To celebrate 80 years of Marvel Comics, the pop culture giant is hosting a huge exhibition spanning the past eight decades titled Marvel: Journey of Heroes. Held at Melbourne Central throughout July, the exhibition will honour the beloved characters and tales of the powerhouse franchise.
Since launching in 1939 as Timely Comics, with its first ever issue featuring the Human Torch, Marvel Comics has become a universally recognised force in cinema and graphic novels. The franchise has hosted a stream of industry legends at its helm — including Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Romita and Don Heck — and brought to life an incredible breadth of characters such as Spider-Man, Thor, Wolverine and Captain America.
The exhibition will showcase the evolution of Marvel Comics by highlighting works from each decade of the franchise’s 80-year strong legacy. It will also feature a range of original artworks by the likes of Patrick Brown, Jon Sommariva, David Yardin, Ben Templesmith and Wayne Nichols.
“This celebration is a huge milestone not only for Marvel but also the comic book industry as a whole. Marvel’s impact on pop culture throughout the years — spanning comics, gaming, toys, TV and lifestyle — is a global phenomenon,” says comic book author Tom Taylor.
“The characters brought to life in these comics are household names in Australia and the world, and it’s exciting that we get to take a step back, explore its history and honour the comics that started it all.”
Marvel: Journey of Heroes will be on display at Melbourne Central behind the Shot Tower from Friday July 5 until September. Entry to the exhibition is free.
