Cherbourg, eternal ingenue in the pastel hues of the film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg? Yes, but the city also has testosterone-inspired cravings bearing the colors of the American flag. The Museum of Fine Arts of Normandy Thomas Henry in Cherbourg renders a powerful tribute to the "King of Comics," Jack Kirby, in its exhibition "The Galaxy of Superheroes"
The father of superheroes
"Avengers assemble!" That will surely speak to comics fans. For beginners, it is the rallying cry of Captain America, created by Jack Kirby, to galvanize the Avengers when facing danger. Alter ego of Stan Lee, the father of comics created most of the superheroes of the Marvel universe: Thor, The Fantastic Four and his most accomplished creatures, the X Men, the children of the atom. Leave your Asgard shield and hammer in the cloakroom ... .150 original drawings take you to another dimension to measure the shock wave of this pioneer in this popular art.
Jack Kirby arrives in Normandy!
Superheroes are booming in the 40s and Captain America is a cultural response to the rise of Nazism. Deployed in 1942, Jack Kirby landed in August 1944 on the beaches of Normandy in Omaha to join the army of General Patton which influenced his subsequent productions. Although superheroes fell out of favour after the Second World War, which aspires to more lightness, they came back into vogue in the 60s. When he joined Atlas Comics, Jack Kirby became the graphic designer of almost all the characters in the future Marvel universe. Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Hulk and Iron Man, all source of blockbuster films: his signature stroke. With his energetic lines, daring cuts and complex narrative, he dynamites the genre and invents a style that makes him the central pillar of geek culture.
A pop culture icon
Through a chronological and thematic progression, his panels, sketches and illustrations are complemented by figurines, statues and spin-off products. From newspaper comic strips of the 30s, through comic books and on to the graphic novel of the 70s, we follow the progress of this gifted artist, deceased in 1994. Little known to the general public, he has nevertheless influenced generations of cartoonists. His modern mythology and graphic language, infused with societal issues (minority rights, social challenges, opposition to Vietnam), profoundly affected the comic industry.
Normandy: Planet Kirby
From May 25 to September 1, join Jack Kirby's Friends League and enter a parallel universe that still fuels the imagination of a new generation of authors. "The Galaxy of Superheroes" is part of a larger program. Its highlight, "Still Passengers", will explore the imaginary worlds of pop culture from August 30 to September 1, 2019. Normandy will be, without a doubt, "the place to be"! On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the media center Les 7 lieux in Bayeux presents, from June 4 to August 24, "Kirby's War, the inventor of modern superheroes" (free exhibition).
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