Exhibit traces history of comic book superheroes
Montclair Art Museum hosts one-of-a-kind tribute to genre
BY MARK ROSMAN Staff Writer
The American cultural phenomenon known as the comic book is getting the royal treatment at the Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, Essex County. Fans of this genre of entertainment will be coming from near and far between now and Jan. 13, 2008, to see a one-of-a-kind exhibition, "Reflecting Culture: The Evolution of American Comic Book Superheroes."

Monmouth County native Michael Uslan, who is best known as the executive producer of the movies "Batman" and "Batman Begins," has lent items from his personal collection of comic books to an exhibit now on display at the Montclair Art Museum, Essex County. The exhibit is called "Reflecting Culture: The Evolution of American Comic Book Superheroes."

According to a press release, the exhibition traces the way in which comic books have reflected an ever-evolving American culture through more than 150 original drawings, rare comic books and graphic novels from the Golden Age of comics (1938-1946) to the present. Never-before-seen original drawings and other work from the private collection of New Jersey resident and Monmouth County native Michael Uslan, executive producer of the movies "Batman" and "Batman Begins," will be the cornerstone of this exhibit, which unites seminal work of the genre from private collections around the country.

In an interview with Greater Media Newspapers, Uslan said he believes the exhibit will appeal to comic book collectors and to people who are not aficionados. It is, he said, "very entertaining - the type of exhibit that parents and grandparents can bring children to."

An audio guide narrated by Uslan will take visitors through the years and detail the transformation of superhero comic books.

"Visitors will see the transformation of the Asian supervillain from the 1940s through the 1950s, into the 1970s. You will see the role of women evolve from damsels in distress to protagonists. You will see the emergence of African- American superheroes and you will see how comic books reflect the changing times in which we live," he said.

On Sept. 15, about 25 of the people Uslan calls "the founding mothers and fathers" of the superhero comic book will gather at the museum to see an exhibit that is filled with their creations. Among the comic book creative legends whose work is represented in the exhibit is Stan Lee.

Now about to turn 85 years old, Lee is the co-creator of Marvel Comics superheroes such as the Fantastic 4, Spider- Man, the Hulk, the Silver Surfer, XMen, Thor and Iron Man.

Speaking about Lee, Uslan told Greater Media Newspapers, "He is our Homer and he is amazed to see how the comics have evolved into movies."

"Many, if not most, of the comic book creators have lived in New Jersey because New York was where the industry was. I had a chance to meet and to spend time with them," said Uslan, who is the originator of the first collegeaccredited course on comic books at his alma mater, Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. He is also the author of the first textbook on comics, "The Comic Book in America," and the author of "America at War - A History of War Comics," "Mysteries in Space - A History of Science Fiction Comics," "The Best of Archie," "The Comic Book Revolution" and others.

The three primary themes that Uslan said stand out for him in the exhibit are one, the way that comic books and superheroes reflect a changing culture; two, comic books as an art form; and three, how comic books are contemporary American folklore.

The transformation of comic book superheroes to blockbuster movies can

be traced to 1978 when director Richard Donner reintroduced "Superman" to the silver screen, Uslan said, adding it was that development that inspired him to pursue the rights to "Batman" in 1979.

Ten years later, "Batman," starring Michael Keaton, directed by Tim Burton and with a memorable production design by Anton Furst, launched a blockbuster series that will continue in 2008 with the release of "The Dark Knight," directed by Chris Nolan.

Other superheroes, such as Spider- Man and the Fantastic 4, have also come to the big screen in recent years.

Uslan's love affair with comic books traces back to his childhood and he recalled how, as a preteen, "my friend and I would collect soda bottles and return them to get the 5 cents and then go to the Collingwood Auction (in Wall Township) every Friday night to buy comic books for a nickel each from a guy who brought them down to Collingwood from New York."

It was a treasure trove, he said, with comic books dating back to 1936 unearthed in the boxes at the Route 33 & 34 flea market.

According to the press release, "Reflecting Culture: The Evolution of American Comic Book Superheroes," curated by MAM's chief curator, Gail Stavitsky, with assistance from Curator of Native American Art Twig Johnson, and Uslan, examines the modern comic book, from its humble origins in 1934 as the reprinted pages of Sunday newspaper comic strips, to its ascent as a thriving industry that has fueled the American imagination, to the enormous successes of its contemporary offspring, the Hollywood blockbuster film.

According to the press release, from the time of its inception in the early '30s, the modern comic book quickly grew into a thriving industry that became the most popular producer of reading material for children and young adults. This growth was fueled by the proliferation of the new superhero comic book characters that appeared in the era of the Great Depression and World War II.

Like the mythological heroes of ancient Greece, the comic book superheroes became manifestations of American history, culture, and folklore.

As Uslan has observed, "The ancient gods of the Greeks, Romans, the Egyptians, and the Norse still exist today, only they're clad in spandex, capes, and masks."

This exhibition traces the way in which comic books have reflected national events, aspirations, and attitudes - from the battles waged against Axis powers and corporate corruption by the invincible Superman, Batman, and Captain America, to the era of the 1960s when Spider-Man emerged as the quintessential superhero of his time - an adolescent who had to contend with his own insecurities while fighting evil.

The Montclair Art Museum is at 3 S. Mountain Ave., Montclair.

Information and directions are available from the museum Web site, www.montclairartmuseum.org, or by calling (973) 746-5555.

MAM is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum admission is free to members and to children under 12; $8 for nonmember adults, $6 for senior citizens and for students with I.D. Admission is free to everyone on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.