POW! The Comic Art of Mike Zeck from the Costas Collection

October 18, 2021 - March 25, 2022

Lois + David Stulberg Gallery

When the style of comic books began to transition towards more sophisticated realism, it was illustrators like Mike Zeck on the cutting edge of that shift. After attending Ringling College in the late 60s, Zeck made a name for himself illustrating the horror stories of Charlton Comics before turning his talents in both illustration and storytelling into one of the most successful careers of The Bronze Age of comic books.

His talents served him well for both Marvel and DC. Zeck is credited with creating the alternative black costume for Spider-Man that would eventually become the character Venom, and his work on Kraven’s Last Hunt is considered one of the best stories in the Spider-Man canon. In the DC universe, he helped modernize Batman into the flawed and dark knight he would become in the modern era.

With “POW!,” Ringling College Galleries has compiled the best of The Costas Collection, featuring over 60 original illustrations of Zeck’s most iconic storylines and covers. 

This exhibition is made possible, in part by, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Exchange, Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues, Charles Costas, SRQ Media Group, and WUSF 89.7.