JEFF SMITH ON THE BONE AND BEYOND EXHIBITION

[MattBrady]

by Vaneta Rogers

For avid comic book readers, it's rare to find a positive and enthusiastic reaction from non-comics fans to the stories and artwork of this medium. Even more atypical is discovering a level of respect outside the close-knit comics community for the creations found in comic books.

But in the art world, that's changing.

This weekend begins a three-month exhibition at the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio, that focuses on the art of Bone, the award-winning comic book series by Jeff Smith. The exhibition, titled Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond, will include approximately 80 drawings, most of which will be original black and white pages from Bone. Also on display will be pages from Smith's recent Shazam series for DC Comics and his new self-published comic series RASL, as well as original artwork from Smith's influences, such as Walt Kelly's Pogo, Will Eisner's The Spirit, George Herriman's Krazy Kat, Charles Schultz's Peanuts, Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury, and E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre.

"It's kind of weird," Smith told Newsarama about the experience of having his art hanging at a museum. "I kind of like it. I mean, there's a part of me that likes comics being given respect. But there's also a part of me that's really kind of delinquent. I mean, I got into comics because it's not going along with the rules. I walked out of college because of it. So there's a part of me that loves this elevation of comics and graphic novels as art. But there's also part of me that rebels against it somewhat."

This new level of respect for comic book art seems to be a trend. As Newsarama readers have likely noticed, the news items and Blog@ entries about shows featuring comic book art are a little more common these days. And as creator Terry Moore told us last November when his work was included in the exhibit LitGraphic: The World of the Graphic Novel at the Norman Rockwell Museum, he is starting to believe that "the comic book format is not something that will disappear into American trivia, but will blossom into something that will end up hanging in museums and galleries."

Smith joked that the curators behind the exhibition have an approach that is so art-focused, he sometimes has a tough time understanding it.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't understand what they're talking about," he laughed. "I mean, I do understand, but I get in these meetings and their priorities and what's important to them is completely alien to me. So I've pretty much just let them make the decisions on almost everything.

"For example, their goal is not to sell a ton of program books," he said. "This catalog they're putting together for the show is going to be gorgeous. It's got essays in it by Scott McCloud, and Neil Gaiman, and academic professors and stuff. And the artwork is going to be beautiful. But they're going to print, like, 2,000 of them. And I'm like, man... you put that in a Diamond catalog and I can sell at least 5,000! You know? Maybe 10,000! But they're not interested in that. This is an art show. It's a much more serious endeavor, and it's about the art."

The Bone and Beyond exhibition takes place at the Wexner Center in conjunction with the Cartoon Research Library, which are both on the campus of Ohio State University where Smith was once a student who drew comic strips for the college newspaper. That comic strip, titled "Thorn," evolved into the comic book series Bone, which became one of the most successful independent comic book properties ever published. And as Smith told us in our recent profile on the creator, he donated all the original artwork from those comic strips as well as the entire Bone series to the university's Cartoon Research Library. And at the same time as the more formal Wexner Center exhibition, the Cartoon Research Library will also be showing an exhibit titled Jeff Smith: Before Bone, which will include those early comic strips.

But Smith emphasizes that the Wexner Center exhibition doesn't take place in a little college exhibit hall that likes comic books. "The Wexner Center is a very cutting edge art museum. They do not show comics there, you know? This is usually hardcore stuff," he said. "It's a very modern museum. A very serious museum. And graphic novels, just to show you how they're being elevated, are considered that kind of an art form. They want to display this art."

The Bone and Beyond exhibition doesn't stop with just artwork hanging on the wall. As part of the show, there will be a series of visits by professionals from the comic book industry, including:

- Jeff Smith and Scott McCloud Conversation: This Saturday at 2 p.m., Smith will talk with the Eisner Award-winning McCloud, author of Understanding Comics, Making Comics and Reinventing Comics and creator of the comic Zot!, as part of the exhibition's opening weekend. A book signing will follow the discussion.

- Terry Moore Artist's Talk: The creator of the Eisner Award-winning series Strangers in Paradise and the recently launched Echo comic, as well as the upcoming Marvel series Runaways and Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, will visit the Bone and Beyond exhibition next Thursday, May 15, at 7 p.m. for an informal talk and signing.

- Paul Pope Artist's Talk: The winner of multiple Eisner Awards for his work on comics like Batman: Year 100 and Solo, Pope will also visit the Bone and Beyond exhibition for an informal discussion on May 20 at 7 p.m., followed by a book signing.

Smith is also presenting "A Looney Tunes Evening With Jeff Smith," since he's always called Bone "a Bugs Bunny cartoon meets Lord of the Rings." The presentation on June 5 at 7 p.m. is also fitting because Warner Bros., the company behind Looney Tunes, recently purchased the movie rights to Bone.

Smith said most of the art for the show was chosen by the curators, although he had one thing he wanted to see in the show.

"Here is what I requested. There's going to be something like 80 pages -- original artwork -- from various Bone issues. But 20 of them are going to be Bone #16 because I wanted to put something in sequence," he explained. "You can't really just look at something out of sequence because the whole idea of comics as art is that you have to have a story. In fact, it was Vijaya who brought this up in the very first meeting. She said if you're going to have pages of art, you've got to have a whole story. If you don't have that, you don't get the art at all. You're just looking at the a cross section.

"Bone #16 was a 20-page Bone comic that was a big experiment. It was something I was interested in -- to have an entire comic read in real time," Smith explained. "And what happened in the comic was that Grandma Ben, Fone Bone and Thorn are in the woods, and there's a big thunderstorm. And there are rat creatures in the woods around them. And I wanted the comic to take the same amount of time to read as it actually took those characters to live in that story. And I wanted to really get the atmosphere. I wanted you to be afraid. This was a big experiment for me. Like I wouldn't have the thunder and lightning in the same panel -- I'd have the thunder in one panel, then two panels later, I'd have the flash."

The artist recalled that issue #16 was the first time he got complaints from fans. "It was the first time I got terrible mail. There were some people who hated that comic. Up until that issue, I was riding high. I was getting great reviews," he said. "But people didn't like this issue because there weren't any words in it. And it only took seven minutes to read. It was seven minutes out in this rainstorm in the middle of the woods being pursued by rat creatures. And you live that seven minutes. But people were, like, there were only seven minutes and there weren't any words! What, are you trying to rip us off? I paid full price for this!"

Yet he remembers also receiving a compliment that summed up the whole reason he did the comic -- and his motivation for including it in the exhibition. "The best compliment I got on that comic was from Paul Pope," Smith explained. "He said he got to the scene where Bone was hiding behind a tree, and it's pitch black, and there's a flash of lightning, and there's a rat creature's head right next to Fone Bone. And then the light goes away. And Paul said, "I stared at that next panel and tried to see the rat creature in the dark, just for a split second." He stared at the panel for a second looking for the creature in the dark! And it's just ink! And I thought, that's beautiful. That's exactly what I was going for.

"So that was the issue I picked, because it was the most fun to do, and it satisfied me in a lot of ways. And the entire issue will be among all the other artwork there. And that's pretty satisfying too."

Jeff Smith: Bone and Beyond is free to all audiences, although there is a fee for some of the programs mentioned in this article. For more details on the exhibit and the Wexner Center for the Arts, including hours and directions, visit the Wexner Center for the Arts website. Art accompanying this article comes from the exhibition's guidebook, which also contains an in-depth interview with Smith and much more.

[Andre MOP]

Wish I could go...

Although I have a few issues regarding Bone's ending, I wish the best for Jeff Smith, one of the Greatest.

How can one forget this:



(sorry, coundn't find the comic original - but it's still cute)

Edit: Oh, crap! That's not their first meeting!! I just remembered it was snowing!

[Derrick Fish]

I wish I could make it out to see this exhibit. Smith's storytelling is one of my biggest personal influences. Issue #16 of BONE is, in my opinion, one of the single greatest single issue comics ever. It was just... perfect. Paul Pope's comments encapsulate the incredible sense of mood and sense of dread in every panel.

I wish that program was available for purchase to those of us who can't make it.

[CitC]

But they're going to print, like, 2,000 of them. And I'm like, man... you put that in a Diamond catalog and I can sell at least 5,000! You know? Maybe 10,000! But they're not interested in that. This is an art show. It's a much more serious endeavor, and it's about the art."

That might be interesting for a fundraiser at a later date.

Terrific article - one of the best I've read here in a while.

lthough I have a few issues regarding Bone's ending,

AAh! I just remembered why I don't usually read Bone articles. I haven't read 8+9 yet and I'm getting worried that the ending will be spoiled before Scholastic publishes them.

[Billy Tucci]

Well done and well deserved, Jeff!

Loved RASL #1 --

You're a GENIUS!!!!

[samnoir]

Wow! That sounds incredible.

Might be worth a road-trip.

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[Andre MOP]

Originally Posted by CitC

AAh! I just remembered why I don't usually read Bone articles. I haven't read 8+9 yet and I'm getting worried that the ending will be spoiled before Scholastic publishes them.

Sorry !

But by the way, how's the paper in those new Bone Color editions? It is the good stuff?

Because seeing this makes me buy it all over again



Cap Marvel not included !

[BlandRandFan]

That OSU doesn't even let it's students know this is going on. I am a student here right now and this is the first time I'm hearing this. I read the Lantern (OSU's paper) Daily and there has been no mention of this. You would think they would mention the exhibit since he's definitely one of the more recent successful people to come out of OSU outside of sports. Lucky for me though I only have to cross the street to see it

[AlexLothos]

Jeff Smith, Scott McCloud, Terry Moore, and Paul Pope all in one place. Wow, I wish I could go!!!

[Jared465]

Originally Posted by Andre MOP

Sorry !

But by the way, how's the paper in those new Bone Color editions? It is the good stuff?

its the good stuff. bright and opaque.

[Chris Pitzer]

Originally Posted by Derrick Fish

I wish that program was available for purchase to those of us who can't make it.

I think it is...

http://store.wexnercenterstore.com/b...lications.html

[Moonbeam]

Originally Posted by Chris Pitzer

I think it is...

http://store.wexnercenterstore.com/b...lications.html

Thanks Chris - I was just about to post that.

For anyone interested in the catalogue that Jeff Smith talked about in this article, you can purchase it from the "Jeff Smith Store" at the Wexner website, along with the exhibition's poster and various works by Smith. Just CLICK HERE.

- Vaneta

[Charlie Hustle]

This is great news, bone is one of the only comics I could ever get my girlfriend to read so i'm happy it gets so much recognition.

[rwe1138]

Damn, I really wish I could go to this. Bone is one of the best works of fiction I've ever experienced.

[Mike Pawuk]

Originally Posted by CitC

AAh! I just remembered why I don't usually read Bone articles. I haven't read 8+9 yet and I'm getting worried that the ending will be spoiled before Scholastic publishes them.

Well, Vol. 9 of the full-color Bone won't be published until February 2009 - so why not do yourself a favor and read the b&w versions of volume 8 & 9? Better yet - go check your local public library. They should own all of them there. Rose, too.

- Mike the GN-lovin' librarian

PS - I'll be there on Saturday. Sounds like a great time.

[Fahad]

OH MY GOD !!!!!!

this made my day! i can't wait to go (i live on OSU campus)
YOU HAVE NO IDEA, I'M EXPLODING OVER HERE!