We’ve long lamented the American confusion of medium and message where comic books are concerned. Though comics are widely read throughout Europe and Asia, only in the United States does the form of comics remain largely synonymous with the genre of superheroes.
But a fascinating exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian makes clear that the two Jewish kids from Cleveland who created Superman in 1938 were far from the first people on this continent to tell graphic stories of heroes endowed with otherworldly gifts.
This small but engrossing collection of works on paper, figurines and even jewelry examines how American Indians have used what would (much) later be called comics to document their experience for centuries. A circa 1290 A.D. image of a red, white and blue-clad warrior armed with a shield bears a striking resemblance to the Jack Kirby drawing of Captain America exhibited next to it.
Examples of early rock art show how traditional Indian storytelling prefigured the narrative devices of modern comic books. Equally compelling are the many recent works by artists who continue to use comics to record and remark upon the American Indian experience in the 21st century.
If you go
“Comic Art Indigene” at the National Museum of the American Indian
Where: National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW
When: Through May 31, 2009
Info: Free; 202-633-1000; nmai.si.edu
