| From July 14 - August 11, 2007, The
Folk Tree presents VINTAGE COMIC BOOK ART FROM MEXICO, featuring original
paintings created for comic book/graphic novel covers between the
1930s and the 1970s. The works, primarily done in the 1970s and on,
are all gouache on illustration board, measuring approximately 11"
x 14". The original publications' printers recently released
these pieces for sale. A reception for the exhibition will be held
on Saturday, July 14, from 2 - 6 P.M. In the new book, "Mexican Pulp Art from the Collections of Bobbette Axelrod and Ted Frankel," published by Feral House, Maria Cristina Tavera writes of the "often surreal and psychedelic images" that populate the pages of Mexican pulp publications. Pieces in The Folk Tree exhibition reflect this style in themes dealing with adventure, horror, aliens, the supernatural, the thriller and romance. The signatures on some of the pieces at The Folk Tree include RAD, M. Araujo, T. Zavada, Dorantes, and MAH. Information on the back of each work refers to the name of the series, the volume number and the title of the specific issue. The history of comic books starts in the 19th Century, with artists exploring news forms of visual communication. The earliest known comic book is The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck by Rudolph Topffer of Switzerland, originally published in several languages in Europe in 1837. It is 40 pages long and measures 8 1/2" x 11". In 1896, Richard Outcault's "The Yellow Kid" was the first comic to use dialogue balloons. (collectortimes.com) Early in their history, comic books were primarily associated with humor, but after the stock market crash in the United States in 1929, they began to take on more shocking, serious and adventurous themes. It was during this era that the superhero emerged, with the creation of such characters as Superman, Flash Gordon, and Batman. Dick Tracy and Tarzan also originated in this "Golden Age" of comics. A bit later during World War II, some comics became tools for propaganda and military recruitment. Comic books in Mexico reflected the general trends of the genre. Many popular series that originated elsewhere were also translated into Spanish and distributed in Mexico. Also on view are several of the printed books for which these works were created. The Folk Tree is located at 217 South Fair Oaks Avenue, minutes walking distance from the Gold Line's Del Mar station, and just south of Old Pasadena. Hours are: M-W, 11-6; Th-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 12-5. For more information, contact Gail Mishkin at 626/793-4828. |
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