"Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" screening. May 17, at 2 p.m.
STOCKBRIDGE, MA- Norman Rockwell Museum will present a special screening of
the documentary "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" on Saturday,
May 17, at 2 p.m. The film profiles the life of artist Will Eisner, one of
the greatest innovators in the history of comic books, whose work is
featured in the Museum's current exhibition "LitGraphic: The World of the
Graphic Novel."
As artist, businessman, innovator, and visual storyteller, Will Eisner
enjoyed a career that encompassed comic books from their early beginnings in
the 1930s to their development as graphic novels in the 1990s. During his
sixty-plus career, Eisner introduced the now-traditional mode of comic book
production; championed mature, sophisticated storytelling; was an early
advocate for using the medium as a tool for education; pioneered the
now-popular 'graphic novel;' and served as an inspiration for generations of
artists. The creator of the comic book character The Spirit and the
groundbreaking graphic novel "A Contract with God," Will Eisner considered
himself "a graphic witness reporting on life, death, heartbreak, and the
never ending struggle to prevail."
"Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" takes an in-depth look at the
man many consider "the godfather of the American comic." Through interviews
with such notable figures as Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Frank Miller,
Jules Feiffer, Art Spiegelman, and Eisner himself, the film tells the
fascinating story of a man who devoted his entire career to taking a
so-called child's medium and infusing it with a unique vision of something
so much more. Following the screening, filmmakers Andrew D. Cooke and Jon B.
Cooke will be present to discuss their critically-acclaimed film and answer
questions from the audience.
The film screening is free with regular Museum admission, however space is
limited. Please call 413.298.4100, ext. 260 to reserve tickets. To view the
film trailer, visit: http://www.youtube.com/normanrockwellmuseum.
On view through May 26, 2008
"LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel"
Lions released from a zoo in war-torn Baghdad; a mother's battle with lung
cancer; an American expatriate searching for her identity in Mexico- serious
subject matter for any medium, but particularly so for a new wave of
critically acclaimed and commercially successful long form comic books. In
these illustrated stories, called graphic novels (a mostly grown-up version
of the comic book), themes explored include culture, society, and current
events, and topics range from heart-wrenching to thought-provoking to
risqué. A fascinating new exhibition at the Norman Rockwell Museum,
"LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel," examines the history,
diversity, and tremendous popularity of this phenomenon considered by many
to be a comics renaissance. On view from November 10, 2007 through May 26,
2008, the exhibition features over 146 artworks by 24 contemporary graphic
novelists and historic practitioners of this ever-evolving art form.
"LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel" examines the development of
sequential art through its practitioners. Their work continues to suggest
new ways of seeing: wordless narratives by 1920s woodcut artist Lynd Ward
and modern-day commentator Peter Kuper; revolutionary underground comix by
R. Crumb and humorous, personal "Girl Stories'" by Lauren Weinstein; the
visual thrill of works by "Mad Magazine" co-creator Harvey Kurtzman and
"Breathtaker" co-creator Marc Hempel; and the pioneering art of Will Eisner
("Contract with God"), Dave Sim ("Cerebus"), and Terry Moore ("Strangers in
Paradise"). The exhibition features original book pages and studies,
sketchbooks, and videotaped interviews with graphic novelists.
Artists included in the exhibition are Jessica Abel, Sue Coe, R. Crumb,
Howard Cruse, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, Brian Fies, Gerhard, Milt Gross,
Marc Hempel, Niko Henrichon, Mark Kalesniko, Peter Kuper, Harvey Kurtzman,
Matt Madden, Frans Masereel, Frank Miller, Terry Moore, Dave Sim, Art
Spiegelman, Barron Storey, Lynd Ward, Lauren Weinstein, and Mark Wheatley.
Norman Rockwell Museum is open daily. General public admission is $12.50 for
adults, $7 for students, and free for visitors 18 and under (five per
adult). Kids Free Every Day is a gift to families from Country Curtains and
the Red Lion Inn. On Wednesdays from November to May, senior citizens are
admitted at half-price. The Museum is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
May through October; from November through April, weekday hours are 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m., and weekend/holiday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery tours are
available daily, beginning on the hour. Antenna Audio Tour of select
paintings from the Museum's permanent Norman Rockwell collection is
available. Rockwell's studio, located on the Museum grounds, is open May
through October.
For further information:
Kimberly Rawson
Associate Director
for Marketing and Communications
413.298.4121
e-mail: krawson@nrm.org
Jeremy Clowe
Communications Assistant
413.298.4100, ext.290
e-mail: jclowe@nrm.org
For more information, the public is invited to call 413.298.4100, ext. 220.
Visit the Museum's Web site at http://www.nrm.org.