In the city that brought him to life, Superman now stands tall in the center of Cleveland after months of anticipation.
On Saturday, community members, comic book fans, county leaders and members of the Siegel & Shuster Society gathered downtown to celebrate the unveiling of the new Superman statue and the newly named Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza, according to a spokesperson with Cuyahoga County.
The Man of Steel, quite literally made from stainless steel, sits in the plaza on an 18-foot pillar alongside bronze statues of Siegel, Shuster, and Joanne Siegel, who was the original model for Lois Lane, the county said.
David Deming, a nationally renowned sculptor, created the statue to honor the two Cleveland teenagers who, in the 1930s, created Superman, forever changing pop culture, the county said.
“The Superman statue and the Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster Tribute Plaza honor two creative minds and celebrate Cleveland’s legacy of imagination, resilience, and hope,” Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said. “Superman was born in Cuyahoga County, and his story reflects our own: ordinary people doing extraordinary things to make the world better. This plaza is a point of pride for our community, serving as a gathering place for families, fans, and future heroes to be inspired by the possibilities that lie ahead.”
The plaza, which sits outside the Huntington Convention Center on the corner of St. Clair Avenue and Ontario Street, has been in the works for over a year. We first brought the story to you in April of 2024 when the Siegel and Shuster Society received approval for its proposed plaza.
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The group had raised funding since October to bring the plaza to life shortly after the latest Superman movie was released, part of which was filmed in Cleveland last summer.
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Siegel and Shuster were 11th graders at Glenville High School when they came up with the idea for Superman.
Siegel conceived the idea during the height of the Great Depression and enlisted Shuster, a talented young classmate, to help illustrate the character.
It took nearly a decade for Superman to finally win over publishers, who were skeptical about the appeal of a superhuman hero. The original comic, published in 1938, is displayed on the fence line where Shuster’s childhood home stood.
“Our community has wanted to commemorate the Man of Steel for many years now. When there were issues identifying a space for this tribute, I was proud to help facilitate conversations that led to the creation of the Superman Plaza at the County-owned Convention Center,” District 8 Cuyahoga County Councilman Pernel Jones, Jr. said. “As a lifelong fan of Superman and avid comic book collector, I was happy to be part of making this happen. This is where Superman belongs: at the center of the city where he was created. This statue is a reminder to every person who walks by that greatness can begin anywhere, ESPECIALLY in Cleveland.”
