Modern Comics

Modern Comics spotlights the work of four artists whose works are among the major achievements of comics today. John Hankiewicz, Aidan Koch, Olivier Schrauwen and Lale Westvind each make work that consistently surprises readers with its fresh insights into the comics form while offering deeply sensitive and highly personalized expressions of the contemporary human condition.

Modern Comics highlights original artwork from a group of major recent works: Hankiewicz’s poetic graphic novella Hot House (Fieldmouse Press), Koch’s ecologically-minded book collection Spiral and Other Stories (New York Review Comics), Schrauwen’s epic graphic novel of wasted time Sunday (Fantagraphics Books), and Westvind’s meditative short story collection Grand Electric Thought Power Mother and ecstatic wordless graphic novel Grip (both from Perfectly Acceptable Press). These works, all published by independent presses, subtly transform the comics field by their existence and their influence. The state of the comics industry is in constant flux, but the state of the comics art form remains alive and well in these and other Modern Comics.

This exhibit is curated by comics specialist Bill Kartalopoulos, Programming Director for the MoCCA Arts Festival.