The Story Behind That Superman Poster In Downtown Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is a city that has undergone significant changes in recent years, with hotels and apartment buildings popping seemingly out of nowhere. A 10,000+ capacity amphitheatre will be completed sometime next year, and more big projects are on the horizon.

However, despite the city's recent changes, one small piece of local lore has persisted. For over a decade, a poster has hung in the window of a long-closed business, serving as a silent guardian, overlooking Division Avenue. In many ways, it's doing exactly what the character on the poster does: looking after the city.

This is the story behind Superman, the Man of Steel... well, the poster, at least.

The Rise and Fall of GrandLAN Gaming Center

Before online multiplayer in video games became the norm, people had to be in person to play games like Super Smash Bros. and Halo together (gasp, I know). Halo and Call of Duty were the two champions of  "LAN Parties", a nod to connecting computers and consoles on a single "Local Access Network" to play on the same Internet source together.

This process was complicated for many people. Places like GrandLAN Gaming Center, which opened in 2006, offered a space for gamers and nerds to engage in network gaming, with the Center connecting up to 20 PCs. It also provided a hub for people to learn, play, and shop for tabletop games, comic books, and computer hardware. During its heyday, the center was even sponsored by 105.3 HOTFM.

As gaming consoles grew in popularity, places like this struggled to stay afloat, and it eventually closed its doors in 2015, citing construction blocking foot traffic and slow sales.

How the Superman Poster Gained a Following

In 2013, comic book movies were at their peak. The Marvel Cinematic Universe had just broken box office records with The Avengers, and DC Comics was trying to make a splash of its own in the lucrative movie industry. So, when it was announced that Superman would be getting a movie, fans were excited and loved the poster - the same poster that was still hanging in the window 12 years later.

We reached out to Erik Bauer, the former owner of GrandLAN and founder of Gaming Paper, to find out why the poster was left behind. According to him, there was no reason why the poster was left behind, and he was unaware that it had gained a local cult following.

We didn't take it down, I don't know why. It was put up because we were selling comic books and wanted to get people's attention...I am happy to see people still care about it after all this time.

Bauer went on to say he is still impressed by what the kids who "frequented my little shop" went on to do, noting that some are wildly successful and others are making a real impact on the world.

Keeler Building Condemned

The Man of Steel poster has remained an iconic piece of Downtown lore, though its time may be limited. The city of Grand Rapids has recently condemned the over 100-year-old Keeler Building, raising questions about its future. For now, it remains a highlight for anyone who passes by.