July 15-21, 2004

artpicks

Comic Belief

by Andrew Parks

art

Comics are about as hip as Dungeons & Dragons in the scheme of adolescent signifiers. If you're older than 13 and enjoy a good copy of Sandman, people assume you're the gross, grubby, ponytailed, man-virgin from The Simpsons. If you're 13 or younger and dig The X-Men, your classmates assume you will forever remain the lead actor in your very own Revenge of the Nerds film.

Yet, here we are, with the geeks suddenly inheriting the earth. Spiderman is spreading his web across America, authors such as Michael Chabon are championing comics as a form of social commentary and Batman is in the midst of an overhaul featuring indie icon Christopher Nolan in the director's chair and the steely cool Christian Bale in a nipple-free Bat suit. The "Art In City Hall" program aims to bring the invasion home to Philadelphia, and manages to explain the deep cultural significance of comics in the process.

"Comics, comic books and cartoons are as much a part of American culture as baseball," says curator Cavin Jones. "Unfortunately, we Americans are socialized to view this much-maligned artistic expression as trivial or stuff for children with little thought or regard for the hard work and dedication that actually goes into the creation of comics."

Jones' statement is upheld by the numerous glass cases scattered amongst the winding corridors, wooden chairs, closed courtrooms and shouting citizens of the cavernous City Hall building. Tools of the trade are interspersed with the art, to represent the work involved, including a rubber band wrapped around a pen, pencil and paint brush, and an open, scarred watercolor tray. The pieces include noirish comic strips, Anime-inspired cartoon panels and statue caricatures of Rumsfeld as a tribal warrior and Bush as a magician, complete with a snow-white rabbit in hand. Be careful. By the end of it all, you may find yourself craving a comic book of your own from the Borders across the street.

"The Comix: Cartoons As Art," through Sept. 3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., second and fourth floors of City Hall, Broad and Market sts., 215-683-2078, artincityhall@phila.gov.