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Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books at Skirball

Superman #14. © DC Comics. All rights reserved.
Superman #14. © DC Comics. All rights reserved.

The Skirball Cultural Center presents “ZAP! POW! BAM! The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950.” From their website:

Through never-before exhibited art and objects culled from private and institutional collections, ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950 explores the genesis of cultural icons such as Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Captain America. In the midst of the economic and political turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s, comic books offered America champions who shaped the values of an entire generation. ZAP! POW! BAM! examines the creative processes and influences that drove young Jewish artists to express their talents through the storylines and art of comic books. The exhibition features rare vintage artwork and books, 1940s Hollywood movie serials, and colorful interactive displays including a drawing studio, a newsstand, a vintage Batmobile ride, and stations that allow children to dress up as Superheroes or transform themselves via a quick costume change in a telephone booth. Guest curator Jerry Robinson brings a long history as a comic book industry insider to the exhibition. Working with Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Robinson named Robin, Batman’s young protégé. Robinson also co-created The Joker, Batman’s nemesis and one of the first Super-Villains.

Also at the Skirball: Lights, Camera, Action – Comci Book Heroes of Film and Television

Location: Skirball Cultural Center 2701 North Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 Tel: (310) 440-4500
Link out: Click here 
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, noon to 5pm; Saturday Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Start Date: 2009-02-19
End Date: 2009-08-09

More: ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938–1950 

  1. Comic Book Heroes of Film and Television