Via Newsarama and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the story of 48-year-old Mike Meyer, a mentally disabled man who was robbed "of about 1,800 of his favorite Superman comic books, some dating to the 1950s," and cherished collector's items including lunch boxes, an old-time radio, a Monopoly game and television set.

All of these sentimental treasures had one thing in common: they were Superman-themed. Mike purchased his first Superman comic book for about 20 cents in 1974, and has since collected nearly every single issue to the present—along with many other items devoted to his favorite comic-book hero.

If there is a Superman, I hope he reads Boing Boing and will come help Mike get his collection back. Snip:

Meyer said mostly only his friends and family knew of his collection, but he also made the mistake once of telling someone less trustworthy: a guy named Gary whom he worked with at the Hardee's on Madison Avenue in 1991. Meyer said he ran into Gary recently while at Kyle's Baseball Cards and Comics in Granite City. Gary asked Meyer whether he still collected Superman items and asked to see the collection. Meyer first gave an excuse, but then Gary called him later saying he was in the neighborhood and hoped to stop by. "He just kept talking like a salesman," Meyer said. "He wouldn't take no for an answer." Meyer said he let Gary into the house that day and gave him a quick tour. Gary asked to see "my most precious comics," Meyer said. The next night, Gary was back again, asking whether Meyer would let Gary's girlfriend watch some of his Superman movies. Meyer said while he and the girlfriend watched, Gary disappeared for a while. Meyer noticed the theft two days later, on the morning of Aug. 24, and called police. All he knows is that Gary has dark hair, a goatee, is about 35 and drives a silver or gray car.

Describing Superman to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mike said, "He uses his powers not to benefit himself, but to help others, and "He's the champion of the oppressed."

Photo: Emily Rasinski of post-dispatch.com.

(thanks, Patrick Hassell)