Traveling Traditions

My family went on many the car trip when I was a kid - from the deserts of Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada & Texas, to the bang-your-head-on-a-wall-for-fun boredom of the straight shot through North Dakota. So my parents learned to stock a good supply of automobile entertainment. While I no longer have my 60's travel bingo cards, my tape recorder with a microphone (That made for some interesting old tapes containing literally hours of kid babble.), or my lap desk/pillow, I've still found ways to entertain myself and my husband on those 5 hour trips to the Twin Cities.

This weekend I'll be tuning in to find out the chilling conclusion of Superman vs. The Atom Man! It's a 7 CD collection of old Superman radio shows from 1948, and there is no better nostalgia than the kind that happened before you were born. Each show was sponsored by Kellogg's - which is proudly announced at the beginning of every show: "Kellooooggs PEP! Start your day off with a bowl of Kellogg's brand Pep cereal! And kids, make sure to collect the Kellogg's buttons with all your favorite characters, warplanes, or military insignia!"

The shows highlight Superman trying to stop the evil Nazi scientist, Der Teufil, from injecting a soldier with Kryptonite that would turn him into an atomic man - capable of defeating and controlling Superman! Superpowers aside, the plot is fairly believable, but there are some things that make me question the intelligence level of the greater Metropolis area. Like the fact that Superman is constantly forgetting to maintain his cover while dressed as Clark Kent.

Clark Kent: We have to stop him! A Kryptonite man could destroy me!
Police Chief: What's that you say? Destroy you?
Clark Kent: I mean Superman! Yes... destroy Superman!

Or the strange medical practices of the city's doctors. Clark Kent and the Police Chief need to question a man who has just sustained third degree burns over 80% of his body and is more-or-less dead (He's not quite dead!).

Clark Kent: We've got to wake him up! Please doctor, you've got to revive him!
Doctor: Well, I'll see what I can do. Get me a rag and a bowl of hot water.

Note to self, don't wake up to find myself injured in Metropolis. When I last left Superman the Nazis were just about to succeed with the Atom Man and Clark Kent had finally changed into Superman. I'll let you know how things go. I expect there will be physical battles, and battles in Clark Kent's psyche to keep him from wearing his Superman uniform to work.