Splat--ouch--Boom--ouch--Pow! That hurts. Presenting work by 35 nationally and internationally recognized contemporary artists who have incorporated the imagery, technique, or style of the comics in their work, Splat Boom Pow! makes evident the shift from traditional literary narratives to a visual language of myth as seen in comic strips over the last 40 years. Taking an in-depth look at the current phenomenon of cartoon-referencing work, its connection to the pop art movement of the 1960s, and the social and cultural factors that have shaped our understanding of the comics as a form of popular communication, Splat Boom Pow! includes work by three generations of artists, among them Laylah Ali, Michael Ray Charles, Roy Lichtenstein, Takashi Murakami, Elizabeth Murray, Chris Ofili, Sigmar Polke, Peter Saul, Kenny Scharf, Jim Shaw and Andy Warhol.