A special column on Jerry Siegel’s birthday… — Hey, get this: Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel was born 104 years ago today. Perfect time to run this piece by podcaster/filmmaker extraordinaire Anthony Desiato about Superman and the thrill of chasing down that collectible that you’ve always wanted. Even if you’re not a fan of the Man of Steel, Anthony’s experience is universal. Dig it. — Dan — By ANTHONY DESIATO While the internet has made it possible to find and buy almost any collectible with relative ease, it is the thrill of the hunt that keeps collectors flipping through back-issue bins at comic shops and rummaging through tubs of loose action figures at conventions. There’s a charge that comes with chasing an elusive item and — with the right mix of persistence and timing — finally finding it. Which brings me to this year’s New York Comic Con. “Excuse me,” I said to the gentleman working in a vintage toy booth. “Do you mind if I move this?” A wooden case with a glass cover sat atop another of the same kind. Only about a third of the lower case was visible, but I instantly recognized the loose — yet pristine — action figures neatly laid out within. They belonged to the beloved Kenner Super Powers line. For anyone not familiar — though you almost certainly are — this 1980s toy line won the hearts of a generation of fans for its simple yet classic depictions of DC’s heroes and villains. By the end of Super Powers’ relatively brief three-year run, Kenner had produced eight vehicles, one playset, 33 regular-release action figures — and one mail-away exclusive: Clark Kent. Not carded like the others in the line, Superman’s alter ego arrived in mailboxes in a plain cardboard box. I only even learned about the Clark Kent exclusive in recent years, when I began researching the Super Powers series for a collecting-themed season of my podcast, My Comic Shop History. Before that, though, Super Powers played a small yet pivotal role in my fandom. When I was 5, I was introduced to comics thanks to The Death of Superman. But before I saw the Man of Steel go the distance against Doomsday, I owned and played with the Superman action figure from the Super Powers line. It had been more or less a...