In need of a superhero? Kapow! may be just what you need.

The team at He Waka Tuia have teamed up with Greenlight Innovations and Whare Tuapua to present Kapow! The Great Comic Art Show, held at Whare Taupua/Rest Room gallery on Forth St between 4 May and 3 June.

Greenlight managing director Leon Hartnett said the idea behind the exhibition would showcase local, national and international artists in a series of visual and text-based imagery.

“People are so interested in this medium. It’s a great gateway to art and literature, and it’s amazing to see talented people with amazing imaginations getting involved,” Hartnett said.

For about seven years, Greenlight Innovations hosted the Comic Book Day at the Invercargill Library and have now developed it into an exhibition to help others create comics.

To mark the beginning of the exhibition, there will be free workshops featuring Auckland-based comic artist Michel Mulipola, also known as The Bloody Samoan, who will host a series of hands-on workshops on the opening weekend to help people hone their comic skills and create their own superhero.

Local comic artists from the Southern Institute of Technology will also be in residence for the duration for visitors to see and learn how the professionals do it.

“This exhibition is about celebrating the many diverse art styles that people use. I’m so excited for people to come and see it,” Hartnett said.

The Rest Room space could also be used to read comic books, create and relax, he said.

He Waka Tuia manager Sarah Brown said the partnership between the two had been a long time coming and she was excited to be collaborating on a larger scale.

“We haven’t delved into comics before and I’m really excited to see a community gallery here in Invercargill again.”

Workshops with The Bloody Samoan will be held on 7 May for people aged 5-11, 12-18 and 18+. More information about the exhibition and workshops can be found on the He Waka Tuia Facebook page.