WHAT:“SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot”

WHEN: April 19-July 27

WHERE:Oakland Museum of California (OMCA), 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA

WHY THIS SHOW MATTERS:Founded in 1994 as a small, punk-influenced zine by Eric Nakumura and Martin Wong, Giant Robot explored Asian pop and alternative culture in the simple format of a collaged, photocopied, and stapled handout. Today, the iconic bi-monthly publication is credited with helping to bring Asian and trans-Pacific art to the forefront of mainstream American culture, from the popularity of collectible vinyl toys to catapulting the careers of many of the art world’s most successful artists, who contributed work in the early days.

Giant Robot ran for 20 years and covered a range of subjects, from art and design to music and film. The OMCA exhibition includes new and historic magazine art by graphic artists likeJames Jean, whose fantastical works incorporate the styles of woodblock prints and Renaissance paintings, and have been seen in cover art for DC comics and collaborations with Prada; and illustrator and comics artist Adrian Tomine, best known for his New Yorker covers and original series “Optic Nerve.”

Also featured are murals from graffiti artistDavid Choe, who was hand-picked to paint a mural at the Facebook offices when the social media company first started, and well-recognized street artist Andrew Hem, whose 12- by 40-foot “I Think that possibly, maybe I’m falling for you” is a highlight of the exhibition, and located in the museum’s Oak Street Plaza.

Giant Robot wasn’t just a magazine. It has expanded over the years to include retail stores, galleries, a museum, a restaurant, and a website. With this in mind co-curators Carin Adams, OMCA’s associate curator of art and material culture, and Nakamura have included ephemera, vinyl toys, custom vending machines, and even the Giant Robot Scion XB, an interactive car gaming station, to show the expansive breadth of the brand’s social impact.