San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum Reopens: Saturday, October 28

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San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum Reopens: Saturday, October 28

www.cartoonart.org

Esteemed 32 Year-Old Institution Now In Heart of SF’s Tourism District

28 October 2017 – San Francisco, CA:  After a two-year hiatus, the Cartoon Art Museum (www.cartoonart.org) reopens to the public this Saturday, October 28, 2017, at its new location (781 Beach Street) in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. The museum marks its long-anticipated return with three new exhibitions: Smile! The Comics of Raina Telgemeier, A Tribute to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy, and the Emerging Artist Showcase featuring Nidhi Chanani’s Pashmina.

“We’re so thrilled to be at the center of San Francisco’s waterfront and tourism hub,” said Museum Executive Director Summerlea Kashar noting special assistance from the Northern California Community Loan Fund and the City and County of San Francisco in helping the Museum reopen after its move from its longtime downtown location. “Our new, permanent home is bigger, better and exactly where we want and need to be to serve our loyal fan base and build new audiences.”

With operating hours Thursdays through Tuesdays from 11am to 5pm, visitors can peruse the opening exhibitions and enjoy the spectacular views of the Bay, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Alcatraz that the neighborhood provides. On Saturday, October 28th, guests in costume will receive a treat for Halloween in honor of our Tribute to Hellboy exhibition. On Sunday, October 29th from 3pm to 4pm, Academy Award-nominated Cartoon Saloon Studios will have a filmmaker presentation on the soon to be released feature animation, The Breadwinner.

Located at 781 Beach Street (just one block from Aquatic Park, the Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square, and the Hyde Street cable car turnaround), the 1912 brick building features a beautiful historic façade, prominent street presence, convenient parking, and easy access to and from public transportation. It offers highly visible public access to the museum’s nearly 8,000 square feet of space featuring galleries, screening area, workshop, classroom, bookstore, library and collections facility.

Founded in 1984, the Cartoon Art Museum has something for everyone — from comic strips, comic books and anime to political cartoons, graphic novels and underground comix. Visitors of all ages can view original cartoon art at exhibitions and screenings, produce their own comics and animation at classes and workshops, research deeply into our collection and library, and mingle with professional and aspiring cartoonists. The Museum’s mission is to ignite imaginations and foster the next generation of visual storytellers by celebrating the history of cartoon art, its role in society, and its universal appeal. The Museum’s vision is to be the premier destination to experience cartoon art in all its many forms from around the world, and a leader in providing insight into the process of creating it.

During the Museum’s past three decades, nearly 200 exhibitions have featured hundreds of artists from almost every continent and artistic style, including Mary Blair, Dan Clowes, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, Phil Frank, Edward Gorey, Hayao Miyazaki, Spain Rodriguez, Charles Schulz, Ronald Searle, Dr. Seuss, Art Spiegelman, Garry Trudeau, Morrie Turner, Bill Watterson and many more.

The Museum’s unique permanent collection houses 7,000 pieces, including original Disney animation art from the collection of Mike Glad; historic comic strip art from Charles Schulz (Peanuts), Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), Bil Keane (Family Circus), Walt Kelly (Pogo), George Herriman (Krazy Kat) and Winsor McCay; political cartoons from Bill Mauldin and Lou Grant; comic book art from Bob Kane, Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and many others.

Admission to the Cartoon Art Museum is $10 for Adults, $6 for Students, Seniors and Military, and $4 for Children 6 to 12 years old. Children 5 and under and members are free. San Francisco residents will also receive a locals discounted rate of $7. For more information on scheduling educational groups, please contact education@cartoonart.org.

Opening Exhibitions

Smile! The Comics of Raina Telgemeier (October 28, 2107 – March 19, 2018)
Celebrate the comics of San Francisco native Raina Telgemeier including her highly popular autobiographical works Smile and Sisters, her award-winning graphic novels Drama and Ghosts, and her acclaimed adaptations of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. The exhibition features an in-depth look at Telgemeier’s creative process and includes rare comics and photos from the artist’s own archives.

About Raina Telgemeier

Raina Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of the graphic novels Smile, Drama, and Sisters, all New York Times #1 bestsellers. She also adapted and illustrated four graphic novel versions of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club series, and has contributed short stories to many anthologies. Raina’s accolades include two Eisner Awards, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, a Stonewall Honor, and many Best Of and Notable lists. Her latest graphic novel is Ghosts. Raina lives and works in San Francisco, CA.

A Tribute to Mike Mignola’s Hellboy (October 28, 2107 – January 7, 2018)

Since his debut in 1994, the supernatural hero Hellboy has become a cultural sensation—racking up a dozen Eisner Awards and developing numerous spinoffs including  novels, video games, and feature films. The Cartoon Art Museum pays tribute to creator Mike Mignola with an exhibition featuring original artwork from today’s top graphic novelists, animators, and cartoonists who have drawn inspiration from the master storyteller’s signature creation. Featured artists include Harry Bliss (The New Yorker), Jeffrey Brown (Darth Vader and Son), Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls), Sam Kieth (The Maxx) Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Steve Purcell (Sam & Max), and Kent Williams (The Fountain), among others.

About Mike Mignola

Mike Mignola’s fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age; reading Dracula at age twelve introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore from which he has never recovered. Starting out in 1982 as a bad inker for Marvel Comics, he swiftly evolved into a not-so-bad artist. In 1994, he published the first Hellboy series through Dark Horse Comics. It lead to 19 Hellboy graphic novels (and counting), several spin-off titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien, and Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder), novels, animated films, and two live-action films. Along the way he worked on Francis Ford Coppola’s film Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), served as a production designer for Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), and became the visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008). Mike’s books have earned numerous awards and are published in a great many countries. Mike lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and cat.

Emerging Artist Showcase: Nidhi Chanani’s Pashmina (October 28, 2017 – February 12, 2018): In this heartwarming graphic novel debut, Nidhi Chanani weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures and two worlds.

Priyanka Das has so many unanswered questions: Why did her mother abandon her home in India years ago? What was it like there? And most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? But Pri’s mom avoids these questions―the topic of India is permanently closed.

For Pri, her mother’s homeland can only exist in her imagination. That is, until she finds a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a place more vivid and colorful than any guidebook or Bollywood film. But is this the real India? And what is that shadow lurking in the background? To learn the truth, Pri must travel farther than she’s ever dared and find the family she never knew.

About Nidhi Chanani

Nidhi Chanani was born in Kolkata, India, and raised in Southern California. She holds a degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She creates illustrations that capture the love in everyday moments. In 2012, she was honored at the White House as a Champion of Change for her art. Her illustrations are sold in boutiques along the West Coast and she has worked with companies such as Disney and Hasbro. Nidhi lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and two cats. Pashmina is her first graphic novel.