Cleveland, OH
From Isabela Merced to Jerry Siegel’s home, Superman’s local ties bind him to Ohio
VIDEO: ‘Superman’ flies high in James Gunn re-imagining | Review
James Gunn’s “Superman” proves to be a movie ripped straight from a comic book in tone, humor and action. It’s definitely worth a look.
Courtesy of the James Gunn movie, the iconic pop culture character Superman is having a super-sized moment right now. By extension, so is Ohio and, in particular, the city of Cleveland.
What took so long? Given the long run of the character across television, animation and film, it feels odd that Superman is just now giving the area the spotlight given his connections to the state and city, which are numerous.
Does it ultimately matter? Given that Gunn chose to film in Ohio – Cleveland and Cincinnati, specifically – probably not to rest of America. But to Ohio movie fans? More than likely. After, all the Man of Steel has come home.
It helps that the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit is in place, but the efforts of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission were instrumental in luring the production to the area. Call it a homecoming that’s deserved for a number of reasons:
‘Superman’ was born in Cleveland, Ohio – it’s that simple
Metropolis, Ill. makes its faux claim to be home of Superman, but the reality is that two Cleveland teens — Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel — created the character in Siegel’s home in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood. It feels rather strange that fact is just now, seemingly in this moment, being embraced nationally and — to some extent — locally.
It’s a drumbeat that started slowly when then-Plain Dealer reporter Michael Sangiacomo, who wrote a weekly comic book column, started asking the simple question: why weren’t Superman’s creators honored by their hometown. Given the character’s impact since its creation, it was a legitimate one and led to the formation the Siegel & Shuster Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the creators and their character’s legacy.
After agreeing to a deal with National Allied Publishing which was eventually acquired by Detective Comics, Siegel and Shuster signed a 10-year contract to write and illustrate the character for Detective Comics, signing away their copyright in the process just to get the characters, which they developed over the course of six years. Their first published version of Superman appeared in the book Action Comics #1. At a 2024 auction, a highly rated version of the book sold for $6 million.
Superman became an immediate phenomenon.
“He was the first superhero,” Gary Kaplan, president of the Siegel & Shuster Society, and a cousin to Jerry Siegel, said.
Less than two years after publication, the character was appearing in assorted media, with Roy Middleton becoming the first actor to portray the character at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and the legendary Fleischer shorts coming in 1941. Over the course of eight decades, he’s appeared in film, television and animated projects.
Cleveland will be home to Superman Plaza at the Huntington Bank Convention Center
The Siegel & Shuster Society has been working diligently to create a permanent memorial to Superman in the city’s downtown, and on Aug. 2 their vision becomes reality with the unveiling of Superman Plaza of the corner of St. Clair and Ontario in front of the center.
The tribute plaza will feature Superman soaring through the sky on an 18-foot pylon. It will include life-sized statues of Shuster, Siegel and Joanne Siegel, who was the inspiration for reporter Lois Lane, along with a phone booth, which served as an impromptu changing point for Clark Kent to slip into his alter ego. The exhibit is being created by Cleveland artist David Deming.
The event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with Laura Siegel Larson, Jerry Siegel’s daughter, in attendance.
The group has worked to raise more than $2 million for the project. They are still short funds, but have received permission for the installation to go on and will continue to fundraise.
It’s the type of attraction that can add to the roster of reasons to tour downtown Cleveland. To a degree, Kaplan is surprised about the lag in fundraising and lackluster support from the business community.
“People can come in from Pittsburgh or Columbus or wherever and see the Plaza, and while they’re there, they may stay at a hotel if it’s just a day trip,” Kaplan said. “I mean, they can have lunch. They can spend their money here and that’s good for the economy.”
The only local politician to enthusiastically embrace the effort has been Cuyahoga County Councilman Pernel Jones Jr.
Kaplan recognizes there are more pressing priorities in Cleveland – especially given it often ranks in the Top 10 for poverty in the U.S.
“It’s a totally different category, but you can’t say we’re just going to focus on these certain things and nothing else,” Kaplan said.
Jerry Siegel’s home where Superman was created remains standing
Jerry Siegel’s boyhood home remains standing, if not a bit anonymous, when compared with another Cleveland movie home from “A Christmas Story.” The reason: the film that featured Ralphie and his friends was purchased and restored. Siegel’s home is occupied by owners who didn’t know its legacy when they purchased it, Sangiacomo said.
People would drive up, snap photos and the couple could not understand why until a group of Japanese tourists explained the home’s legacy.
“She finally went down and said, ‘OK, what’s going on? Why are you taking pictures of my house?’ And then they told her that this is where Jerry Siegel created Superman. And she went, ‘Oh my God, I had no idea.’”
People still drive by and take pictures, but the potential to make it a museum in the future is there for whomever wants to take on the task and bolster the Man of Steel’s legacy in Ohio.
Until that moment comes, the society has helped keep the property updated, including an online auction that raised featuring noted author and comic book writer Brad Meltzer that raised more than $100,000 in 2009.
Sangiacomo said the couple who lives there embraces the legacy.
“They’ve been really, really, really good about taking care of the place,” Sangiacomo said.
The importance of the home was recognized by actor David Corenswet recently, he added.
“He took his family and just as the filming ended, his family came to Cleveland to visit and they asked if they could go over,” Sangiacomo said. “They went over and they got the tour, the place where Superman was created, and he signed the guest book.”
Hawkgirl, Isabela Merced, was born in Cleveland
As Hawkgirl, Isabela Merced doesn’t get an abundance of screen time, but she makes the most of it. Not only does she get to kick some heiney, but she manages to fire off a few well-timed and, based on audience reaction at a recent screening, well-received one-liners as she plays off Nathan Fillion’s Green Lantern/Guy Gardner.
For a 24-year-old actress, Merced has a long list of credits going back as far as 2013 and including films such as “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and “Alien: Romulus.”
Cincinnati’s Union Terminal appears in ‘Superman’ as the Hall of Justice
You won’t see Superman visiting the hangout of the corporate superhero crew that includes Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Lois Lane receives the honor of visiting the infamous Hall of Justice made famous in the ABC “Superfriends” cartoon from Hanna Barbera in the 1970s. In the movies, she seeks out the help of the trio in assisting to find Superman who has been taken by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and his merry band of Gen Z xenophobes who have a problem with Superman’s alien origins.
Its facade is featured prominently.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas has gone up by 34 cents since Monday.
The continued uncertainty over the new war with Iran is driving crude oil prices sharply higher.
At the time this article was published, oil is trading at $90 witch is up 11% just today.
In Cleveland, gas has gone from $2.87 over this past weekend to $3.28 today according to the price tracking website Gasbuddy.com.
AAA has put out reminders on how to maximize you gas mileage:
- Slow down and drive the speed limit. On the highway, aerodynamic drag causes fuel economy to drop off significantly as speeds increase above 50 mph.
- Reduce trips and lighten your load. Limit the amount of cargo in your vehicle when possible.
- Avoid “jackrabbit” starts and hard acceleration. These actions greatly increase fuel consumption. Accelerate smoothly with light to moderate throttle.
- Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine. Even in winter, idling, and warming up an engine are unnecessary and wastes fuel.
- Look ahead. When approaching a red light or stop sign, let off the gas early and allow the vehicle to coast down to a slower speed until it is time to brake.
- Use cruise control to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel. However, never use cruise control on wet roads because a loss of vehicle control could result.
- Take advantage of fuel savings programs. AAA members have access to savings when filling up at Shell gas stations. More information is available at AAA.com/Shell.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Woman, 28, arrested for murder after 2 young girls found in suitcases on Cleveland’s east side
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Cleveland police have charged a 28-year-old woman with aggravated murder and child endangering for the deaths of two young girls found buried in suitcases on the city’s east side.
Aliyah Henderson was arrested Wednesday evening at a home on E. 162nd after officers executed a search warrant. She was then booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Cleveland police said a third child was found inside the home and appeared to be in good health. That child is now in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner identified the two girls as 10-year-old Amor Wilson and 8-year-old Mila Chatman. The girls are also half-sisters.
The bodies of the two half-sisters were found in partially buried suitcases around 6 p.m. Monday near E. 162nd Street and Midland Avenue.
This is in the city’s South Collinwood neighborhood.
A man was walking his dog in the area, for the first time in a while, due to the snow, and the dog hit on the scent.
The man immediately called 911.
When officers and homicide detectives got to the field, they found the second body nearby.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said the victims had been there for some time.
“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” said Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd. “Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible. Investigations of this nature require patience, precision, and discretion. Unlike what is often portrayed on television, every detail cannot be shared publicly. Certain information must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure justice for these victims. That careful and methodical work allowed our detectives to develop the evidence needed to make quick identification of a person of interest, ultimately resulting in an arrest.”
Henderson will be in the Cleveland Municipal Court on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
If anyone has any information, they are asked to call the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.
Tips can remain anonymous.
A memorial where the two girls were found has continued to grow with teddy bears, flowers, balloons and more throughout the day.
Cleveland Missing’s resources can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Man who claims girl found in suitcase is his daughter says he begged courts and CPS for help
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – 19 News spoke with a man who claims he is the father of one of the two little girls found dead and buried in suitcases in Cleveland.
Deshaun Chatman shared that he was overcome with grief and anger as he came to terms with the terrible truth that his 8-year-old girl, Mila Chatman, is dead.
“I’ve been looking for my daughter for five years. I’ve been calling CPS, going to the courts, trying to get emergency custody, calling the police for welfare checks. But they denied all access,” Chatman alleged.
On Monday, she and her half-sister, Amor Wilson, 10, were found dead and partially buried, after a neighbor walking his dog near a field in the area of East 163rd and Midland Avenue called 911 after his dog picked up a scent.
Cleveland police on Wednesday detained a person of interest, whom officers later identified as Aliyah Henderson, 28, near the crime scene.
Records show Henderson was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail on Wednesday evening.
According to Chatman, the little girl’s mother had been avoiding him and moving around a lot. The last time he said he saw her was when he helped buy clothes for kindergarten.
Chatman told 19 News that he is now working with detectives to prove he was Mila’s father.
“I’m still in contact with the detectives. We’re doing the DNA samples. So I’ll get more details within the next couple of days.”
Chatman visited the site where his little girl’s body was found with 19 News.
“What I’m feeling is hate. I’m not going to lie, I feel hate. I asked you on numerous occasions for my daughter. If it’s too much for you. I just want my daughter,” Chatman said when asked how he felt.
Chatman, so overwhelmed by the sight, needed to be comforted by a friend.
“I don’t get how you can hate your kids enough to kill them. To bury them. To do all this and go right there to that home, right there, and live there when your kids are right here. Go be a mother to another child, while you just killed your other two.”
Now, he tells 19 News that he wants changes to the system, which he said denied him a chance to be a father.
“Change these laws. Make it better. A man do have a say so in their child’s life, married or unmarried,” Chatman said.
19 News has reached out to Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services to learn if it was involved in any way and if Chatman had any contact with the office.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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