Dan Cooney, Cover illustration for “The Atomic Yeti,” 2012. ©Dan Cooney. All rights reserved.

Dan Cooney, Cover illustration for “The Atomic Yeti,” 2012. ©Dan Cooney. All rights reserved.

Stockbridge, MA, February 5, 2013—In connection with the final days of its exhibition, “Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross,” Norman Rockwell Museum will present “The Business of Art: Careers in Comics” on Saturday, February 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. Enjoy an inside look at the field of comics today with professional artist Daniel Cooney, who will discuss the narrative, artistic, and technical skills required and explore the range of opportunities available to aspiring creators― from writing, drawing and inking to lettering and publishing. Participants are asked to bring along five examples of their work to discuss. Admission to the afternoon program costs $25, $20 for Museum members; pre-registration is required by contacting Norman Rockwell Museum at 413.931.2221 or rsvp@nrm.org. Daniel Cooney is the creator and illustrator of the graphic novel series, “Valentine” and “The Atomic Yeti;” as well as the artist and author for the instructional books, “Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel” and “The Complete Guide to Figure Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels,” both published in North America by Barron’s. He also teaches graphic novel writing courses at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Learn more at: http://dancooneyart.blogspot.com.

 

Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross

On view through February 24, 2013

Explore the first museum exhibition celebrating the art of Alex Ross, called the “Norman Rockwell of comics” for his photorealistic paintings of superheroes. Organized by the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the exhibition features more than 130 works, including paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures from Ross’ personal collection. Spanning the acclaimed artist’s life and career, the exhibition features rarely-seen works—from his early crayon drawing of Spider-Man, created at the age of four, to his groundbreaking work for such books as “Marvels,” “Justice,” and “Kingdom Come.” “Heroes & Villains” reveals Ross’ personal and artistic goal to redefine comic books for a new generation. The exhibition also pays homage to the artist’s inspirations, including original work by his mother Lynette Ross (who was also a successful illustrator), Andrew Loomis, and Norman Rockwell. Also featured in the exhibition are works by Andy Warhol, a huge comic book fan, including his Myths series, which mirrors many of the subjects depicted in Ross’ work.