2010 Merchandise & Miscellaneous News Archives

December 8, 2010: Japan Celebrates 75 Years of DC Comics

Daily Yomiur reports on the "DC Comics Super Heroes!" exhibition currently on display in Japan's Parco Factory in Shibuya, Tokyo to celebrate the involvement of Japanese artists in the company's 75 year history.

    "We felt this exhibition would be a good way for light fans who became interested in America's comicbooks through films to learn about the genre in an accessible, fun way," says Rui Shigeto, who curated the exhibition.

    The show covers the history of some of America's favorite comicbook heroes: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern (most of whom have appeared in film). Starting with the Golden Age (ca 1938-1952)--which was heralded by the appearance of Superman in Action Comics No. 1, and later introduced Batman in Detective Comics--a number of replica covers from each era illustrate the changes in artistic attitudes and societal norms.

    Each of the major turning points in comicbook history--which also include the Silver Age and the Modern Age--is marked by a distinct approach in terms of both artistic style and story content. Early stories were a bit on the dark side, before taking a turn for the camp during the 1960s. Later, characters struggled with issues such as drug abuse and, in the case of Frank Miller's brilliant The Dark Knight Returns, nuclear war and misplaced patriotism. As one might imagine, a dark realism--both visually and thematically--has taken hold in the Modern Age of American comics.

Read the complete report at Yomiuri.co.jp.

"DC Comics Super Heroes!!!," runs until December 19th, and is open from 10.00am to 9.00pm at Parco Factory in Shibuya, Tokyo. Admission is 300 yen, with student discounts available. For further information, call (03) 3477-5873 or visit www.parco-art.com.

Thanks to CJK67 for the lead on this info.



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