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Superheroic History Comes Alive in a New Comic Book Exhibition

Drawing the line from the Golden Age of Comics to the present, an exhibit offers a historic look at the medium.
Jason Garcia, Tewa peoples, American (1973–) Tewa Tales of Suspense, no. 4: Behold, Po’Pay!, 2014.Serigraph, 11 3/4 x 8 1/2 in. All images courtesy of UIMA School Programs Collections

Comic heros crackle off the page in an exhibit designed to educate the youth about the history of panel and speech-bubble storytelling. The University of Iowa Museum of Art showcases a series of comics and graphic novels that encompases several eras of comic book history. Featuring the familiar faces of superheroes, as well as more wry pop culture cartoons, the form of a comic strip has gone through many stages of evolution and reinvention.

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In an effort to recompense the presence of a water-damaged building in 2008, the museum administration hoped to rally the community through an art education program surrounding, as well as encourage youth engagement. The Curator of Education and Silver Linings: Comics and Graphic Novels, Dale William Fisher, spoke to The Creators Project about the unique dimensions of the exhibit: “The artwork in the UIMA School Programs Collections show a wide range of subjects from short- and long-form stories, superheroes, and historical figures. Works include The Avengers, Batman, Captain America, Alley Oop, Red Ryder, and Dr. Martin Luther King, as well as many contemporary works.”

He also explained the relevance of both comics and graphic novels in the collection, “The basic definition of a graphic novel is that it is a series of comics in a book length form. A graphic novel can contain a single narrative (linear or nonlinear) or comprise multiple vignettes.”

See some of the comics, along with their dates and creators, right here:

Wyatt Rowland (American, b. 1981- , Untitled, 2015, pen and ink

Jessica Abel (American, 1969–), Artbabe, vol. 2, no. 1, As I Live and Breathe, pg. 4, Fantagraphics Books, 1997. Pencil, ink, paper, 17 x 12 in

Matt Madden (American, 1968–),Odds Off, pg. 117, Highwater Books, 2000, Pencil, ink, paper, 14 1/4 x 11 in

Jeff Lemire (Canadian, 1976– ), Tales from the Farm, pg. 41, Top Shelf Productions, 2007, Pencil, ink, paint, paper, 22 x 15 in

UIMA’s exhibit Comics and Graphic Novels shows until September 30 in Iowa CIty. Learn more about the exhibit and the UIMA education initiatives here.

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