Do you prefer Smallville to officially be in the state of Kansas?

[daBronzeBomma]

I'm not sure when this happened (though I immediately want to say John Byrne's MAN OF STEEL miniseries in 1986 is the culprit), but I dislike the fact that Smallville has a real specific state/province assigned to it. I liked it better when ALL the places in the Superverse were both fictional and hard-to-pin-down. I believe Smallville was initially a day trip away from Metropolis, or even one of it's outlying areas.

It just seems unnecessarily incongruous that we never get more real-world specific than "America" for the Superverse, except for Smallville, which, instead of being any small town USA (could be the nearest farm to you), becomes limited to one out of 50 states.

It's ultimately a small deal, I know, but it bugs me as a fan. Smallville should have remained generic and not tied down to any real state.

[DochaDocha]

I've actually given this topic a lot of thought.

I think if you took away the precise state, and made Smallville something like Metropolis, Gotham City*, or the Simpson's Springfield in which the state isn't necessarily identified, you don't really lose anything. I do believe, though, that Metropolis is a coast city, and probably East Coast (no offense to our West coast; I know East Coast Bias has screwed you guys for decades, if not centuries), and I happen to think the kind of rural city that Smallville is generally portrayed as demands a middle-America setting. I also like the idea that Smallville is thousands of miles away from Metropolis, not something relatively close. That's a personal preference, so if you like having them closer together, don't bother having me explain my rationale. So, I'd say limiting Smallville to being in Kansas doesn't really hurt anything, either. However, it's been established as Kansas, and even though I say its precise state doesn't matter, I don't want that to mean you can play musical chairs with the Heartland states and start moving the city on a whim. Consistency here would be good; once your continuity says it's Kansas, stick to it.

*Gotham City might as well be in New York state, either as a fill-in for NYC or another big city that happens to be in NY state. The animated Batman movie Sub-Zero actually gave Barbara's Gotham City address a Manhattan zip code, and New York state. I haven't kept close tabs on Gotham in the comics, so I don't know what's the official status on its location.

[Jon Clark]

I do believe, though, that Metropolis is a coast city, and probably East Coast (no offense to our West coast; I know East Coast Bias has screwed you guys for decades, if not centuries), and I happen to think the kind of rural city that Smallville is generally portrayed as demands a middle-America setting.

Living in Southeastern PA, I could easily see Smallville as a place like Lancaster. A farming community that you can get to from a major city like Philadelphia in about an hour or so. I'm pretty sure there are others along the East Coast, farm areas you could visit from a major city and be back before dark.

The Kansas version never sat right with me. It just seems too simplistic- if he grew up on a farm it has to be the mid-west- as if farms don't exist anywhere else in the country. The only thing worse was the TV show then moving Metropolis to Kansas, a real tail wagging the dog moment.

[Jeremiah]

It was Superman the movie that first put Smallville in Kansas.

I prefer it that way. Probably because that's what I grew up with.

[DochaDocha]

Living in Southeastern PA, I could easily see Smallville as a place like Lancaster. A farming community that you can get to from a major city like Philadelphia in about an hour or so. I'm pretty sure there are others along the East Coast, farm areas you could visit from a major city and be back before dark.

The Kansas version never sat right with me. It just seems too simplistic- if he grew up on a farm it has to be the mid-west- as if farms don't exist anywhere else in the country. The only thing worse was the TV show then moving Metropolis to Kansas, a real tail wagging the dog moment.

Oh yeah, that's true of the Great Lakes states, too. I live in Chicago, and if you drive an hour or so east to Northwest Indiana, you'll find some Amish towns. I once took a scenic route through it, but then my dad said get back onto the Tollway. Obviously, Clark didn't grow up Amish, but there are agriculture areas not too far from some of these cities in the GL region.

[daBronzeBomma]

Living in Southeastern PA, I could easily see Smallville as a place like Lancaster. A farming community that you can get to from a major city like Philadelphia in about an hour or so. I'm pretty sure there are others along the East Coast, farm areas you could visit from a major city and be back before dark.

That's what I'm talking about: You should be able to imagine Smallville as being the closest farming community to you, no matter where you are in the United States (or really elsewhere too, but esp in the USA).

The Kansas version never sat right with me. It just seems too simplistic- if he grew up on a farm it has to be the mid-west- as if farms don't exist anywhere else in the country.

It puffs up Kansas as the only state of importance within the Superverse. I say, keep Smallville completely fictional!

The only thing worse was the TV show then moving Metropolis to Kansas, a real tail wagging the dog moment.

Ugh. Had blocked out that part. Horrible end-result of logistically boxing yourself into one specific state like that. Neither Smallville (and NEVER Metropolis) should be in Kansas.

[Francisco]

Smallville in Kansas and Metropolis in the state of New York that's how it should always be. imo.

[daBronzeBomma]

Smallville in Kansas and Metropolis in the state of New York that's how it should always be. imo.

Definitely disagree with the first part, but the second part is interesting. So, to you, is there a NYC separate from Metropolis (and Gotham) in the DCU? Are all three located in New York State? Seems a bit crowded.

[stargazer01]

Smallville in Kansas and Metropolis in the state of New York that's how it should always be. imo.

I agree, it makes Smallville feel like a real town that exist somewhere in America, and I also appreciate continuity. I don't see how it hurts the mythos any way.

[SJNeal]

Yeah, for me "Smallville" (the show) messed up my suspension of disbelief when you saw Chloe, Lionel, Lex etc. bouncing to Metropolis and back four times in any given episode...

[Lorendiac]

I'm all in favor of Smallville being firmly planted in the middle of Kansas.

[Custodes]

I'm all in favor of Smallville being firmly planted in the middle of Kansas.

Yes...where it is and has always been. And rants about most states having a smallville are irrelevant. The Smallville is in Kansas. In the comics. Even on the show Smallville.
Why ignore 70 years of history.

[Kid A]

Yes...where it is and has always been. And rants about most states having a smallville are irrelevant. The Smallville is in Kansas. In the comics. Even on the show Smallville.
Why ignore 70 years of history.

70 years of history? Smallville wasn't in Kansas until the movie.

Smallville makes sense as a town near Metropolis, and no way would Metropolis be in a place like Kansas.

[daBronzeBomma]

Yes...where it is and has always been.

FALSE. Patently false.

From 1938 through 1978, there was absolutely NO mention of Kansas anywhere within the Superman mythos.

That relocation to Kansas was an eventual result of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE in December 1978. But, in the comics, that change to Kansas still didn't happen until 1986 with the John Byrne reboot MAN OF STEEL miniseries.

So, to recap, there was no "Kansas Smallville" in the Superman comics from 1938 - 1986, a full 48 years out of the character's 76 year history.

And rants about most states having a smallville are irrelevant. The Smallville is in Kansas. In the comics. Even on the show Smallville.

Meh. Smallville was fine for the first 48 years without being in Kansas. Smallville has not been in Kansas for the majority (63% of the time) of the character's existence. It was much more inclusive (and consistent with the other two fictional Super-places of Krypton and Metropolis) that way.

Why ignore 70 years of history.

That's a question you should be asking yourself.

[Custodes]

I recall it from Otto Bender, Superboy comics, in the 60s.