IU teams up with alum to save Marvel history
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Photos: Courtesy of Chuck Costas
A collaboration between Indiana University alum Chuck Costas and his alma mater helped save some original drawings of Marvel Comics' most influential artwork from the Los Angeles County fires.
Why it matters: That artwork, which served as the primary inspiration for Marvel's future blockbusters, is now being shared with the public in Bloomington.
The big picture: As U.S. anxiety and depression rates climb, research suggests you can give your well-being a boost by embracing pastimes like collecting or engaging in social elements of your hobby, like attending galleries.
Driving the news: From now through February, IU's University Collections at McCalla will be home to "The Comic Art of Mike Zeck: The Marvel Years."
- With a career that began in 1974, Zeck is known for his work on Marvel's "Secret Wars" limited series that captivated the comic world in the mid-'80s.
- The iconic story is finally being adapted for the big screen as the focus of 2026 and 2027 Avengers films headlined by Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU.
Zoom in: Costas said he had been in talks to take the collection to Bloomington after first curating it for Ringling College in Florida, Zeck's alma mater.
- He and Zeck have also been friends for decades, first meeting at a comic convention in 1986 when Costas was a teen.
- "I was so blown away by his artwork," said Costas, who purchased a G.I. Joe cover and Punisher Limited Series art. "I basically scrounged up every penny I could to buy them. I had to borrow money from my parents and then pay them back by mowing lawns."
State of play: Costas started his collection in the '80s, but he lost most of it when his home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Yes, but: Pieces marked for the IU exhibit, including pieces Costas received from Zeck, were spared because they were out of the home and being shipped to Indiana.
- "I only had 45 minutes to get everything that I wanted to save out of the house, and so I had to go through a process of deciding what was going to sort of survive, and what didn't. And there's only so much that fits in your car," Costas said.
💠Justin's thought bubble: Zeck's interpretations of characters like Spider-Man and Iron Man are the ones that shaped my image of those heroes as a kid because I saw them around the house all the time.
- My mom was a huge comic fan who read "Secret Wars" as it hit shelves from May 1984 to April 1985, and those books were a big part of her personal collection.
- I also know the pain of passion lost to flame. A fire at my mom's Cleveland home five years ago destroyed most of our semi-shared comic collection — including a number of books covered in Zeck's art.
- Mom saved what she could, and I keep them now as nerdy mementos of priceless memories.
If you go: The collection will be on display through February 2026 at IU's McCalla School, 525 E. Ninth St., Bloomington.