NOTE: THIS EXHIBIT HAS BEEN EXTENDED - THRU SEPT 2009 !!
‘SOUNDS AND PAUSES: THE COMICS OF DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI’ - opens to-nite - SAT JUNE 6, 2009/7-9 PM
the exhibit runs MAY 19 - AUGUST 23, 2009
MoCCA - MUSEUM OF COMIC and CARTOON ART - 594 BROADWAY - SUITE 401 - SOHO - NYC
bet. Houston and Prince
GENERAL HRS: TUES-SUN 12pm-5pm
GENERAL ADMISSION: suggested Donation $5 / children 12 and under: free
“In celebration of the release of his highly anticipated book, ‘Asterios Polyp’, The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art is [leased to present David Mazzucchelli’s first retrospective exhibition in the U.S. Mazzucchelli’s career encompasses early groundbreaking work in ‘Daredevil’ and ‘Batman: Year One’; idiosyncratic short stories in his self-published anthology, ‘Rubber Blanket’, and elsewhere; the graphic novel adaption of ‘City of Glass’; and his new graphic novel. For over 25 years, Mazzucchelli has distinguished himself with articulate storytelling and emotive drawings in service to comics in a variety of genres.
This show presents over 80 original comic pages, drawings, preparatory sketches and covers form the artist’s archives, allowing an invaluable loo at his artistic journey.” - MoCCA PRESS RELEASE
The exhibit is curated by DAN NADEL of PICTUREBOX.
Poster Illustration by: MOLLY CRABAPPLE & NICOLA BLACK
THIS WEEKEND - SAT and SUN - JUNE 6th and 7th - is also the date of the big MoCCA - ART FESTIVAL 2009 !!
Presented by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art it is a weekend of “comic and cartoon art exhibitors, panels, lectures, sketches, autographs, and more !! and, the museum adds: “Thousands come every summer to meet and purchase works from some of the world’s best cartoonists, animators, and graphic novelists.”
the action takes place at: the 69th REGIMENT ARMORY - 68 LEXINGTON AVE - bet 25th & 26th Sts.
HRS: 11am - 6pm
COST: $10 per day / $15 per weekend / MoCCA MEMBERS $10 per weekend
for more info: MoCCA ART FESTIVAL 2009 !!
and, check out the MoCCA ART FESTIVAL 2009 - poster’s designers - great job !!
UP-DATE: TUES JUNE 9, 2009 - PIX FROM THE DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI OPENING !!
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI.
“MAZZUCCHELLi’S comics career began in 1982 while he was still an undergraduate at the Rhode Island School of Design.
At twenty-one he turned in a barely professional art job for Marvel Comics’ ‘Master of Kung Fu’, and followed it a year later with some much improved penciling for the ‘Indiana Jones’ comic book. By 1984 he’d found his footing with regular work for ‘Daredevil’ . . . ” - Dan Nadel
DAVID MAZZUCCELLI - ‘ASTERIOS POLYP’ - “the story of an architect’s journey towards self-awareness and slow revelation of the value of the world around him.” - Dan Nadel, May 2009/exhibition essay.
‘BATMAN - YEAR ONE’ - FRANK MILLER / DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI / COLORIST: RICHMOND LEWIS.
(interesting note: RICHMOND LEWIS is DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI’S wife.)
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI - ‘THE BOY WHO LOVED COMICS’, 2001.
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI’S - signature !!
one of my favorite pages !! . . . from ASTERIOS POLYP !!
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI, ‘STOP THE HAIR NUDE’, Zero Zero #2, 1995.
in this frame from - ‘STOP THE HAIR NUDE’ - you can see an homage to RICHIE RICH and the HARVEY COMICS - era comics through Japanese eyes !! !!
though, this particular cartoon strip - is definite NOT - for children eyes.
ok. this is one reason why !!
it goes on to depict a young Japanese student girl, sailor shirt and all, being raped and assaulted. I dunno it didn’t seem so funny to me - it kinda stopped me in my tracks, it hit a nerve. its probably a cultural thing - like how the super raunchy Robert Crumb is accepted - is over here. except there is one thing about in-your-face raunchy, and another thing about rape. whatever turns ya, on, I guess. cartooning hits some intense shores. it was cool to see the museum put it all out there. thanks, Dan Nadel.
I mean maybe its just a cultural cliche - that’s totally played out.
I once saw a young, teen, I think, Japanese girl - dressed in a school uniform - just like this - pimped out by a viscous looking local thug on the Lower East Side - back in the day - when all those Bowery buildings, that are now clubs - were heavily gated - camps of forced labor Asian sex workers. she didn’t look too happy - the guy was so tough - I just moved on - cause I wanted to live. that’s a true story.
UP-DATE: JULY 23, 2009 !!
MR. MAZZUCCHELLI was kind enough to write in, and correct us on this caption.
he says: “Although the protagonist’s actions are intended to be ridiculous and disturbing, there is no rape anywhere in that story. Just to clarify (I don’t find rape funny — see also my story ‘Big Man’.)”
. . . he is right of course, she just gets bound and has her public hair shaved off violently !! against her will.
I meant no disrespect. that’s just how - profoundly his work hits the dark side, running !!
I think that’s what you might expect from someone, an artist !! for sure - who contributed to ‘Batman’ - with its super entertaining - yet so twisted & scary - plot lines .. also seen to great effect in the ‘Batman’ movies . . and, obviously his take-no-prisoners graphic edge - is beyond my ability to characterize in words. so here’s some more of his ‘STOP THE HAIR NUDE’ - figure it out - for yourself !!
p.s. the show is still up - runs through AUGUST 23, 2009 - and I definite recommend it - whether you love comics, cartoons, movies, or art. He is the master of the cartoon/comic dark side !!
. . . pretty astonishing, how the intense graphics collide - the dark side and the ridiculous !!
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI, ‘STILL LIFE’ . . . “published in 1996, takes lessons from the manga avant-garde of the 1960s (especially the artist SEIICHI HAYASHI) with its open spaces and extreme quiet. Where Mazzucchelli had previously built up a heavy line, with ‘SILL LIFE’, he began a steady progression towards a smooth, seamless delineation. This surreal tale of memoryand rebirth slips away as easily as it arrived, more poem than story.” - Dan Nadel
detail, ‘STILL LIFE’.
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI - ‘Batman’ !!
DAVID MAZZUCCEHELLI worked on this book when he was 27 - in 1987.
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI signature in - ‘Batman One.’
. . . displays with original vintage copies.
looking at original pages from . . . . ‘Daredevil’ !!
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI was just 23 - when he began work on ‘Daredevil’ - in 1984 !!
from ‘Daredevil’ !!
DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI - ‘PHOBIA’, COCONINO PRESS
. . . “we had some flooding” !! - ASTERIOS POLYP
PHOTOS: NANCY SMITH