The comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story" is the centerpiece of an exhibit at the ToonSeum.

PITTSBURGH — The ToonSeum will present "Civil Rights Superheroes," the first exhibition devoted primarily to "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," a rare comic book from 1958, opening Wednesday and continuing through March 14.

Supported by primary documents, including letters from King, "A Walk To Freedom" Civil Rights film and editorial cartoons of the period, "Civil Rights Superheroes" shows how comic books and cartoons inspired people during the Civil Rights movement.

Commissioned by the pacifist organization Fellowship of Reconciliation, "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story" not only directly condemned race discrimination but also spurred social change in the South.

This comic book highlighted the extraordinary feats of everyday heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the people of Montgomery. The setting was not a far way galaxy, but rather Montgomery, Ala., during the 381 days of the legendary bus boycott.

Drawn by the Al Capp Organization (creators of "L'il Abner") and written by a blacklisted comic book writer, the comic book not only traces King's life and the bus boycott but also serves as a primer in the history and techniques of non-violent resistance.

This exhibition shows how the comic book drew from contemporary news and imagery to make Montgomery's story accessible to a wide audience.

Although the comic book was distributed by churches, labor unions and civic organizations throughout the South during the 1950s and 1960s, very few original copies survive.

This exhibition will also include reproductions of editorial cartoons by Herblock for "The Washington Post" about the bus boycott and contemporaneous editorial cartoons from the African-American press.

<B>WHAT:</B> The ToonSeum at 945 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh<B>WHEN:</B> open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays<B>ADMISSION:</B> $4 for adults, $3 for children age 5 and older and students.<B>INFO:</B> 412-232-0199