Schenectady, NY (May 10, 2023) – The Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) announced today the opening of GE Comic Books: Adventures in Science, a new exhibit that showcases the impact of comic books on inspiring young people to study science and engineering. The exhibit will feature a collection of 26 comic books created by General Electric (GE) between 1945 and 1964, that told the story of electricity and other scientific innovations through the eyes of a fictional teenager named Johnny Powers. The exhibit will open on May 13, 2023, and be on view through September 5, 2023. Visitors to the exhibit will be able to see the original comic books, as well as learn about the impact they had on inspiring a generation of students to pursue careers in science and engineering.
GE's science comics, which were distributed for free to teachers and students, became an instant success and quickly exhausted their initial run of 300,000 copies. Ultimately, GE gave away more than 125 million comic books, including translations into more than a dozen languages. The comics starred fictional teenager Johnny Powers and his older brother Ed, a GE engineer, and demonstrated how science and engineering can provide solutions to everyday problems and offer exciting career opportunities.
The exhibit will also feature the work of veteran comic artist George Roussos, who created the vibrant, colorful style of the GE science comics. Roussos was also coloring DC Comic's Batman and later went on to work with Marvel, inking and coloring early issues of Fantastic Four and other important titles.
"The GE Comic Books: Adventures in Science exhibit is a celebration of the impact that comic books had on inspiring a generation of students to pursue careers in science and engineering," said miSci President, Gina Gould. "The exhibit will provide a unique opportunity for visitors to learn about the role that comic books played in popularizing science and engineering and inspiring young people to pursue careers in these fields."
About miSci
Located in Schenectady, New York, miSci presents exhibitions, programs, and events designed to inspire people to celebrate and explore science and technology – past, present, and future. Home to the Suits-Bueche Planetarium, the Museum's holdings include an archive of more than 1.6 million prints, negatives, and historic materials from the General Electric Photographic Collection, and more than 15,000 objects relating to the history of science and technology. Learn more at www.miSci.org.
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