my christopher reeve story

Photo © Jez Coulson, 2003, all rights reserved. Used with permission from the collection of Jim Bowers of capedwonder.com . On September 25, 2001, Christopher Reeve's 49th Birthday, he received a framed print of my painting Someone To Believe In. My Superfriend, Jim Bowers had the print professionally framed and shipped directly to Reeve's Bedford, New York home on my behalf. The framed print visible behind Reeve in this photograph remained displayed in his home office and has since appeared in multiple documentaries, including Look Up In The Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006) and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024). The photograph below documents the moment that my tribute to Reeve became part of his personal collection.

Christopher Reeve sent me this thank-you letter, dated October 2, 2001 after receiving the framed print of Someone To Believe In that Jim Bowers delivered on my behalf. The letter was dictated by Reeve and typed for him by his personal assistant, Laurie Allen ("LA"), who signed her initials beside his name. Displayed here with its original mailing envelope, it remains the most treasured item that I own.

On May 14, 1994, I had the rare opportunity to meet my childhood hero, Christopher Reeve. Reeve and Noel Neill – who played Lois Lane in The Adventures of Superman and made a cameo appearance in Superman: The Movie as young Lois Lane's mother – were guests of honor at Dixie Trek 1994, held at Atlanta's Castlegate Hotel. At the time, I was just weeks away from graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Christopher Reeve could not have been more gracious. Although he was only contractually obligated to sign one item per attendee, he happily accommodated additional autographs with fans throughout the signing session. He signed two photographs for me as well as the box of my case-fresh 1978 12.5-inch Mego Superman: The Movie action figure – items I still treasure today. His kindness, patience, and genuine appreciation for his fans left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to attend.

The convention itself was remarkably small. Through my Superfriend, Jim Bowers of capedwonder.com, who attended and videotaped portions of the event, I later learned that attendance was estimated at approximately 150 people. It would prove to be the only fan convention Christopher Reeve ever attended. Just over a year later, his tragic riding accident changed the course of his life forever.

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was – not only to meet Christopher Reeve, but later to create artwork honoring his portrayal of Superman, receive a personal thank-you letter from him, and see that tribute become part of his personal collection. Few moments in my artistic journey have come more completely full circle. Standing beside Chris that day, just weeks before graduating from SCAD and wearing my Action Comics #1 T-shirt, I could never have imagined where that journey would ultimately lead.

This is the advertisement that first alerted me to the Dixie Trek convention honoring Christopher Reeve and Noel Neill. It appeared inToy Shop Magazine (April 15, 1994, Vol. 7 No. 4) less than a month before the event was held.

I still have my Dixie Trek 1994 convention badge, a keepsake from the "A Salute to Superman" event honoring Christopher Reeve and Noel Neill.

This is the 12.5-inch Mego Superman: The Movie action figure that Christopher Reeve signed for me at Dixie Trek 1994. More than three decades later, It remains the most treasured Superman item in my permanent collection. Reeve's signature appears over Superman's chest in the illustration on the box flap.