In conjunction with the Central Library's Get Graphic program, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman will give a presentation on graphic novels entitled "Comix 101" Thursday, May 22 at the downtown branch. The event will begin at 4PM.
Get Graphic takes advantage of young adults' interest in graphic novels by creating programs that involve graphic novels and historical events. This past spring, the program used Spiegelman's classic graphic novel Maus to educate buffalo high school students on the Holocaust. The novel is centered around Spiegelman's father and families experience. By using the medium of graphic novels, Spiegelman is able to deal with controversial issues while at the same time pointing out the absurdity of situations, and Maus has a human quality despite the main characters being drawn as animals.
Spiegelman has been an influence on the comic scene for years, whether through his editorship of the avant comic magazine Raw, or his published works in the NY Times and the Village Voice. As an artist, he has consistently pushed the limits of what a "cartoon" is. His presentation will be on the history and aesthetics of comics through the years, and he will discuss material from Maus and In the Shadows of No Towers, his graphic novel about 9/11, as well as material from an upcoming release entitled Breakdowns.
If you don't know Spiegelman's work, or if you're still unsure about the validity of graphic novels as a serious form of education and art, you'll find there is a lot to learn in this presentation. If you're a fan of graphic novels, this is a great opportunity to meet and discuss comics with one of the legends of the genre.
Space is filled, but tickets (free of charge) are required for admittance to the simulcast for this event. Ticket reservations and more information can be found by calling the Central Library at 858-7189 or visiting getgraphic.org online. No more than two tickets can be reserved by any individual at any one address.
Central Library
Thursday, May 22
4PM
Reservations Needed