Must Smallville be in Kansas?

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

are you all fighting over where smallville is in the movie? is this a real thing that needs to be talked about? but if you need to talk about it there are only 3 stories that place it any where other then Kansas; The Adventures of Superman radio show in 1947 had it in Iowa, Amazing World of DC Comics #14 in 1977 had it in Maryland, and Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #313 July, 1984 has smallville to be somewhere in northeastern Pennsylvania or northern New Jersey.

all other stories have the town of Smallville in Kansas.

 

[KrypJonian]

Until the 80s Gotham City was actually a fairly ordinary city. In the early days Metropolis actually seemed like the worse place.

Meh, I don't really agree, but I'm not gonna get heated over it.

 

[Kurosawa]

Until the 80s Gotham City was actually a fairly ordinary city. In the early days Metropolis actually seemed like the worse place.

That is somewhat true, in the earliest stuff especially. Gotham actually seemed more like London to me, but in the Siegel and Shuster stories, Metropolis had gang warfare, slums, exploitation of the working class, child abuse, etc, while Gotham's crime was often more glamorous. and the victims were often the wealthy and powerful. Batman's comics have never been big on social issues, but Superman was created to be the champion of the oppressed, and if he is returned to those roots, he will find his place again.

Morrison has been sort of doing this in Action, but I think he needs to address it more.

 

[Dr.]

...there are only 3 stories that place it any where other then Kansas; The Adventures of Superman radio show in 1947 had it in Iowa, Amazing World of DC Comics #14 in 1977 had it in Maryland, and Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #313 July, 1984 has smallville to be somewhere in northeastern Pennsylvania or northern New Jersey.

all other stories have the town of Smallville in Kansas.

Not really. The majority of stories didn’t specify Smallville’s state. So you can’t really assume Kansas as a default and then use that assumption to establish precedent.

But things changed after 1978. As far as I know, "Smallville, Kansas" was invented by STM. Now, a single movie doesn’t establish canon (any more than the radio show that mentioned Smallville, Iowa did). But the fact is that STM was influential in this (and other) respect(s). And since 1978, Smallville has been located (more often than not) in Kansas.

 

[Rodrigo90]

In the Season 5 finale of Smallville, when the camera zooms out of Metropolis and shows Clark trapped in the phantom zone in space, I swear I saw Metropolis in the Michigan state...which is odd.

 

[Dr.]

In the Season 5 finale of Smallville, when the camera zooms out of Metropolis and shows Clark trapped in the phantom zone in space, I swear I saw Metropolis in the Michigan state...which is odd.

Well... not nearly as odd as a huge city with a world-renowned newspaper (and a waterfront t being in... Kansas.

 

[Rodrigo90]

Well... not nearly as odd as a huge city with a world-renowned newspaper (and a waterfront t being in... Kansas.

By Joe, you're right

 

[Lead Cenobite]

I don't find it so odd, aside from having a waterfront. It's not as if Kansas is one big cornfield.

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

Not really. The majority of stories didn’t specify Smallville’s state. So you can’t really assume Kansas as a default and then use that assumption to establish precedent.

But things changed after 1978. As far as I know, "Smallville, Kansas" was invented by STM. Now, a single movie doesn’t establish canon (any more than the radio show that mentioned Smallville, Iowa did). But the fact is that STM was influential in this (and other) respect(s). And since 1978, Smallville has been located (more often than not) in Kansas.

before the movie it was all over the place after the movie it was kept in Kansas. It has been in Kansas for 34 years longer then it has been in any other state, i would say that makes it canon.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Well, I don't particularly mind Smallville being in Kansas. I just don't see why it has to be. As for Metropolis, it should not be in Kansas.

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

Was Smallville the first time that SMallville and Metropolis were in throwing distance of each other? I personally never liked that and felt that if Metropolis wasn't NYC then it needed to be somewhere North East of Kansas. I don't like the idea of the 2 being in the same state, and definitely not neighbors. It just seemed like the writers got lazy with making them so close.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It depends which one you're talking about. Smallville's location was poorly defined until the 1980's. But it could have easily been in upstate New York. It was at least implied to be somewhere in the Northeast.

 

[Rodrigo90]

It's going to be as mysterious and mind-boggling as trying to deduct which state Springfield from The Simpsons is in

But for me, Smallville will always be a fictional town, deep in the heart of Kansas.

And as for Metropolis? It will always be a gigantic fictional ************ city deep in the heart of...Kentucky? New York? MIchigan?

 

[MydnightPhoenix]

WTH! Isn't Springfield in Illinois? What's going on here? When did that change?

 

[Wheels]

No they have never said what state Springfield is in on The Simpsons. In fact they often make jokes about it.

 

[Dangerman]

In the comics Smallville is in Kansas and that has been stated multiple times. Metropolis has been based in the state of New York. If you read Countdown to Infinite Crisis they'll tell you where most of the cites are located.

 

[MOS]

If I remember correctly, Metropolis was originally Toronto, as created by Superman's Canadian co-creator, Joe Shuster, with possibly some influence from Cleveland. I think it was during World War II, when Superman became really patriotic, that it changed to become New York. In modern versions, it is mostly an American Vancouver. In Young Justice, Gotham was pretty obviously in Connecticut.

 

[Blitzkrieg Bop]

I think it's a good contrast to Metropolis and psychologically adds to why Clark would want to move to a big city.

 

[Rodrigo90]

I think Metropolis must be quite near Smallville. Otherwise you'd ask the question, "why would Clark choose to move to that city in particular anyway?".

There are many answers however, depending on the writing.

He get's a job offering.
He (eerily) follows Lois to Metropolis.
Like Gotham City, it's a hot-spot for unethical goings on...But from Aliens, Clones, Lex Luthor, etc

The reason REALLY needs to have weight to it.

 

[HR-PUFF&STUFF]

I think Metropolis must be quite near Smallville. Otherwise you'd ask the question, "why would Clark choose to move to that city in particular anyway?".

There are many answers however, depending on the writing.

He get's a job offering.
He (eerily) follows Lois to Metropolis.
Like Gotham City, it's a hot-spot for unethical goings on...But from Aliens, Clones, Lex Luthor, etc

The reason REALLY needs to have weight to it.

clark went to school and got a job at a news paper in metropolis and it is there that he met lois. and with his powers he need not stick to one city but due to his living in metropolis he spends most of his time there.

 

[Coca Cola Duracell Franklin.]

Leave it in Kansas. The opportunity for tornadoes is awesome.

 

[TheBat812]

I don't need to be told where they are unless it is somehow relevant to the story.

 

[B]

Doesn't have to be in particular Kansas however it should be far from Metropolis, I'd like them to kinda make that clear in the film as well, that Smallville is a good 5 or 6 hours from Metropolis at least.

In Smallville (The TV show) it was depicted as if Metropolis was about an hour or less from Smallville, which was something I didn't care for at all.

Then you've things like Superman (1978) in which it never really suggests how far away the 2 are however you can presume they are pretty far. I believe in L&C: TNAS during a road trip to Smallville Clark tells an impatient Lois that it's 4 or 5 hours away.

So as long as they make it clear that Smallville is 5 hours or so away from Metropolis, I don't care what state they say it's in, however I see no reason to change from Kansas.

 

[superman2090]

Doesn't have to be in particular Kansas however it should be far from Metropolis, I'd like them to kinda make that clear in the film as well, that Smallville is a good 5 or 6 hours from Metropolis at least.

In Smallville (The TV show) it was depicted as if Metropolis was about an hour or less from Smallville, which was something I didn't care for at all.

Then you've things like Superman (1978) in which it never really suggests how far away the 2 are however you can presume they are pretty far. I believe in L&C: TNAS during a road trip to Smallville Clark tells an impatient Lois that it's 4 or 5 hours away.

So as long as they make it clear that Smallville is 5 hours or so away from Metropolis, I don't care what state they say it's in, however I see no reason to change from Kansas.

I agree because it creates a timeless narrative of small town values vs big city abrasiveness. Think about the country mouse and the city mouse. I guess that doesn't necessarily mean that Smallville has to be far away from Metropolis but it certainly helps show the contrast if you think that it is somewhere in middle america and Metropolis is on a populated coast.

 

[Dr.]

Then you've things like Superman (1978) in which it never really suggests how far away the 2 are however you can presume they are pretty far.

A number of sources say STM was the first to place Smallville in, specifically, Kansas. I don’t recall any dialogue to that effect. But maybe there was a shot of a license plate or some such. Metropolis, of course, was an undisguised NYC - with the Statue of Liberty, the WTC, etc.