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A new type of comic book character -- the super hero -- appeared for the first time in 1938 -- as Ohio teenagers Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel came up with "Superman."

A radio show about him immediately caught the public's fancy.

Superman has remained popular through decades of changing tastes in entertainment.

In fact, a celebration dedicated to him starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday in Metropolis, Illinois, with 50,000 people expected to share in the annual fun.

The year "Superman" first appeared, Americans spent an average of $514 on magazines and newspapers. Now, that figure is just over $88.