I’ve talked about the previous times I’ve attended the Superman Celebration ( in 2017 and 2018), and it was really exciting to finally head back to Metropolis this year after being away for so long. And – the weekend of Superman Day! So it was perfect.
You can watch a quick video of the trip here.
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I’m a collector, and I really love looking at the collections of others. That’s one of the many reasons I love to visit Metropolis, Illinois and see the massive collection of Superman stuff inside the Super Museum.
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The Saint Louis Science Center does a monthly, nerdy event every month called First Friday. As the name suggests, it’s the first Friday of each month, and each is themed differently. They offer a variety of activities, vendors for fandom merch, and occasionally special guests.
And best of all: it’s free to the public, as is parking. There are select ticketed events they warn, but I didn’t encounter any on this trip to know which to point out.
I cover a lot of cons, theme parks, events, etc. on this blog, but at the heart and soul of it all, Wandering NerdGirl is devoted to my passion for finding nerdy travel destinations. Ladies and gents, let me present to you one of those places – Who North America.
Who North America is one of those fantastic stories of a fan’s love developing into something incredible. Keith Bradbury started Who North America back in 1998, when Doctor Who merchandise was pretty limited in the U.S., and quickly grew into one of the largest sources to buy Doctor Who products in North America. In 2016, Who North America opened up a store people could visit. And to make it even more incredible to visit – half the store is a Doctor Who merchandise museum.
Yeah. The moment I read about it, I knew I had to go.
This weekend was sort of insane, in a very nerdy way. Which, I guess, is the best way, if you think about it.
Friday, I finally bought tickets for Six Flags this season and decided to make a quick trip up to ride Justice League, twice. And Sunday I saw Wonder Woman for a third time. But Saturday was probably the biggest part of the weekend: The Superman Celebration.
I’ve made my grumbles about long car rides (you can read about that more here). Honestly, after 1.5 hours, I’m completely done being in the car. So the 3ish hour journey to Metropolis, IL this weekend did NOT sound like a great time for me. But, the drive itself wasn’t terribly difficult, and 3ish hours isn’t SO bad, I guess.
I’ve been meaning to head to Metropolis for a while, now. While the big blue boy scout isn’t my favorite, I do love comic book history and nerdy travel destinations (obviously). I knew I couldn’t pass up a Super Museum in Metropolis. What better excuse to go, though, than during the Superman Celebration.
From the site: The Superman Celebration is an annual four-day festival sponsored by The Metropolis Chamber of Commerce and the City of Metropolis – The Official Home of Superman.
What started as a 1 day “Homecoming” for the local residents has now evolved into a 4-day celebration that attracts Superman Fans and families from around the world. 47 States and 6 different countries were represented at the 2016 Celebration. 2017 marks the 45th year that Metropolis, IL has been designated as the adopted “Home of Superman.”
The Celebration this year will be dedicated to the memory of Noel Neill, who portrayed Lois Lane in the Adventures of Superman television series. Neill, was a repeat guest to the Superman Celebration for many years and was even given the title “First Lady of Metropolis” when a statue of her portraying Lois Lane was revealed in her honor. Neill passed away in July of 2016.
Pretty awesome, right?
It was like a festival / con hybrid of awesome that I was not fully prepared for! Comics, guests, collectibles, food, cosplay, etc.
Guests included: Dean Cain, James Marsters, Margot Kidder, and Sarah Douglas. Plus Artist Alley guests like Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Ostrander, and Todd Aaron Smith.
But, of course, there was the big thing I’d wanted to come see: The Super Museum.
I plan to just touch on this, today. I was rushed for time while I was there, and forgot my camera for better pictures. So I plan to go back sometime soon with better planning.
As I said, I’m going back with my camera and more time, so I’ll do a proper post on it, then. BUT! This place was incredible! For a Superman fan, comic nerd, collector, history buff or even someone just casually interested. It’s just $5 to enter, and totally worth it.
My haul:
Keep in mind, I also stopped at Villainous Grounds on my way to Metropolis, and bought that Catwoman in the Walgreens in Metropolis haha.
Some Harley issues I decided to take along for Amanda and Jimmy to sign.
WAAAAAAY more exciting, was this print from Todd Aaron Smith, who worked on Batman the Animated Series. He was an animator for my Harley! This is definitely an amazing addition to my Harley collection.
Over all, the Superman Celebration was actually super fun. (Giggle) I plan to go next year with more money and a better game plan, because it was far better than I had anticipated it would be!
Did you attend the Superman Celebration? What did you think? Grab anything cool, or check out the museum? Let me know in the comments!
-Angel
As some of you may remember, during the summer, I had a short notice trip to the New York / New Jersey area. I was only going to be there for a few days, and didn’t have much wiggle room to do extra stuff. But I had one day I could spare to return to New York, and I happily made a nerdy itinerary for that day.
Among the things on my list: Star Wars and the Power of Costume at Discovery Times Square, where I could see screen used costumes from the movies.
Now, I took LOADS of pictures, because there were SO MANY COSTUMES. However, I think I’m just going to highlight some favorites. So, let’s begin!
You may or may not know this about me, but I actually started college as an Art Major. Yup. I had studio classes and left covered in a variety of random materials, took Art History classes that I devoured, took classes for Honors because spending countless hours on a project for class just wasn’t enough. So, you could say, I kinda dig art.
It makes me exceptionally happy that we have a wonderful art museum only an hour and a half(ish) from where I live. Good ol’ St Louis, having all the things and stuff. Well, a lot of things and stuff.
But ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved going. I’m grateful to my mother for starting my interest so young, so that I never once whined that it was “boring” – in fact, I whined to go to the Art Museum all the time!
From June 6th until September, the St. Louis Science Center held an exhibit called “Alien Worlds and Androids” – all about science fiction and science facts. I was pretty excited to go, because come on.. This is a nerdy dream exhibit!
Wandering NerdGirl 