Cartoon Art

WAG exhibition Funny Pictures showcases cartoons, comics, and more

EVAN JOHNSON STAFF

In the 1970s, before Marvel Comics became a soulless corporate behemoth, the Winnipeg Art Gallery put on a show which featured several dozen works on loan from Marvel’s New York headquarters. The Invincible Iron Man, the Amazing Spiderman, and the Mighty Thor all made appearances, and though ‘high-art’ snobs and maniacal super-villains were generally disapproving, the show was a huge success, so much so that Marvel offered to sell the works to the WAG. In a display of either remarkable foresight or impulsive adolescent splurging, the WAG took Marvel up on the offer. “The Structure of Comics, which opened in 1973 to rave reviews, was a superstar exhibition at the time,” said Holly Proctor, Art Educator at the WAG. “But it was controversial because it focused on an area of popular culture, and in the 1970s galleries weren’t doing much of that. Things have changed.”

A few years later, in 1977, the WAG’s exhibition Canadian Political Cartoons focused on the issue of Quebec Separatism in the works of a number of different Canadian political cartoonists, and the WAG was able to obtain works by both Toronto Star cartoonist Duncan Macpherson and local favorite, Winnipeg Free Press cartoonist Peter Kuch.

Captain America looks so natural in his tights that you’d think he drew himself, but no!

For Funny Papers: Marvel Comics, Canadian Political Cartoons, and Contemporary Art?, which opened May 27 and runs until September 10 at the WAG, Curator Mary Reid combined works from these two earlier exhibitions with more recent work from the WAG’s collection to create a new exhibition that explores the boundaries between illustration, cartoonery and high-art.

The comic-book portion of Funny Papers features sketches, posters, and progressive proofs, which provide valuable insight into the laborious, multi-step process of creating a comic book cover. Captain America looks so natural in his tights that you’d think he drew himself, but no! Turns out it takes a lot of work. Who knew?

One of the more arresting pieces is Jim Steranko’s “Untitled study for Exhibition Poster,” which was Steranko’s response to the gallery’s request for a poster image for their 1973 Structure of Comics show. Interestingly, the piece was rejected by the dusty and crotchety old gallery administrators for being “too dark and seedy.” It’s good to see the current show rectifying that mistake.

Among the contemporary artists featured are members of the Royal Art Lodge (specifically Marcel Dzama, Drue and Myles Langlois, and Michael Dumontier), and Quebec sculptor Laurent Roberge. Roberge’s sculpture “The Funnies” is a six-foot tall trapezoid composed entirely of thousands (or millions?) of tiny squares cut from newspaper comics, all glued together onto small wooden sticks. It would be tedious to create, but its textural appeal makes it difficult to resist the urge to take a bite.

Though finding humour in the political cartoons requires a rudimentary knowledge of the Canadian political climate of the 1970s, the artistry on display is often astounding, particularly in the work of legendary Toronto Star cartoonist Duncan Macpherson, who’s caricatures are engaging even if you think that Diefenbaker is an obscure brand of Bavarian pretzel (Brezel).

The exhibition, while popular, isn’t yet proving to be overly controversial. There have been few, if any, riots, and so far most visitors have been content to peruse the collection with quiet curiosity and fond nostalgia.

Funny Pictures: Marvel Comics, Political Cartoons, and Contemporary Art? runs until September 10 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.