One of the most prized possessions from any Comic-Con International is the big, exclusive souvenir book given to attendees.

For more than 50 years, anyone who attended walked away with one of these books featuring original cover artwork from the industry’s biggest artists, like Jack Kirby, Jim Lee and Will Eisner. The books, which contained schedules, articles and maps of the convention floor, are sold on Ebay and sought-after by collectors.

Celebrating this history, the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park curated an exhibit on its upper level called “Cover Story: Five Decades of Comic-Con” showcasing the original artwork used to make the covers. The exhibit runs through Sept. 10.

Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer said the exhibit is a chance to see how artists viewed the convention over the years. While many decided to draw characters they were famous for in the early days, by the 1980s, many were incorporating San Diego into their artwork.

“It is interesting to note that even from the beginning,” Glanzer said, “the caliber of artists willing to provide art for the souvenir books have been stellar.”

The first souvenir cover was done by comic book legend Jack Kirby, who co-created the biggest Marvel characters like the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, the Hulk and many others. Kirby drew a space scene in the style of his “New Gods” books for DC Comics.

Admiring the artwork Saturday morning was Jason Mumpower, Tennessee’s comptroller of the treasury. He was in San Diego for work and decided to come to the museum after getting delayed a day. He said he has been collecting comic books for 39 years and has thousands back at his home in Bristol, Tenn.

Mumpower has never made it to a Comic-Con but said he has heard about the convention most of his life. He said seeing all the covers, and the changing artwork, was a way for him to see how the event and comics had changed over the decades.

“It was a good trip down memory lane,” he said.

Souvenir books kept growing over the years. Pre-pandemic books weighed about a pound and a half and were 280 pages, jammed with articles, advertisements and artwork.

And they might be a thing of the past. Comic-Con went online-only for the pandemic and decided to release a downloadable version of the book. The organization has kept the trend going, despite a return to in-person events, making this year’s book a free download on its website.

Here are some notable covers over the years:

Early years (1970-1989)

The souvenir book for the first Comic-Con in 1970 featured artwork by Jack Kirby and looks a little beat up in its exhibit frame. That inaugural convention was held in the basement of the U.S. Grant Hotel and attended by roughly 300 people, so it’s a bit of a miracle it even still exists.

Covers back then could be a tad risqué. In 1978, fantasy artist Boris Vallejo drew a half naked fairy for the cover and, in 1980, artist Jack Katz drew a topless female warrior.

It took a while for comic book artists to consider including San Diego in their covers. The first was in 1986 when John Romita, Sr., drew Wolverine, Spider-Man, She-Hulk and other characters on the beach.

Later years (1990-2010)

Frank Miller, a well-known writer and artist, set out to create the most California cover possible in 1993. It features five teenagers flying through a sunset over palm trees in a convertible while reading comic books. “Kids, comics, cars and San Diego weather,” Miller is recorded saying about the cover at the time. “What more could you want?”

Souvenir books also served as tributes to legends after their deaths. The 2004 cover features Kirby with many of his characters and 2005’s cover is a tribute to Will Eisner using artwork he created five years earlier.

Recent times (2011-present)

There is no bigger modern comic book artist than Jim Lee, who now serves as president of DC and did much of his most famous work in his La Jolla studio. The exhibit features his original artwork for the 2011 cover (Justice League), 2014 (Batman) and the 2019 cover for the 50th anniversary of Comic-Con. That cover features the top characters from several comic book companies and shows superheroes flying over the crowd inside the San Diego Convention Center.

Despite its over-sized presence for nearly two decades, Hollywood only shows up once in all the covers. In 2018, artist Matt Taylor’s cover featured scenes from the first 10 years of Marvel films, including “The Avengers” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Cover Story: Five Decades of Comic-Con

Where: Comic-Con Museum, 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego

When: Runs until Sept. 10, museum open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Monday.

Tickets: Exhibit included with entrance fee of $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and children ages 13 to 17, $12 for children six to 12 years old and free for children under six years old.