Matt Smith, the dean of The Ohio State University at Newark, has been a comic book enthusiast since childhood. He recalls buying comics at a five-and-dime store and continues to collect them, amassing over 20,000 individual issues.
Smith emphasizes that comics reflect their cultural origins. Superman, created in Ohio by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, is an example. “Superman gets his start in 1938,” Smith noted. “He’s an interesting time capsule about the attitudes of the late 1930s.”
The character’s return to theaters with the movie “Superman” on July 11 has Smith excited. “Every trailer I’ve seen has made me more excited,” he said.
Ohio State’s Columbus campus houses the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, home to the largest collection of comics globally. Jenny Robb, head curator of comics and cartoon art, highlighted rare original artwork by Shuster and other notable artists like Wayne Boring and Curt Swan.
Robb also mentioned that Superman had a newspaper strip soon after his comic debut. She believes Superman’s enduring appeal lies in his pursuit of justice: “People love to see justice prevail.”
Smith concurs, stating that Superman represents duty to others. He instilled these values in his children: “I always told my boys that we’re all gifted with some kind of superpower…everyone has an obligation to use that power for the benefit of others.”
