The Skirball Cultural Center exhibition, Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution, offers a vibrant exploration of how comic books have shaped American pop culture. It highlights how these stories provided generations of readers with heroes who reflected their world - and sometimes the world they wanted to become.

From Superman to Howard Cruse (often referred to as a pioneer of queer comics), the exhibition brings together more than 250 pieces, including comic books, original artwork, memorabilia, and rare collectibles spanning the twentieth century.

Trailblazing creators like Alison Bechdel are featured here as well, including material connected to her influential comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. The exhibition also highlights the relationship between comics and Hip-Hop culture, featuring music and visuals that capture the era's energy.

And of course, there’s Star Wars. Long after the credits rolled on the films, the stories kept expanding through comic books, and the exhibit explores how that galaxy far away became a major force in comic storytelling, too.

You’ll find vintage Black Panther comics on display alongside old-school TV shows based on comics featuring Wonder Woman and Batman playing on retro television sets.

The exhibition also touches on the influence of Mad Magazine and its unforgettable mascot Alfred E. Neuman, whose image and satire still echo through American politics and culture today.

One especially fascinating section looks at the comic book industry’s version of the Red Scare. The exhibit explores the controversy surrounding Seduction of the Innocent, the 1954 book that blamed comic books for corrupting young readers and helped spark Senate hearings that changed the industry forever.

There’s also a powerful contrast between the bright, all-American world of Archie Comics and the struggles faced by All-Negro Comics, whose publisher reportedly faced discrimination trying to get the comic printed. It’s a reminder that comic book history reflects America’s cultural divide as well.

Superman’s presence is everywhere throughout the exhibition, including a remarkable 1940 Superman of America membership certificate signed by Clark Kent.

Classic titles from Detective Comics, Marvel Comics, Whiz Comics, and Flash Comics appear throughout the galleries, along with a spotlight on pioneering artist Lily Renée, creator of Señorita Rio — a glamorous Latina action hero who fought enemies during World War II-era storytelling.

One thing that stands out throughout the exhibition is how comics connected with Americans from every background. The artwork, advertisements, and photographs capture just how universal comic book culture became.

One of my favorite pieces here is the oversized Superman vs. Muhammad Ali comic. The famous wraparound cover is packed with celebrities, politicians, comic creators, and iconic characters, while the story itself pairs the Man of Steel with Muhammad Ali to help save Earth from an alien threat.

The exhibit also celebrates Love and Rockets, the influential indie comic series created by the Hernández brothers, which became an important part of the alternative comics movement during the 1980s.

And then there’s Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, Art Spiegelman’s deeply emotional graphic novel about his father’s Holocaust experience. Its use of animal imagery to tell a human story helped redefine what comics and graphic novels could achieve as an art form.

Elsewhere, the exhibition dives into Sin City, classic television tie-ins like Welcome Back, Kotter and The Bionic Woman, a patriotic Captain America Bicentennial comic, and an eye-opening collection of comics connected to the Women’s Liberation Movement.

But maybe the most powerful image in the entire exhibition is one showing young Americans from different backgrounds gathered together reading comics. Nearby, a Superman message reminds readers that America is made up of people of many races, religions, and nationalities — and that intolerance goes against what the country is supposed to stand for.

Decades later, that message still feels incredibly relevant.

Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution runs through February 28, 2027 at the Skirball Cultural Center, located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049.

For more information, call (310) 440-4500 or visit Skirball Cultural Center.