I don't think there are many of us reading The Adventures Continue who didn't at one time or another act out scenes from the Adventures of Superman. I remember vividly chasing the bus with the faulty brakes, writhing in agony re-enacting the "electric scene" from "Crime Wave," and leaping into the air after regaining my memory after a serious bout with an asteroid.

Despite Jimmy's little speech to the contrary, all this could not have been possible without the aid of some kind of Superman costume. Some of us, like Jack Branson here, were fortunate enough to have the official version direct from Kellogg's of Battle Creek. In the photo below, it looks like young Mr. Branson might have been doing his version of "Shot In The Dark" as this clearly shows him changing to Superman... unless, of course, someone took a picture of Superman and then took a picture of Jack at exactly the same spot... but forgot to wind the film!

If others reading this have "Superman" photos from their past, please let me know, and I'll post them here.

And who, disguised as Jack Branson, mild-mannered backyard reporter, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.

January, 2005...

Jim, after my Mom died recently, we were going through some old family photo albums and came across this picture from 1961. I was an avid fan of the show by then and my Mom had searched the stores for the Superman costume I had to have. I guess since George had died so recently, there were no costumes to be found. So, like Mrs Kent, my Mom took some red and blue material and made my costume on the old Singer sewing machine. (The pants and trunks must have been in the wash when this snapshot was taken.) Several days after she completed the suit, I donned the 'blue and red' under the white shirt and tie of my parochial school uniform and headed out the door for school. I'm not sure how Clark kept his secret all of those years, because Mom busted me on the way out the door that morning. Cultivating my vivid imagination was one thing, but she marched me back upstairs to change before Mass. (Note my brother Mark and sister Maureen in the Jimmy and Lois roles.)
So long, Mom!!

Tim James

Jim,

After all these years, I can't believe I was there at the beginning. I was a child of the 50's, fortunate to be the only child in a blue collar family that was able to make it because of a hard-working salesman father and a stay-at-home mother. And fortunate to have access to that new-fangled contraption, the television, and to that icon of icons, SUPERMAN. Of course, I had THE SUIT. I even remember fantasizing about flying off the roof of the garage, but remembering that only Superman could fly, just as Superman had told me. I even remember Jimmy telling me that Superman's costume didn't give him super powers, only Superman could do super things. But that didn't stop me from running around making believe. It also didn't stop me from realizing that the costume we wear in public is the one that people see and respect - or don't respect. The costume that George Reeves wore, the wonderful man in it who obviously loved and respected children, and my parents gave me the ideals and truths to live by. I will be forever grateful that I was one of the lucky ones to have such Heroes."

Richard "Dicky" Stammer
2/5/05