Comic books as we know them arrived during he hungry days of The Great Depression. In 1938, the fledgling enterprise became an industry when Superman appeared on the cover of the first issue of Action Comics. In September 1939, when the Second World War officially began, they exploded. By the time the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, popular titles were outselling mainstream magazines, children and adults were thrilling to the exploits of a colorful parade of new superheroes, and the star-spangled Captain America had become a national symbol. This exhibit showcases the vibrant, often shocking cover images that exemplified the comic book industry throughout the war years, and helped comics cement an everlasting place in American popular culture.

Mark Fertig is the founder of the graphic design program and chair of the Department of Art + Design at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. He’s the author of Take That Adolf! The Fighting Comic Books of the Second World War and Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir Posters from the 1940s and 1950s, both from Fantagraphics Books. His current book project is Hang ‘Em High: 100 Years of Western Movie Posters.