Though the name Larry Ivie has been largely forgotten, it was ubiquitous within the world of comics fandom in the 1950s and 60s. Born in 1936, two years before the first appearance of Superman, Ivie came of age alongside the comic book form itself and dedicated his life to preserving its history. As a collector, historian, writer, artist, and—above all, fan—Ivie built deep relationships with creators and readers alike.His iconoclastic and prophetic perspectives on comics as a storytelling medium helped shape positive attitudes towards the art form at a time when it suffered enormous cultural stigma. Long before comics studies emerged as a legitimized area of research, fans like Ivie — especially those passionate enough to create or contribute to amateur publications called fanzines — were the earliest scholars of the form. With his nationally distributed fanzine, Monsters and Heroes, Ivie’s insights into the nature of comics and superheroes (especially during their formative years of WWII) help shed new light on their relationship with American society.  
 
The Lone Crusader is a showcase for Ivie’s extensive collection of original Golden Age artwork and ephemera. The exhibit also includes some of the earliest known cosplay costumes, 16mm home movies of comic book story reenactments, and a special focus on EC comics artists and early Superman memorabilia. Artists highlighted include Al Williamson, Frank Frazetta, Joe Shuster, Jack Cole, Reed Crandall, Roy Krenkel, and Wally Wood. 

Image: The History of the Comic Book, Larry Ivie. 1968.