Last year I went to the Superman Celebration, and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. So, of course, I immediately planned to return this year.
Batman v Superman
Superman Celebration 2017
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
Wonder Woman Day
This is the year Wonder Woman gets the respect she’s deserved. A solo movie, and now her own DAY?! YES!
While I thought Wonder Woman day was cool all on it’s own, I was more excited for two little girls:
Wonder Woman Day
Before the movie.
They’re out of school, and I took Friday off from work, so we caught an early showing of Wonder Woman on Friday (after I had my first, child-free viewing on Thursday haha) – and they LOVED it. Obviously, they come from a family of nerds, and their grandma is a HUGE Wonder Woman fan, so they were already familiar with Wondy. But they came out of that movie gushing about how amazing she was, and how they wanted to be just like her. So, it was well timed that the next day, they’d be heading to Wonder Woman Day events with their grandmother and I.
We picked Barnes and Noble over a shop because 1.) it was closer and 2.) we knew there were activities for the girls at Barnes and Noble, which we weren’t so sure about for shops. Either way, we grabbed our special Wonder Woman day freebies, did some coloring, and grabbed a few Wonder Woman things to bring home. My mom made a pretty decent haul:
I bought this pretty little lady for my desk at work:
Now, some spoiler free chat about the movie:
Last week was an AWFUL week for me, personally. By Thursday, I was sort of dreading the movie, just because I anticipated it would be ruined for me by the unending bad things going on. But I was completely taken into the film and given the escape I desperately needed, and came out feeling somewhat better despite the fact that everything was still a mess in my real world.
The movie left me with a reminder of my own strength, and a feeling of empowerment despite how helpless I’d felt before. Maybe it was the escaping, itself. Or maybe it was watching Gal Gadot kick major ass, or knowing how significant all of this was.
There were several times I caught myself smiling. Not because of something funny or sweet specifically happening, necessarily. But just the general enjoyment of what I was watching. It wasn’t just me loving it, though – it’s my mom’s new favorite movie, and my 6 and 7 year old nieces couldn’t look away. The 6 year old sat perfectly still, the entire time, her eyes wide.
When we left the theater, she told me she hopes to be as brave and kind and strong as Wonder Woman, some day. I wanted to cry. This is the role model my nieces, as well as other girls like them, have needed. Someone that they look to their morals and strength before mentioning their beauty. Someone that even I can look up to, though I’m closing in on 27.
To put it simply: Wonder Woman was… wonderful.
~Angel
On the Road: Bat Force Radio
Let’s get something out of the way, before I begin: Road trips are not my preferred means of travel. If I have to choose between 14+ hours in the car, or 3 hours on a plane… Hands down, I’d be choosing to wait in the TSA line with my shoes in a bucket and a boarding pass in hand. Roads trips, a good percent of the time, are quite miserable for me.
So, let’s start sharing some things I’ve found that can make the trips much easier, starting with one of my favorites. Whether it’s just an hour drive to St Louis, or 15+ hour journey to Orlando in a car full of people: I love listening to Bat Force Radio in the car.
Day Trip: Six Flags St Louis – 7/5/16
Tuesday we took our second trip to Six Flags St Louis of the year. Having a season pass this year has actually been pretty fantastic, and been a huge incentive to return to the park multiple times, after not going for years. Can’t beat free parking on top of that one time payment last year to go however much I want this year!
We started the day at my favorite ride – Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.
My little Super Heroes! Gotta raise ’em right, even if they’re just nieces.
From there, we rode an ABUNDANCE of water rides. The Log Flume, which was a first for me, we rode three times – twice down one path, once down the other. There’s a right side and a left side, and the path for each is a little different, with the end result the same – up a big hill, to drop down for a big splash.
We also rode Tidal Wave A LOT. This wasn’t my first time, however. It’s a very quick, simple ride. Get in the boat, go up the hill, round the corner, and then HUGE DROP. We had 5 people, and each row can handle up to four. I was the only person that rode EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. We mixed up the party a bit each time, so someone was always waiting with the bags that would be unavoidably SOAKED. But never me. I probably rode seven times in a row, at least. I didn’t have a dry spot left on my body. And that wasn’t including the times the girls and I waited on the bridge to get splashed by the other riders on their way down.
After Tidal Wave, we caved and bought refreshments. Those blue cups are around $22 and some change individually, slightly less if you buy more than one. We bought two at around $21 each. Which, I know, it sounds RIDICULOUS for a cup of soda. However, this particular cup includes free refills ALL SEASON LONG. And since most of their sodas were $4-$5 and non-refillable, I thought this was a pretty decent deal since I’m planning to return. And the first sip of nice, cold Coke on that insanely hot day COMPLETELY convinced me it was worth it. So, we filled our new cups and headed for the train ride. We looped back through the park to the same station we boarded at, then took the girls to ride some kiddie rides for a bit.
We hopped in line for one last ride on Battle for Metropolis, then headed into some shops, so my happy little collector heart could be satisfied.
I honestly cannot express how much I adore the amount of cool stuff they have available. While I couldn’t spend the amount I typically do when I’m there, I did buy myself some things:
Such as this super cool Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice shirt that I had my eye on the last time I was there. As well as…
A Harley Quinn plushie I didn’t have yet, a cardboard desktop standee, and this badass Batman mug. My Batman collection, particularly the Harley Quinn section of it, was very pleased with the new additions.
All in all, it was a great day with my nieces, filled with fun and nifty Batman stuff. I can’t wait for my next trip back!
~Angel
Adventures of a Batman Fan – Part One
My family and I all have season passes to Six Flags St Louis this year, so we’re planning to take a few trips up over the next few months. Our first trip of the season was with my nieces on Monday (Memorial Day) and it was a blast. Obviously, though, one of the biggest things that draws me to Six Flags is the DC Comics themed rides and areas, including the heavy theme of Batman everywhere. And, of course, all the cool stuff I can add to my collection!
Have you never been to Six Flags? Well, here’s a treat for you all then! The Adventures of a Batman Fan in a day at Six Flags St Louis:
First up for me will probably always be the new Justice League: Battle for Metropolis 4D ride. I love love love this ride. It’s something family friendly and still a ton of fun. I love the feeling of walking into the Hall of Justice. I love that the ride really reminds me of my beloved Universal Studios. And I obviously LOVE that Batman is in it (duh.)
Batman V Superman at Barnes and Noble
The weekend before the release of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Barnes and Noble held a special event in stores. Obviously, as a hardcore Batman nerd, I felt I needed to attend. Cool free stuff? Trivia? Batman? I AM DOWN.
Wandering NerdGirl 