“Dear Diary –
The passing of one of the truly good guys called to mind a summer evening in the mid-1980’s when I encountered two middle-aged women on Columbus Avenue. From the map they were wrestling and their cameras I deduced that they were not from around here, and I asked if I could help with directions. They were visiting from Tennessee and admitted that they were looking for places where they might spot celebrities. I asked if they had ever heard of Christopher Reeve. They fairly swooned.
I said that I had noticed him on the other side of 72nd street, lined up for the ATM. When they asked if I knew him, I replied after a pause that I did (technically true, although he did not know me) and took them across the street. As I approached him I hastened to explain I was a New Yorker and would never dream of disturbing his privacy but that the two women hopping up and down on the curb were huge fans of his visiting from out of town.
He immediately beckoned them over and engaged them in an animated conversation about their visit, grandchildren and the like. As the line crept forward he quietly asked me if I could do him a big favor. I glanced around to see if there was a lump of Kryptonite I could fall on, but instead he asked one of the women for her camera and handed it to me. He put one arm around each of their shoulders and asked if I would mind taking a picture.
After seeing the joy he brought that day, when he could’ve given them the old ‘I’m a famous actor’ brushoff, I was never surprised by all his later good works and courageous fight. A super man, indeed…”
– Jon Lindsey, NY Times Metropolitan Diary
Top: Portrait of 24 year-old Christopher Reeve taken almost half a century ago during a sitting for his Superman waxwork figure at sculptor Logan Fleming’s studio. The finished piece would be on display at the Movieland Wax Museum for many years…
Those of you attempting to open the page ‘Take The Gentleman’s Cape’ in the Costumes section above may find that it has been disabled – the reason for this is it’s now forming the basis of my upcoming addition to the Capedwonder library entitled – you guessed it – ‘Take The Gentleman’s Cape – Tailoring Superman For Cinema’.
After almost 80 years, it seems the fascination with this seemingly most simple of costume designs doesn’t seem to wane. Indeed, even with the latest instalment of the character’s cinematic exploits released only last year, the debate around what makes the perfect Superman outfit rages on and will no doubt start again once the sequel begins filming. My particular take on the subject is that this is your generation’s Superman, so I encourage you to go have fun with it –
Meanwhile, my book will chart the history of the first ‘Longjohn’ character from its conception by the famous pair of Ohio teenagers in the 1930’s through to the final incarnation of the infamous producing duo of the 1980’s. Of course the focal point will be the version worn by Christopher Reeve as realised by Academy Award winning designer Yvonne Blake.
As you may remember from the article hosted on both this site and capedwonder.com, the painstaking research detailing every aspect of the Superman costume from concept to screen makes it the definitive guide on the subject. In the book I will seek to expand on this like never before, with never before seen images, archival and new interviews plus a retrospective on how and where the costumes were made.
On that subject, below the two cover mockups above (neither final) is an unseen image contributed to the book by Steve Hudson showing the storefront of the Irving Street branch of Bermans & Nathans, circa 1981. Young Steve is posing outside the shop having just purchased a complete Stromberg Costume (from The Spy Who Loved Me) off the rack for £15 (can you imagine??)
Finally and crucially, the impetus to commit the book to print came courtesy of my good friend and SuperFan Philip Hawkins, who put me in touch with the legendary British costume designer John Bloomfield. Not only was he kind and forthcoming with all his original designs for Superman IV: The Quest For Peace (Which will be lovingly reproduced in the book) but also generous enough to provide a really touching introduction where he looks back on his career and fondly recalls his time choosing wardrobe for Christopher Reeve.
The book is being worked on right now so does not yet have a release date – I will keep you updated (and feel free to leave a message if you have anything to contribute, especially former Bermans employees!) but rest assured I’m working hard to deliver a product worthy of the capedwonder library no collector will want to be without..!
This week we celebrate Christopher D’Olier Reeve’s 73rd Birthday. Decades after his untimely passing, in an era where people are now living comfortably into their nineties, seventy plus sounds younger than ever. In these heady days of fictional Multiverses, I often wonder about what our hero would be doing in an alternate 2025, while the rest of us languish here in the misery of what simply has to be Biff Tannen’s hijacked timeline.
What continues to thrive, thankfully, is the Superman Legacy. Even with a new movie franchise launching this year, it seems the classic movie series has only solidified its position in fandom and cinema history. Indeed, while comparisons to the new actor in the cape are inevitable, it seems that Christopher Reeve has gained a mythical status equivalent to Sean Connery’s Bond – Others may come and go, but nobody does it better.
As for the future, the celebration continues with the recent announcement from Capedwonder.com that author David Michael Petrou’s seminal work The Making Of Superman: The Movie is to be re-released in 2026 in a spectacular new edition –
– And the fan-made tributes not only keep coming, but get better with every project – now easily surpassing the quality of licensed products. See below Chris King’s upgraded wish-fulfilment action figure, made with the kind of love and attention to detail only a SuperFan could provide –
As time marches relentlessly on, perhaps the defining attribute of Reeve’s Superman is not only hope, but reassurance that there’s always something to look forward and aspire to. Both the dedication of the fanbase plus the efforts of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation will ensure the legacy continues in earnest on this Birthday and beyond.
The final word, then, is appropriately delivered by SuperFan Gary Irving, whose heartfelt thoughts must carry us through until next Sept 25th –
“Christopher will forever be remembered as the man who brought Superman to life on the big screen, but his legacy goes far beyond the cape. After his tragic accident, he showed the world what true strength and courage look like. He became a tireless advocate for spinal cord research, a voice of hope, and a reminder that real heroes inspire us through their actions and their heart!!”
“Hi Martin, Below is a first look link to our live script reading performance of Superman Reborn, the unmade 5th Christopher Reeve Superman film. There was a third draft of the story that leaked on the Internet many years ago however that was not the draft that we used. What was utilized was a never before seen first draft that was signed off and intended by producer Ilya Salkind and writers Mark Jones and Cary Bates.
It also features a live Q&A with the producer Ilya Salkind and screenwriter Mark Jones. This is what was performed and recorded in Hollywood November of last year. It is currently unlisted. We are officially picture locked and are scheduled for a world premiere of Monday January 13. Here is an exclusive first look for you. Enjoy and feel free to share with whoever you think might be interested in viewing it first before anyone else. Hope you’re doing well and stay safe out there. –
David Kocher
WELCOME TO SUPERMANIA/CAPEDWONDER EUROPE (3.0!)
Thank you for joining me for this special re-launch of the site to coincide with the 46th anniversary of the release of Superman: The Movie in cinemas..!
Its hard to believe that its been 14 years since the debut of this small, yet ambitious blog dedicated to the Christopher Reeve Legacy. In that time we have come full circle from multiple re-releases of the classic films in differing formats, new opportunities to view them on the big screen (as they were meant to be seen!) live concert performances across the world and now, with the release of SUPER/MAN: The Christopher Reeve Story, the closing chapter of our heroes tale.
Or so it would seem – as meanwhile, through this site and many more, we strive to keep the memory of the Real Man Of Steel alive, none more so than capedwonder.com – where sitemaster Jim Bowers has carried the torch for over 20 years with the blessing of the late Richard Donner himself. With such pedigree and dedication it seemed almost inevitable that CW and SUPERMANIA would combine our strengths at some point, and with the formation of Capedwonder Europe a few years ago the site’s future was secured. Jim would go one better to form the Capedwonder Network, uniting SuperFans from all over the globe, with representatives from Canada, South America and the Philippines, with more to come.
Capedwonder Europe’s evolution over the years has been the gift that keeps on giving thanks to its loyal fanbase and support as I gained new followers on my expansion to YouTube, Instagram, and most recently, the Facebook group Restore Superman IV (a topic which continues to cause controversy to this day!). Its also been a privilege to meet so many fans in person courtesy of Alexei Lambley-Steel’s SUPEREVENTS UK, where we hope to present more exciting opportunities in the future.
Now that CWE has upgraded to the same server as CW, it hopefully should be free from all of the glitches and security issues that plagued it previously – so please update your browsers and get ready for all-new super-content going forward into 2025 and beyond!
Thank you for taking the journey with us. We remain, as ever, all part of the same team.
– Goodnight!
Martin L.
(Image by Aaron Price)
