Real Portraits of Imaginary People

"The comic is not an art form!" echoes the familiar refrain in various halls of academia — but try telling that to marker-wielding kids under the spell of the Japanese animation empire. And slowly but steadily, the cultural elite has shed the old ways, and the hipper galleries now display framed panels and splash pages on their austere walls. Such is the flavor of Mad Art Gallery's new exhibit, Famous Fictional: Portraits from Comics and Fiction, in which twenty artists draw, paint and sculpt the most notorious, famous and beloved made-up characters from comics and literature. The artists participating include Super-Spy and Pistolwhip creator Matt Kindt; Dan Zettwoch, Dan Wilson, Ted May and Kevin Huizenga (all of online comic nerve center USS Catastrophe fame); Rock & Roll Crafters Jessi Kelley and Sharlene Kindt; and the Saint Louis Science Center's head sculptor, Chris Lucas. The opening reception is Friday, January 5, from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission is free, and a cash bar will be available for those who imbibe. Mad Art Gallery is located at 2727 South 12th Street. Call 314-771-8230 or visit www.madart.com for more information.
Fri., Jan. 5