Newswise — October 10, 2014–Warrendale, PA (USA)–Comic-taniumTM: The Super Materials of the Superheroes opens on Sunday, October 12, at the ToonSeum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to show the world how Batman, Iron Man, Captain America, Wonder Woman, and other favorite comic characters use the tools and techniques of minerals, metals, and materials science and engineering to boost their powers and save their worlds.

Comic-tanium's mission is as critical as any assigned to the superheroes it celebrates—to inspire K-12 students to pursue science and engineering careers (and maybe save the world a little bit themselves).

Admittedly, the mythologies of how comic book materials are created and used push the boundaries of what may be possible. But, they are also rooted in the fact that scientists and engineers are "living super heroes" who make sure that we have the materials we need for a safer, healthier, and more advanced society. To put it simply, materials make things work. The cars we drive, the smart phones we use, the generators that we rely on for electricity—and so much more—are part of our world because people have been able to engineer materials in innumerable ways.

Comic-tanium makes these material connections by teaming up comic art reproductions, vintage comic books, movie props, and artifacts with related scientific images and stories from the real world.

"The goal of Comic-tanium is not only to share the materials 'back story' of beloved comic characters, but also to inspire ideas for what might be technologically possible in our own futures," explained James Robinson, Executive Director of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), the organization that curated Comic-tanium.

"I googol-dare anyone on Earth-616 to find a subject that reaches across age-groups, gender, and culture, as much as comic book superhero stories," added Suveen N. Mathaudhu, volunteer Comic-tanium curator and assistant professor, University of California-Riverside. "These stories easily resonate with society, and are an ideal tool to reinforce the idea that many superheroes are scientists, and moreover, that scientists are superheroes who do amazing things without having to be subject to a laboratory accident."

Comic-tanium is an educational outreach project developed by the ToonSeum and TMS, and supported by the TMS Foundation as a founding partner. Special Comic-tanium opening hours at the ToonSeum are: October 12, 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m.; and October 13–16, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Comic-tanium will then be exhibited at the ToonSeum through January 4, 2015 during regular museum hours, Thursday–Sunday, 11 a.m. –5 p.m.

ABOUT TMS AND THE TMS FOUNDATION The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) is a member-driven international professional society dedicated to fostering the exchange of learning and ideas across the entire range of materials science and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production, to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. Included among its 12,000 professional and student members are metallurgical and materials engineers, scientists, researchers, educators, and administrators from more than 70 countries on six continents. (www.tms.org)

The mission of the TMS Foundation is to support the development of current and future generations of minerals, metals, and materials science and engineering professionals. (www.tmsfoundation.org)

ABOUT THE TOONSEUM Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the ToonSeum is a non-profit museum of comic and cartoon art. Its mission is to promote a deeper appreciation of cartoonists and their work through hands-on workshops, community outreach, cartoon-oriented educational programming, and exhibitions of original cartoon art. At its core is a strong belief that comics and cartoons are artforms worthy of study, preservation, and appreciation and that comics and cartoons can be used as a tool to both entertain and educate on a wide variety of topics. (www.toonseum.org)

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