Members' Reception: Werewolf Hunters, Jungle Queens, and Space Commandos: The Lost Worlds of Women Comic Artists

MAH members are invited to join us for the opening of the Werewolf Hunters, Jungle Queens, and Space Commandos: The Lost Worlds of Women Comic Artists, an exhibition on pioneering women comic book artists. The event takes place on Friday, October 13 from 6-7:30pm; refreshments included.

Beginning with the 1940s, this exhibition explores how American women comics artists used monsters to explore the histories and futures of the US as its racial, gendered, and national politics shifted throughout the 20th century. The show is guest curated by Renée Fox and Michael Chemers of the UC Santa Cruz Center for Monsters Studies and features a variety of materials from the comics collection of Jim Gunderson.

Werewolf Hunters, Jungle Queens, and Space Commandos: The Lost Worlds of Women Comic Artists is presented in partnership with the UC Santa Cruz Center for Monster Studies and is supported in part by The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz.

The opening of the MAH’s exhibition coincides with the launch of the 2023 Festival of Monsters, presented by Center for Monster Studies from October 13-15, 2023. The festival explores the ways monsters and tropes of monstrosity both preserve and resist forms of social and cultural injustice. The festival includes a free public day at the MAH and a paid academic conference, with performances, readings, and presentations from monster-makers.

On Friday, October 13, the festival begin with a full day of public events at the MAH, including a panel with Black Nerds Create, a talk with the creators of Theater of Terror, a reading by author Addie Tsai (Unwieldy Creatures), a Q&A and mask display by locally-owned Trick or Treat Studios, a keynote by Mallory O'Meara (The Lady from the Black Lagoon), and the opening of the MAH’s exhibition.

Top Image: Header Image: Cover artwork by Lily Renee for Rangers Comics 23, Werewolf Hunter, June 1945.