From lands far, far away to places resembling New York City, the settings of comic books have been the stuff of legend; but now they are hitting closer to home.
Starting Friday, The Kennedy Museum of Art will feature about 50 works of Athens-based cartoonist Sandy Plunkett.
“A lot of museums are having comic-art exhibitions now,” said Jessica Law, associate curator and public relations and guest services manger of the Kennedy Museum. “It’s the first time we have ever had a show like this; it goes beyond the typical art world.”
Guest curator David Filipi, director of film and video at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University, said this trend is a result of a new generation’s decisions. Filipi has previously co-curated an exhibition devoted to cartoonist Jeff Smith.
“I think there is just so much great work being produced right now,” he said. “A generation of people who were coming of age when works like Art Spiegelman’s Maus and Jeff Smith’s Bone came out are now in a position to say (comics) are just as important, exciting, and relevant as other art.”
Having developed a passion for comics and drawing at a young age, Plunkett has worked with Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Gold Key Comics. After deciding a life in New York City wasn’t for him, Plunkett moved to Athens in 1990. Since then, he has continued to work on comic books but has also provided art for album covers and posters, including the poster for the Nelsonville Music Festival in 2010. He is finishing up a graphic novel that is due in February.
“I’m not out to create the next Spiderman or Superman,” Plunkett said.
Before the reception Friday, attendees will have an opportunity to attend a discussion with Filipi and Plunkett regarding the nature of the artist’s work.
“If I am influenced in any way, it is through music,” Plunkett said. “The world around me feels kind of mundane, but the world I can create through music and art seems much larger and more rewarding to live in.”
Two rooms have been dedicated to Plunkett’s work and a third will showcase the work of other artists that Plunkett selected because of their influence on his own productions. Most of the display consists of one or two pages from different comics, but one wall will feature a complete story from an issue of Rocketeer Adventures about a rocketeer saving the day in a variety of scenarios.
Shown in its original form, Rocketeer Adventures has no text included in its panels, making the viewer entirely reliant on Plunkett’s skill to create a visual narrative.
“Filipi remarked that even without the words, the story is clear,” Plunkett said. “I want to draw a reader in on the story just on a visual level.”
A catalog featuring works in the exhibition, an introductory text from Filipi and an interview with Plunkett will be available for purchase at the event.
In March and April, aspiring artists will also have an opportunity to work with Plunkett and learn how to make and organize comics. Workshops at the Kennedy are $45 for teens and adults and free for Ohio University students who have priority registration.
mg986611@ohiou.edu
