The Last Super

Anybody who truly has my back more than superficially knows that I’ve had a crush on Superman since, well, practically the day the folks at DC Comics invented him. Consequently, through the years, I’ve tried desperately not to collect Superman paraphernalia, and have mostly succeeded. But recently I indulged my own base instincts and bid on a man-of-fragile-glass Christmas ornament on e-Bay. I’m not all that sure how I stumbled across these rarities but I think it had to do with my interest in Christopher Radko ornaments in general and then, specifically, the one he designed for release in 1996 depicting this particular paragon of adolescent superficiality.

Actually, I find Radko ornaments in general kind of bizarre, if not downright ugly. Their very unalloyed unattractiveness is sometimes what actually draws my interest along with, of course, the incipient glitter inherent in the medium. The Radko ornaments are no exception. We are all attracted to glitz, right? It’s just too bad most of us are incapable to discerning the difference between innocent glitz and tasteless bling.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks of making unsuccessful bids on Radko’s Superman I changed my strategy and posted a maximum bid and stuck with it. Over and over I was notified that I had been outbid and I would immediately go on-line, seek out the next offering, post my maximum and wait it out. Persistence finally paid off and I’m now the owner of a semi-rare Christopher Radko ornament in the shape of Superman. His body is muscularly distorted and his visage is fey and effete and almost feminine but, hey, who am I to complain about those little details? I own it; I’m now living with it and I’m proud of it (I think).