steel and Justice League Films of the 2020s). 

There was a poster from the 1950s TV show pilot with George Reeves as Superman in "Superman and the Mole men." 

Cleveland Trip #9: Playhouse Square and What Halle Berry was Named After

 In today's blog about my short trip to Cleveland, you'll read what inspired actress Halle Berry's name and learn about Playhouse Square- One of the biggest areas of live shows outside of Broadway with one of the world's largest outdoor chandeliers! 

HALLE BERRY CONNECTION - My Cleveland city tour guide explained that actress Halle Berry was named after the department store in Cleveland! Halle Berry was born as Maria Halle Berry (and later switched first and middle names). Her parents selected her name after a local landmark, the grand old Halle Building that housed the Halle Brother Departmental Store, in the place of her birth, Cleveland, Ohio.  

ABOUT THE HALLE BUILDING - The Halle Building, formerly known as the Pope Building and after 2014 as The Residences at Halle, is an 11-story Chicago School mixed-use structure located in Downtown Cleveland 

WHAT IS PLAYHOUSE SQUARE? - Playhouse Square is a theater district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the largest performing arts center in the US outside of New York City. Constructed in a span of 19 months in the early 1920s, the theaters were subsequently closed down but were revived through a grassroots effort.

11 THEATRES TODAY  - Today Playhouse Square's 11 performance spaces include the Allen, Hanna, The Helen, Mimi Ohio, Outcalt, KeyBank State and Westfield Studio Theatres, as well as the Connor Palace, Kennedy's Cabaret, Upper Allen and U.S. Bank Plaza.

ONE OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST OUTDOOR CHANDELIERS - The chandelier hanging outside in Playhouse Square was a part of a revitalization for Cleveland's theater district. On May 2, 2014 Cleveland dedicated the 4,200 crystal light illuminated by 70 GE Infusion Modules. The 20-foot-tall structure is suspended 44-feet above the intersection of East 14th Street and Euclid Avenue.

NEXT: The Superman Exhibit at the Public Library!

Cleveland Trip #8: Cleveland Trust Now a High-End Grocery

One of the most interesting buildings on the tour of Cleveland is the former Cleveland Trust Company, now inhabited by a high-end grocery store. The building is stunning inside and outside. Today's blog will give you a look and some history.

ABOUT THE CLEVELAND TRUST - The Cleveland Trust Company Building is a 1907 building designed by George B. Post and located at the intersection of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland's Nine-Twelve District.

ABOUT THE ARCHITECT AND ARCHITECTURE - Renowned architect George B. Post, who also designed the New York Stock Exchange, won a contest for the opportunity to create the building. It was built in Beaux-Arts style with three stories of white granite facing. The building is a mix of Beaux-Arts, Neoclassical, and Renaissance Revival architectural styles. The building’s rotunda is the dominant feature with an eighty-five-foot dome ceiling. There are Tiffany-style glass panels and fluted columns as well as marble floors and walls. Artist Francis David Millett completed the thirteen murals that adorn the walls just below the dome.

OVER TIME - Years later, the bank hired architect Marcel Breuer to add two towers framing the rotunda; only one was built. The collapse of the real estate market in the 1980s substantially hurt the bank, then known as AmeriTrust and one of the biggest institutions in the country. Society Corporation bought out AmeriTrust in 1991 and the building later closed in 1996. It was empty for nearly twenty years.

In 2013, the building and adjacent tower were converted to a hotel and apartments. A Cleveland grocery-store chain turned the rotunda and an adjacent building into a 27,000-square-foot supermarket, which was completed and opened in 2015.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.