Asian Comics at the Bowers

Bowers Museum
Santa Ana
August 31, 2024

While at Comic-Con earlier this year, Meredith stopped by the booth staffed by the Bowers Museum and found out the museum has been featuring an exhibition on Asian comics, Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form. The exhibition closes soon (on September 8) so we made sure to drive up to Orange County while we could still see it.

The Bowers features art and artifacts from many cultures and puts together interesting special exhibitions. We went there once before in 2017 and saw fascinating exhibitions about Shackleton’s Antarctic expedition and the Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi. There are nice courtyards both at the main entrance and the side entrance facing the parking lot. The museum is well staffed with helpful docents, and docent led tours are available although we did not join any.

We arrived in the morning, not long after the museum opened, and found ample parking in the main lot. The staff at the entrance alerted us that two galleries (Pacific Islands and China) would be closing early, so we made those our first stop. Meredith wore her “Museum Nerd” T-shirt and received many admiring comments about it.

The Pacific Islands gallery, entitled Spirits and Headhunters, has extensive displays of artifacts, organized into the three main cultural areas, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. There is a large map near the entrance showing all the islands and areas featured in the gallery. It was interesting to see how the available materials are reflected in the artifacts on display. For instance, where metal was unavailable, weapons were made from wood and shark teeth, and armor was made from woven plant fibers. We appreciated seeing the boat models and types of currency. Along with the artifacts were extensive explanations of social institutions, religious practices, celebrations, diet, warfare, and navigation.

The Asian comics exhibition covered approximately 20 countries over a timespan from the 19th century to the present. Both original art and published reproductions were included. Near the entrance we saw Japanese woodblock prints from 19th century. Japanese art, especially manga, was well represented in the exhibition, in part because of its wide influence but also because it was often reprinted in books, which have survived. In comparison, comic art created in Korea and the Philippines was typically published only in magazines and so less often preserved. This phenomenon was not limited to Asia; in the US also, early comics were published in newspapers and magazines (comic books) intended to be read and then discarded.

A wide range of topics were represented in the graphic novels, comic strips, and other art on display, including (among other things) religion, supernatural bestiaries, heroes, Indian epics, and China’s four great classical novels. The novel Journey to the West, published in the 16th century, inspired the well-known manga Dragon Ball.

We also saw a wide-ranging display of comics with historical themes. Many periods and countries were represented such as: the partition of India and Pakistan; colonization of several countries both by Western powers and by Japan; and World War II. Examples of comics commissioned by communist governments for propaganda purposes were displayed, as were comics covering current social issues like gender equality and housing.

There was a section screened off for adults only in which explicit art was on display.

In the final part of the comics exhibition, we saw information about the modern manga industry, contemporary artists and trends, the history of censorship in several countries, the role of women artists and their struggle for equality, and media adaptations of comic art. There was a table where patrons could follow a “drawing tutorial” and draw their own manga.

Unfortunately the Asian comics exhibition will be closing the day we post this entry, but the Bowers is planning an exhibition that will appeal to comics fans also. Fantasy: Realms of Imagination will open October 26, 2024 and run through mid-February 2025. The museums website says this about it:

From epic visions to intricately envisaged details, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination celebrates some of the finest fantasy creators, reveal how their imagined lands, languages and creatures came into being, and delve into the traditions of a genre that has created some of the most passionate and enduring fandoms.

Journey from fairy tales and folklore to the fantastical worlds of Studio Ghibli. Venture into lands occupied by goblins and go down the rabbit hole. Explore the realms of the one ring and travel into the depths of Pan’s Labyrinth. And discover how the oldest forms of literature continue to inspire fantasy authors today.

Presented in partnership with the British Library, Bowers Museum invites visitors to discover 160 fantastical items that include costumes, historical manuscripts, rare first editions, drafts of iconic novels, scripts, maps, original artwork, film props, and immersive multimedia experiences.

A short list of things we liked in the rest of the museum:

• The carved ivories in the China section
• The silver artifacts in the nearby Miao room
• The Pio Pico memorabilia in the Missions and Ranchos room
• Plein air paintings in the California Bounty area
• The carved gemstones

Unfortunately, the Native American (First Californians) gallery was closed for renovation.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. Accessibility is good. Adult admission is $18, with discounts for seniors and students. Parking next to the museum cost $6.99; we had no trouble finding a space, but when we left in the mid-afternoon that lot was full. There is a museum café offering sandwiches and salads, but we chose to eat a late lunch at a local sushi restaurant, Taberu Sushi, instead. The food there was outstanding!