Holy Heroes, Batman! Omaha’s Durham Museum hosts special exhibit on comic book superheroes
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…the Hall of Heroes! Comic book superheroes come to life – sort of – at Omaha’s Durham Museum. The exhibition showcasing America’s love affair with superheroes, such as Iron Man, Superman and Wonder Woman, runs through April 16.
The traveling exhibit combines the story of the superheroes with interactive displays examining what it takes to become a superhero. From creating stop motion filming to the power of a wind tunnel, visitors of all ages will find all kinds of information at Hall of Heroes.
A life-size recreation of the Batmobile was popular with people during our visit to the exhibit. Set up in the bat cave, a statue of Batman watching over Gotham is located nearby.
Stage 9 Exhibits, the company behind Hall of Heroes, mixes superheroes from both the Marvel and DC Comics worlds. The company chose a variety of characters to help tell the story behind Hall of Heroes.
The exhibit features Life-size statues of Superman, Iron Man, Black Panther, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Incredible Hulk. A replica of Doctor Who’s Tardis is also on display. They’re great for photo opportunities.
A locker room display includes items from other superheroes, including Captain America’s shield.
Along with interactive displays, Hall of Heroes includes props, models and trivia. Do you know which superhero television series was the most successful during the 1970s run on the genre? Electra Woman? The Six Million Dollar Man? The answer may help you one day during a trivia game.
Hall of Heroes traces the popularity of superheroes from comics during the 1930s through today’s movies. Celebrate the Golden Age (1930s), Silver Age (1950s) and Bronze Age (1970s) of superheroes. Before series such as “Superman” took to the airwaves, westerns dominated television, with shows like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza” and “Hopalong Cassidy” leading the way.
From 1966-68, “Batman” ranked as one of the most popular comedies on television and was one of the rare shows to be broadcasted twice a week, including 60 episodes during the 1966-67 season (unheard of today, since series only air 10 episodes a year). Hence, the promotion at the end of some episodes: “Tune in tomorrow – Same bat-time. Same bat channel.”
The ’60s also ushered in a look at space travel, with series such as “Star Trek” and “Lost in Space.” Despite being on air for only three seasons, “Star Trek” gained popularity during syndicated reruns, leading to movies and a continuing legacy of additional “Star Trek” series.
As you check out the exhibits about key decades, you may notice a cat sleeping under a table at each one. As one of the organizers told us, the model, which is battery-powered, shows that despite how times change, cats pretty much stay the same once they’re adults. A little cat humor mixed with geek humor. All they need to do is add free coffee during the tour, and I’m in heaven.
Adding a touch of local geekiness, Hall of Heroes showcases comic books from collector Michael Dodger. His interest in superhero comics includes a fascination with the 1960s series and Christopher Reeves as Superman, as well as the stories the comics told.
After touring the Hall of Heroes, I’m not sure who will enjoy it more – children or adult children. Hall of Heroes is the perfect exhibit for children of all ages. You may want to visit a few times to truly absorb the information and the geekiness the Hall offers everyone.
