For curators at the museum, some days feel just like Christmas. One day—out of the blue, appropriately—I received a phone call about a local collector with an extensive collection of toy airplanes and related playthings. Just the kind of thing that makes a curator’s day! When I met Seymour Merrall, I had no doubt about his…
Just how popular are comic book superheroes today? Judging by recent domestic box office receipts, electronic game and toy sales, and the robust memorabilia market, superheroes have as much appeal as ever. More than 70 years after Superman burst onto the scene, The Dark Knight ranks as 2008’s highest-grossing film, electronic game titles such…
