DC announced this morning via their blog and a report on USA Today that they would be holding a contest that will allow fans to help plot Superman’s upcoming journey in the new arc, “Grounded.”
As JMS begins his run (starting today with #700), he picks up Superman after the events of New Krypton as Superman decides to take a walk across America to find himself and rediscover his roots to our planet. He will begin in Philadelphia and has a set path that he will be walking along for the next year, but JMS and DC want you to help decide what additional towns he visits on his walk.
Beginning with the city of Philadelphia, Superman will walk across America, a journey that is expected to take most of a year. He will pass through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington. Along the way, Superman will be passing through real towns, real cities, real neighborhoods.
And your town, your city, your neighborhood may be among those chosen for his historic journey. Superman will literally pass through your town as visualized in the pages of his book. If your town is within 50 miles of the line marking Superman’s journey, then you are eligible to participate.
I love this idea, because Superman has been so out of touch with the rest of us he’s become more alien than he has the typical American superhero archetype. However, with a writer like JMS and an idea like this, I would wager that “Grounded” is a very appropriate arc title for the upcoming walk. To be able to get your town in on the walk would also be pretty amazing for fans of the comic, and a definite way to make the whole experience more special.
For the full list of contest rules, check behind the jump!
SUPERMAN ‘GROUNDED’ CONTEST RULES
1. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. To enter, send a 75-1,000 word essay describing why the SUPERMAN character should visit your home town during the “Grounded” storyline by email to publicity@dccomics.com or by regular mail to:
Alex Segura
c/o THE SOURCE blog
DC COMICS
1700 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10019
Entries must be received no later than 11:59 PM EST, July 12, 2010. Though not required, you are encouraged to include photos from your home town and evidence that your home town has a thriving comic book/library/literary community. Contestants must use their own names and provide a valid email address or mailing address. For email submissions, the Contestant will be deemed to be the holder of the established email account associated with the entry. DC Comics assumes no responsibility for entries unable to be processed for any technical reason, and DC Comics reserves the right to cancel the contest if it becomes technically corrupted or for any other reason beyond DC Comics’ control. Use of all personal data submitted by Contestants will be subject to DC Comics’ privacy policy available at http://dccomics.com/about/?action=privacy .
2. ELIGIBILITY: Contest open to legal residents of the United States who are at least 18 years old as of July 1, 2010, and live within 50 miles of one of the cities listed below. Further, Contestants must reside in the home town described in their entries. Employees of DC Comics, its affiliates, parent companies and subsidiary companies, and their immediate families (parents and children) are not eligible. Void where prohibited.
CHICAGO
DES MOINES
OMAHA
DENVER
SALT LAKE CITY
LAS VEGAS
LOS ANGELES
PORTLAND
SEATTLE
3. PRIZES: Winners will have their home towns included as destinations for the SUPERMAN character in the pages of the ongoing SUPERMAN series during the 12-issue “Grounded” storyline and will receive a copy of the issue including their home town autographed by the writer and artist of the issue (approximate retail value $2.99 per prize; approximate retail value of all prizes $26.91). Applicable taxes are the responsibility of the Contestant.
4. WINNERS: Nine winners will be selected from all eligible entries based on originality, creativity and such other criteria as the judges determine appropriate in their sole discretion. Decisions of judges are final. Each winner will be announced online on THE SOURCE after the close of the submission period and in advance of the publication of the issue of SUPERMAN in which that winner’s home town will be included. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. For a complete list of winners write to DC Comics, SUPERMAN ‘GROUNDED’ CONTEST, 1700 Broadway, New York, New York 10019.
5. OWNERSHIP: All submissions will become the property of DC Comics and will not be returned. By submitting an entry, Contestant: (a) represents and warrants that Contestant’s entry will be original with Contestant and will not violate or infringe upon the rights of any person or entity; (b) grants to DC Comics the right to reproduce the entry online and in print materials, including, but not limited to, on DC’s THE SOURCE blog and the DC NATION page of its comic books for any and all commercial purposes in perpetuity, and (c) agrees and hereby releases DC Comics and its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, employees, agents, officers and directors from any and all liability or responsibility arising in connection with Contestant’s participation in the contest and acceptance of any prizes which may be awarded.
