ToonSeum: A Museum with Character

Juice Box Memories: The Best of Boy Mayor

2013-06-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Juice Box Memories: The Best of Boy Mayor

Earlier this year, when Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced he would not be seeking another term as mayor, nobody was more disappointed by the news than Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers. The young Pittsburgh mayor’s antics have been a gold mine for Rogers during the past seven years.

Despite the fact that Ravenstahl has reached the ripe old age of 33, Rogers continues to draw the mayor as a six-year-old boy addicted to juice boxes. Readers often ask the cartoonist if his so-called “Boy Mayor” will ever mature on the page. “You’ll have to ask him,” Rogers replies.

The ToonSeum is proud to present Juice Box Memories: The Best of Boy Mayor. This exhibition, which runs through July, includes a selection of Rob Rogers’ best Brewed On Grant originals from the past seven years that feature Luke Ravenstahl.

Ravenstahl is not the first novelty mayor caricatured by Rogers. Sophie Masloff, who, like Luke, entered office after the death of the sitting mayor, gave Rogers a wealth of material to draw upon. She still makes an appearance in his cartoons from time to time. Rogers, who began his editorial cartooning career at the Pittsburgh Press in 1984, has also covered the administrations of Richard Caliguiri, Tom Murphy and Bob O’Connor. “I’ve covered five Pittsburgh mayors so far,” says Rogers, “Without a doubt, Boy Mayor’s reign has been the most fun for me as a cartoonist.”

Juice Box Memories: The Best of Boy Mayor. Will run through July 31^st, 2013.

An artist’s reception will be held on Thursday, June 20^th from 6-9 PM at the ToonSeum, 945 Libety Ave. in downtown Pittsburgh. Rob Rogers will be on hand to talk about the work and sign selected Boy Mayor prints.

Admission to the event is $6.00
A limited edition print will be available for $12, which includes admission to the event.

Summer Camps at the Toonseum!

2013-05-31T14:24:00.002-04:00

Cartoon Prep College Art Camp

On day one you will be developing your own cartoon character from start to finish. In addition, you will make the character turn, move, talk and make funny faces.

On the second day you will create your own comic strip. You can develop your character from day one and add scenery and a storyline to complete the panel(s). At the end of camp there will be a show and tell of the character and your story.

This camp is recommended for students ages 13 & up. Adults are also welcome!

July 24th & 25th 11am-4pm

About the Teacher:

Diana Zourelias is currently an Illustration and Cartooning teacher at Oakbridge Academy of Art in Lower Burrell specializing in cartooning, portriture and anatomy.

In addition, Zourelias is a freelance artist whose work has appeared in the hidden pictures of Highlights Magazine as well as in the humorous greeting cards of Ruscraft Cards, American Greetings and Hallmark . You may have also recognized her work with her line of popular gift wraps for Garven LLC., the Looney Toon characters of Trau and Loevner and even Pittsburgh icons such as the logos for both Dingbats and Abates and most recently Guardian Storage.

In addition to her print work, Diana also appeared online with American Greetings and her comic series Granny's Garden, which followed the precocious life of a grandmother and her long adoration for floral and fauna. Other works include her work for Dover Publications that includes "Monster Bugs" and "Monster Insects", Mix and Match Princesses, Celebrity Parents, Celebrity Kids Paper Dolls, Presidential Pets, Abraham Lincoln Activity Book, Fairyland Hidden Pictures and many more

$100.00 for General Admission

$80.00 for Members

http://collegeartcamp.eventbrite.com

Superhero Training Academy!

Everybody has dreams of being a Superhero, fantasies of leaping over tall buildings, outracing jet planes, and saving the day with spectacular super-powers. But being a Superhero isn't just about having super-strength and fighting crime in your underwear.

Join us as we learn what it takes to be a real Superhero in the ToonSeum’s first ever Superhero Training Academy!

Students will begin the day by developing their very own Superhero design through a series of drawing lessons and costume creation. Then, strap on your utility belts for a series of problem-solving games and hands-on activities designed to strengthen super-strong wits! Our Super-recruits will meet with local local civic leaders to help solve the challenges that face our community and offer their skills toward making Pittsburgh a Super City.

Superhero Training Academy is designed to reinforce creativity and civic responsibility by exploring the basic moral codes of community activism, good citizenship, and personal fitness in a fun and challenging format. Students will meet real-life “Superheroes” including firefighters, police officers, and local politicians who work for the good of the people of Pittsburgh and will be asked to offer their solutions to the problems that face our city.

All heroes will receive a diploma from the ToonSeum Superhero Training Academy, a Superhero cape, mask, and design-it-yourself t-shirt, as well as all supplies needed for the day (students should bring a lunch).

August 5th-7th

Ages 6-12

10am-2pm

Cost $150 non-members

$125 members

http://superherotrainingacademy.eventbrite.com

How to Toon Cartooning Basics

How to Toon Cartooning Basics Learn the basic skills needed to create your own cartoon characters and then bring them to life. Through simple line exercises and easy-to-follow step-by-step lessons, students will be amazed at their own skills and abilities. With a strong emphasis on character development through personality, costume, character relationships and plot, this class not only reinforces drawing skills, but provides students with logical formulas for visual storytelling.

All supplies are included, art supplies cases, cartooning book, markers and pencils are provided for students to keep.

Recommended for ages 6-12

Class size is limited to no more than 25 students.

August 5th-7th, 9:30am-3pm each day.

Cost is $150 for non-members and $125 for ToonSeum members.

Students should bring a lunch with them each day.

About the instructor:

Joe Wos is not only the founder and executive director of the ToonSeum he has been a cartooning instructor for over 20 years! His popular How To Toon has been taught nationwide. Joe was the first resident cartoonist of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa California, where he continues to teach workshops every year.

http://howtotooncamp.eventbrite.com

Cartoonist Lineup during Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival

2013-05-11T12:28:00.002-04:00

10:00am-11:00am at Toonseum

Jan Eliot- Stone Soup

Patrick McDonnell- Mutts

Brian Walker- Hi & Lois

11:00am-12:00pm at August Wilson Center

Brian Crane- Pickles

Greg Evans- Luann

John Rose-Barney Google and Snuffy Smith

John Stevens- Caricatoonist

12:00am-1:00pm at August Wilson Center

Paul Fell- Paul Fell Cartoons

Jeff Keane- Family Circus

Bill Morrison- Simpsons Comics

Laurie Triefeldt- World of Wonder

1:00pm-2:00pm at August Wilson Center

Donna Lewis- Reply All Comic

Mark Tatulli- Lio

Jerry Van Amoreogen- Ballad Street

Greg Walker- Beetle Bailey

1:15pm-2:00pm at Bricolage Women in Cartooning Panel

* TIX EVENT

*INCLUDED IN VIP

Sandra Bell-Lundy- Between Friends

Cathy Guisewise- Cathy

Lynn Johnston- For Better or Worse

Terri Libenson- The Pajama Diaries

Hilary Price- Rhymes with Orange

2:00pm-3:00pm at August Wilson Center

Jason Chatfield- Ginger Meggs

Barbara Dale- Dale Cards

Jeff Knurek- Jumble "That Scrambled Word Game"

Mo Williems- Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

3:00pm-4:00m at August Wilson Center

Paul Collins- Scholastic, Highlights and Boys Life

Paul Combs- Drawn by Fire

John Hambrock- The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee- King Features

Bill Hollbrook- On the Fast Track

Jim Horwitz- Watson

5:00pm-6:00pm- at August Wilson Center

Andrew Farago- Curator, Cartoon Art Museum

Michael Jantze- The Norm

Mahendra Shah- "I Said it Too"

Rick Stromoski- Soup to Nutz

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First Annual Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival!

2013-04-17T14:07:00.000-04:00

Downtown Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival hopes to Draw a Crowd!

Pittsburgh, PA-Hundreds of cartoonists are descending on downtown Pittsburgh as the city plays host to the National Cartoonists Society Conference. It is the first time the prestigious organization has been to Pittsburgh in its almost 70 year history.

In conjunction with the conference, The ToonSeum will be hosting the very first Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival on May 26^th from noon to 5pm.

The festival will feature autograph and sketch sessions with over 60 of the nations top comic artist and cartoonists including such luminaries as: Partrick McDonnell of Mutts, Lynn Johnston of For Better or Worse, Tom Richmond of MAD Magazine, Brian Walker of Beetle Bailey, Dan Piraro of Bizarro and many more.

The 900 Block of Liberty Avenue downtown will become a veritable living funny pages block party with visits from Betty Boop, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Dennis the Menace, and the Care Bears. Fun vendors, art activities, chalk artists and caricaturists and will round out the festivities and help to literally draw a crowd!

Several ticketed panel discussions and lectures will be taking place at Bricolage Theater featuring an exciting panel of women cartoonists presented by Carlow University. The Panel will include Cathy Guisewite, Lynn Johnston, Terri Liebenson, and Hillary Price.

The ToonSeum will host the first ever exhibition of Reuben Award winners featuring a who’s who of comics and cartooning spanning over 60 years and rarely seen original art.

At the August Wilson Center there will be original art from the classic animated series Fat Albert on display in their gallery.

Admission to the street festival is free. Five dollar admission gets access to exhibitions at the ToonSeum and artists signing booths.

Books and prints for signings will be available for purchase with all proceeds benefiting the NCS/ToonSeum Fund for Youth Programs.

Panel discussions seating is limited and ticket price is $20.

On Thursday night, there will be Special VIP tickets available including a sneak peek of the exhibit, reserved seating to all panels, and private meet and greet with artists which are available for $150.00

Information on the festival is available at pghcomicartsfest.com

The festival is a partnership between the National Cartoonists Society, the ToonSeum, The August Wilson Center and Bricolage theater with support from the R K Mellon Foundation and Geek Pittsburgh.

Come play trivia at the Toonseum!

2013-01-23T11:51:00.000-05:00

Do you think you’re a cartoon art expert? If so, the Toonseum challenges you to test your noggin’s knowledge of characters found within our galleries. It’s the ultimate cartoon quiz for all levels of animation intelligence, from novice to wiz kid!

During your next visit to the Toonseum, use your smartphone to scan the QR code located at our front desk to navigate to our titillating, mind-tingling, brain-bubbling trivia scavenger hunt. You can also tap our Near Field Communication (NFC) tag, or type in the browser link to locate the treacherous trivia challenge. If you do not have a smartphone, ask us for a paper copy of the challenge.

As you stroll through the museum, you will notice various works of art with special numbers associated with them. Each of these numbers has a corresponding question found within the online scavenger hunt. Using your vast wisdom of all things animation, answer as many questions correctly. Upon completion of the scavenger hunt, click submit to automatically transmit your answers to our front desk where your performance will be evaluated by our panel of experts. Return to our gift shop to retrieve your results. If you answer 10 or more correctly, you will win a prize!

All participants will be entered into a monthly drawing for a chance to win our magnificent grand prize valued at $50 or more, including gift certificates, action figures, toys, books, and more!

~Nicole Chynoweth

Jim Shooter: Shooting from the Hip

2013-01-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

Next week the Toonseum will bring in legendary writer, artist, editor and publisher Jim Shooter for a special appearance. Shooter, a Pittsburgh, stepped into the comics scene as a teenager after submitting stories and drawings to DC. In 1966, at the age of 13, Shooter began selling stories to DC comics and soon became hired as a regular contributor writing for comics such as Superboy, the Legion of SuperHeroes, Superman and many other titles . In addition to writing for both Action Comics and Adventure Comics, Shooter also created characters specifically for the Legion of Super-Heroes.

After leaving DC, Shooter began working at Marvel comics, rising quickly within the company to become it's ninth editor-in-chief. As editor-in-chief, Shooter brought Marvel great success, through gaining control of the companies lackadaisical approach to deadlines. He made sure things got done, and on time, with a stern approach to business, which led to criticism from colleagues and quite possibly his demise within the company. After he left, Shooter tried to purchase Marvel from it's corporate sponsorship, but was beat out to a higher bidder.

Shooter then created his own publishing house, VALIANT Comics bringing with him top names from Marvel including Barry-Windsor Smith, Don Perlin and Bob Layton. Valiant Comics brought popular new titles into the comic world such as Bloodshot, X-O Man of War, Rai and Ninjak. In 1992, Shooter was relieved from Valiant Comics and not long after in 1994, Accalim Games bought VALIANT Comics.

Shooter went on to create DEFIANT Comics and Broadway Comics. He also returned briefly at Acclaim Comics and Marvel for several stories in addition to his more recent work for Dark Horse Comics in the past few years.

On January 19^th, Jim Shooter is traveling back to his Pittsburgh roots for a one night appearance at the Toonseum. Come for the opening VIP reception and stay for an interview and Q&A session. Tickets purchased in advance at http://jimshooter.eventbrite.com.

The Hippest Tuna Around: Charlie the Tuna

2013-01-09T12:22:00.002-05:00

Sorry, Charlie!

In the winter of 2011, the ToonSeum partnered with seafood company StarKist to debut an exhibit which spoke to the American consciousness unlike any previous exhibit. “Sorry Charlie: 50 Years of Charlie the Tuna” featured original art and memorabilia of the sunglass-wearing hipster fish and allowed the ToonSeum to tap into a different side of cartoons’ immersion into pop culture: consumerism.

Charlie the Tuna’s rise to fame started in 1958 when StarKist hired Leo Burnett to design an advertising campaign to make the company stand out as a leading competitor in the shelf-stable seafood industry. Through Burnett's brainstorming and consumer research, it became clear that consumers desire good-tasting tuna, not “fishy” tuna. Tom Rogers, a copywriter at Burnett’s advertising agency, devised a spokesfish to bring this message to the masses and establish StarKist as the good-tasting tuna brand.

Rogers had total creative control over bringing Charlie to life. He contracted The Pink Panther co-creator Friz Freleng of Depatie Freleng Studios to assist in Charlie’s creation, while director Chuck Jones, famous for his work with Warner Bros., was hired to create the physical character keys and direct some of Charlie’s first television commercials. With so many talented artists behind the scenes, Charlie the Tuna came to be quite the distinguished character.

In 1961, Depatie Freleng Studios started producing Charlie the Tuna television commercials, with actor Herschel Bernardi voicing the charismatic fish. Bernardi melded a Brooklyn accent with Broadway class, creating Charlie’s distinct, lovable personality. Acclaimed voice over artist Danny Dark acted as the narrator, making "Sorry Charlie, StarKist doesn't want tuna with good taste, but tuna that tastes good!" an enduring commercial tagline.

Each commercial depicted Charlie’s desire to express his high-class taste to others through a variety of efforts, like travelling to the Gobi Desert, sipping natural spring water, gloating about his connections to StarKist, and wooing a female tuna with his knowledge of StarKist tuna scouts. With his red beret and thick-rimmed glasses, Charlie exuded an engaging personality and hipster image Americans could not ignore, giving tuna, a seemingly simple grocery item, an extraordinary mascot. When consumers thought tuna, they thought Charlie.

Charlie the Tuna’s popularity went beyond the small screen. In 1968, a Charlie the Tuna hand-carved statue was erected as the mascot of the town of Charleston, Oregon. In addition, a broad line of Charlie merchandise appeared throughout the 1970s and 1980s, such as telephones, cufflinks, neckties, plush dolls, scales, and fish-eye cameras. Charlie has also made notable public appearances over the years, like ringing the bell at Wall Street in 1996 and walking down the red carpet at the first annual TV Land Awards in 2003.

StarKist saw great success with the integration of Charlie the Tuna into their product’s advertisements, catapulting them to the top of the shelf-stable tuna industry. Charlie became more than a product’s character though - he became an iconic cartoon deeply embedded in consumers’ subconscious. Today, he still stands out as an endearing character, appearing on StarKist’s tuna packages and merchandise like “Sorry, Charlie” T-shirts. He celebrated his 50th birthday with the ToonSeum in 2011, a great honor to the museum.

Now, as the ToonSeum enters a new year packed with exciting exhibits, workshops, lectures, and meet-and-greets, we are proud and thrilled to welcome Charlie the Tuna back to our main gallery as the namesake for our permanent exhibit, Charlie’s Hall of Legends. The collection features iconic characters like Little Lulu, The Pink Panther, Batman, and Calvin and Hobbes.

The ToonSeum chose Charlie the Tuna as the face of its permanent exhibit because he represents precisely what the exhibit contains: timeless cartoon characters. Remaining a relevant cartoon after 50 years is a pretty incredible accomplishment, and Charlie has done so quite triumphantly. The ToonSeum celebrates and appreciates the place cartoons have in popular culture, and Charlie’s presence succeeds in portraying that aspect of the ToonSeum’s mission.

Written By:
Nicole Chynoweth

sources:
http://www.starkist.com/charlie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_BPn-xLIt4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGgPg_QxJEY
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070702136_pf.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_the_Tuna

Pittsburgh Animator, Writer, “Night of the Living Dead” Actor and Filmmaker Dies

2012-12-28T13:22:00.001-05:00

Leland “Lee” Hartman, 82, of Castle Shannon, passed away Dec. 24, 2012 at a nursing facility in Glen Hazel, PA. Lee bravely battled dementia since his diagnosis in 2006, shortly after losing his beloved wife of 50 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Hartman (Quinn), also from Pittsburgh. “Uncle Lee” was dearly loved by his four nieces for his kind heart and creative spirit.

An interesting character indeed, Lee, a Navy veteran and animator by trade, returned to Pittsburgh in 1960 after five years as an animator for the Walt Disney Company in California. Having studied at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh himself - he later shared his knowledge and love of animation working as a teacher at Ivy school of Professional Art. He also continued to work as a freelance animator and as an Animator and Director of Animation at “The Animators” as well as working as animator of countless commercials enjoyed by Pittsburghers growing up during the 1960’s through the 1990s. ”. A special source of pride to his family was a film he wrote, animated, produced and later sold called, “The Story of the Christmas Toys,” a labor of love ten years in the making whose character roles were inspired by his sister-in-law Ann Malloy’s four daughters. The film also featured a song written by his brother-in-law, Arthur Quinn. In the 90’s he worked as a Tiny Toons animator for Warner Brothers.

Lee was featured in the credits of the Cult Classic “Night of the Living Dead,” in which he played both a reporter and a ghoul. Over the years, Lee often had strangers from the huge cult following of the film knock on his door to get an autograph - which he always happily accommodated. He can be seen interviewed in the 2009 documentary “Autopsy of the Dead,” about his experience working on the film. Always the artist, Lee was also known for other unusual creative pursuits, such as designing and building boats from scratch in his backyard – first a paddle boat, then a working replica of the Columbus ship “La Pinta,” a boat Betty and Lee enjoyed for sailing outings that drew astonished stares and photo requests from fellow boaters on nearby lakes. Never too late to pursue his artistic passions, Lee also took up writing in his sixties, self-publishing a work of short stories called “The Darkendown Tales” in 1997.

His family is happy to report that part of his art collection was recently accepted by The Heinz History Center to be added to its archives. This material sheds light on the work Lee did with Bill Beal, a local filmmaker whose films are also housed at the History Center. Lee worked with Bill on many of the animated commercials that Mr. Beal produced and was among Lee’s closest friends. Most of the collection will be archived at the ToonSeum of Pittsburgh. A memorial service is being considered at ToonSeum at a later date, where friends can remember the man and his art. A separate announcement will be made later regarding this service.

Lee will be reunited with his cherished late wife Betty and is survived by sister-in-law, Ann Malloy and her daughters Christine, Lauren, Michelle and Kerra as well as by his brother-in-law Arthur Quinn and his wife Lois. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to his caregivers and especially to Robert “Bud” Eichel, an enduring friend since childhood, who loyally stood by Lee until the end of his life –selflessly assisting with some of the most challenging aspects that Lee’s condition presented when it came to his care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Toonseum and/or the Heinz History Center to help preserve his legacy.

ToonSeum, 945 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

What's Wrong with Minnie Me?

2012-12-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

Are you for or a against a skinny minnie? A controversial campaign created by Barneys' New York and Walt Disney Company combine traditional disney characters with extremely skinny runway models dressed in designer duds. Many have said that the skinnier versions were promoting eating disorders and unrealistic goals, but has anyone asked what Olive Oyl thought?

As the original "skinny" toon poor Olive Oyl's lanky body was put up against curvaceous cartoon characters like Betty Boop, She-Ra, Wonder Woman, Turanga Leela, Princess Fiona, Tinker Bell and don't even get her started on Jessica Rabbit's curves, but Olive couldn't have been that upset considering she had two fellas fighting over her. So does this mean the Jessica Rabbits of the world are out and the Olive Oyls are in? Olive Oyl certainly wasn't a sex object in her day, so what has changed?

The majority of female characters are slim, slightly curvy characters like Wilma & Betty, Judy and Jane Jetson, Marge Simpson, Natasha Fatale and Daphne. This type of character has remained a constant in animation for years. They are portrayed as the average woman, but many of us know that the average "TV mom" is far from size of the average woman.

The more "average" shaped characters like Lois Griffin, Princess Fiona, Rosie the Robot and Velma have given a breath of fresh air to cartoons. Princess Fiona knocked down traditions by becoming the first curvaceous princess. Typically the "average" shaped characters in cartoons have only made it second to their slimmer counter parts like Velma is to Daphne, but Princess Fiona is the one of the first "real" woman to star as the lead in her own cartoon.

Now if you take a look at the average "anthropomorphic" female cartoon character, you can see that many of them are indistinguishable to their male counter parts and only recognized as women by their feminine features such as color, eyelashes, hair or a bows such as Mini Mouse, Babs Bunny and Smurfette (Smurfs are animals, right?). These characters are based soley on personality to show their feminine attributes. All taking on body shapes relatively identical to their male counter parts.

Even the Olive Oyl's ultra slim body type has reemerged into characters like Pepper Ann, Sally and Jane Lane to name a few.

So, what seems to be apparent is that historically there are many different cartoon characters with many different body shapes just like in real life. So is Barneys & Walt Disney Co. wrong in reimagining these figures?

David LeBlanc: Expression of Heroes

2012-12-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

David LeBlanc: Expression of Heroes

This December the Toonseum will be featuring an exciting new artist David LeBlanc. Leblanc's exhibit New Action Evolution puts a new spin of the comic book super heroes we have grown to know and love. At an early age Leblanc became enamored with comics which stuck with him as he pursued his education in the arts at Dartmouth/UMass, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration 1989 and his Masters in Education, 2004. Early in his career Leblanc became one of the founding members of the Western Avenue Studios community in Boston where he still remains today as his collection and reputation grows.

Leblanc's exhibit New Action Evolution touches on the genres of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. The term Abstract Expressionism first sprang up in the streets of New York in the 1940’s and 50’s. The new artistic movement also known as the New York School or Action Painting, was not defined to one style. They ranged from Jackson Pollock’s action paintings to William Dekooning’s fierce use of the human figure and even Mark Rothko’s large and overpowering use of color on the canvas.

The artists of this new movement used many different techniques within their works but what they one thing they had in common was their use of spontaneity and improvisation. By breaking away from the more familiar and conservative forms of past art, they were able to dive into their own human psyche. As WW2 ended so did the period of the Abstract Expressionists making way for a new style into the art world, Pop Art.

Pop art originally began in Britain in the 1950’s, quickly making its way to the shores of America during the 1960’s. Where the artists of the Abstract Expressionism Movement were concerned with nature and delving into the human psyche, the Pop Art movement stepped outside of the mind and took inspiration from social culture, embracing the media boom that came after WW2 utilizing newspapers, advertising and comics as inspiration.

Robert Rauschenberg was one of the first artists to help establish some of the characteristics of the Pop Art movement by gaping the bridge between the worlds of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Rauschenberg melded the spontaneity of the Abstract Expressionism movement with the imagery and social influence of the Pop Art movement. Rauschenberg's influence trashed the traditional norms that had been set in place, bringing back imagery and blurring the edges between what was then classified as high and low art.

Another Pop Artist and probably one of the most influential and well-known pop artist of our time was Andy Warhol. Warhol like many other of the pop artists first started out as a commercial artist. Moving to New York from Pittsburgh PA, Warhol began working as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines and continued with this career until around 1960. It was then that Warhol left to pursue his career on his own, creating some of his most iconic works in the history of Pop art.

It was between these two eras that another genre burst into the spotlight, Comic books. Comics had been around long before these two art forms appeared, but it was in the late 30's that it became the began the Golden Age in the comic book world. The golden age introduced us to many of the super heroes we know today. For example, the first Action Comic had the now famous Superman on it’s cover in 1938 . Other legendary characters such as Wonder Woman, Batman and Captain America also originated at this time.

The Silver Age which came after WW2, in the 1950's, helped establish the value of comics and brought with it some of the most influential creators and artists of the comics world such as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Neal Adams. During The Bronze Age, beginning around the 1970s and continuing through the 1980’s, kept many of the traditional superhero titles of the past periods but moved to more dark and real world problems for the hero’s to face.

Then we enter the Modern Age of comics, also referred to as The Dark Age which started in the 1980s and is still going strong today. The Dark Age has introduced several darker and more complex characters such as Watchmen. Also, the amount of independent comics and graphic novel publishers have flourished and their creators have become more well know within the industry.

With influence stemming from Jackson Pollock to Andy Warhol, David Leblanc combined his love of both the Abstract Expressionists, Pop Artists and the world of Comics to create yet another whirling action adventure through art. Taking a cue from Robert Rauschenberg, David uses not just his brush to create his works but also uses clips from comics, photos and drawings to create more depth and movement throughout the pieces. Unlike Rauschenberg, Leblanc gives only a hint of what lies underneath his fast, thick brush strokes, allowing for only a glimpse of the pop media hidden beneath. Leblanc's New Action Evolution exhibit effortlessly fuses Leblanc's own psyche to his audiences super hero alter egos with larger than life paintings for life sized entertainment. Come to the Toonseum December 8^th, 2012 at 7:30pm to meet LeBlanc in person for the opening of New Action Evolution.

http://newactionopening.eventbrite.com

Rachael Kmack

~Toonseum, Intern

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-abstract-expressionism.htm

http://www.theartstory.org/movement-pop-art.htm

http://www.moma.org/collection/theme.php?theme_id=10170

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_id=6246

Toonseum 2012: An Animated Year

2012-11-26T16:59:00.005-05:00

This year the Toonseum has had wonderful guests, amazing events and fantastic sponsors so here is to them in this year in review.

January 2012

Na-Na-Na have a good time! Funky Turns Forty at the Toonseum After Crawl Party.

Thank you to the Museum of Uncut Funk for this amazing exhibit that fit so perfectly into the brand new Lou Scheimer Gallery.

Video Featuring Behind the Scenes Video of the Opening Event

To learn more about The Museum of Uncut Funk click on the link provided.

http://museumofuncutfunk.com

February 2012

Illustration Ale Release Party

East End Brewing got the Toonseum Treatment with Special Edition Labeled Ale. To celebrate this artist juncture, the Toonseum released the beer during a special event last January.

Click to Learn More about East End Brewing & Illustration Ale

http://www.eastendbrewing.com

March 2012

Will Eisner's New York

Eisner is an amazing graphic novelist and the Toonseum loved bringing New York to Pittsburgh with Eisner's collection.

Find Out How To Buy the Book!

http://www.willeisner.com/library/will-eisners-new-york.html

This #*?! Isn't Very Funny: Recent Comics and Drawings by Jim Rugg

Welcoming our first "Adult Only" exhibit of 2012. Rugg pushed the limit with this exhibit of his comics & drawings.

Find out what Jim is up to now!

http://jimrugg.com

April 2012

Martini's & Toons with Legendary Cartoonist Doug Sneyd

The Toonseum brought Playboy cartoonist Doug Sneyd to Pittsburgh to host this special event! Also, making a special appearance with us at Pittsburgh Comic Con!

Want to Get Your hands on Doug Sneyd's Art? Click the link below

http://www.dougsneyd.com

Find us at the Pittsburgh Comic Con this year!

http://www.pittsburghcomicon.com

Sprout Fund Comics Reading Courtyard

Thanks to an early Spring the Toonseum was able open the doors to our Sprout Fund Comics Courtyard. Pittsburgher's read comics all spring, summer and fall. There were many events which utilized the extra space including Pridefest, Drawn of the Dead & Night of the Living Dead Reanimated Movie Screening, Gay For Good and most recently our Interactive Christmas Mural.

Learn more about the Sprout Fund!

http://www.sproutfund.org

Gay for Good

http://gayforgood.org

May 2012

Free Comic Book Day at the Toonseum

The Toonseum handed out hundreds of Free Comic Books and even hosted an after Party.

Find out about Free Comic Book Day 2013

http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992

The Zany Dzigns of Diana Zourelias Exhibit

Local artist Diana Zourelias-Noro exhibited her extensive cartoon collection with a special Highlight's Hidden Picture Wall.

Find out what Diana is working on now!

http://amazingartbydiana.com

Dr. Sketchy and Steel City Derby Girls

Our Dr. Sketchy Anti-Art School was in full occupancy thanks to those girls at Steel City Roller Derby.

The Toonseum hosts Dr. Sketchy several times throughout the year add us on Twitter to find out when:

http://twitter.com/toonseum

Roll with the Demons:

http://www.steelcityderbydemons.com/home/

June 2012

Betty Boop Film Festival

Here are some highlights from the event

An Evening with Stephan Pastis of Pearls Before Swine

Flying in all the way from Santa Rosa, California, Stephan Pastis welcomed a packed house with his comic strip Pearls Before Swine. He was also able to join us for our Volunteer Day at PNC park with special thanks to James Mesloh.

To find out where Rat is right now:

http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com

July 2012

Care Bears Opening Celebration & Birthday Ball

Those lovable Care Bears are 30 Years old and to celebrate we hosted two events in their honor. Special thanks to American Greetings for providing this adorable collection.

Watch the Care Bears and get fun activities

http://www.agkidzone.com/care-bears/

Gotham Nights

Our annual fundraiser came just in time for the release of Dark Knight Rises, so what better to name it then Gotham Nights. With special guests Rick Sebak and Jimmy Krenn and a surprise appearance by George Takei our Batman themed party was a knight no one could forget!

Our Gotham Nights Movie Trailer

Stay tuned to find out when our next fundraiser is!

http://toonseum.org

The Toonseum Present's the Release of Ed Piskor's Wizzywig

The Toonseum was ecstatic to host the release of artist Ed Piskor's newest graphic novel Wizzywig.

Find out more about Ed Piskor

http://www.edpiskor.com

September 2012

Geeks Rule!

The Toonseum brought out your inner Geek with Geek Trivia Night, Yoda Yoga, Dr. Sketchy Toons and Brews.

Free Museum Day at the Toonseum

The Toonseum partnered with the Smithsonian for Free Museum Day.

Find out more about Free Museum Day

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/

October 2012

Pumpkin Painting Party

Children got to pick-and-paint their very own pumpkin!

An Evening of Terror with Doug Bradley

Doug Bradley known for his character Pinhead in the Hellraiser Series enchanted guests during his reading of classic horror tales at Bricolage.

To buy his newest audio DVD Spine Chillers

http://www.dougbradley.com

Find out more about Bricolage and their spectacular Midnight Radio Show

http://www.bricolagepgh.org

Monster Engine Halloween Party

The opening of David Devries Monster Engine was the perfect compliment to our annual Halloween Party.

Get a copy of Devries book here:

http://www.themonsterengine.com

Drawn of the Living Dead Halloween Party

Showing Night of the Living Dead Reanimated with an adult Halloween after party made the scariest day of the year a little less terrifying! Here's a pic of the Toonseum staff costumes!

Coming up next is our Christmas Party "Island of Misfit Toons"

http://islandoftoons.eventbrite.com

November 2012

Rob Rogers Cartoon Delegate Sketchbook Premiere

Rob Roger's of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette presented his video which followed the DNC & RNC prior to this years presidential election.

Light Up the Night at the Toonseum

During Light Up Night the Toonseum had free admission as well as special guest comic artist George Broderick Jr.. If you missed him, George will also be at our upcoming Kid's Christmas Cartoonfest.

Find out more about his comics

http://www.georgebroderick.com

Or about our upcoming

http://christmascartoonfest.eventbrite.com

Kid's Christmas Cartoonfest, Dec 1st, 2012

The Toonseum's all Day Christmas Cartoonfest. Santa was there as well as special guest Ian Petrella known for his role as "Randy" in a Christmas Story. There were Balloon Animals, Caricatures, Facepainters, Sing-A-Long and Crafts!

For more information:

http://christmascartoonfest.eventbrite.com

Our Upcoming Events For December 2012

New Action Evolution: December 8th, 2012

Artist of New Action Evolution will be heading to the Toonseum for his exhibits opening night. Come meet the artist and get a glimpse of his comic inspired art.

For more information:

http://newactionopening.eventbrite.com

Island of Misfit Toons Adult Holiday Party, December 14th, 2012

Come to the Toonseum's annual holiday extravaganza with cocktails, appetizers and cookies as well as a special holiday themed photobooth and make it a night you can't forget.

For More Information:

http://islandoftoons.eventbrite.com

Pittsburgh Scores! The Pro Scoreboard Art of Kensington Falls Animation December 21st, 2012

You've seen it on the Jumbotron at Steelers, Pirates and Penguins games, now see the art behind your favorite animations.

Find out more!

http://scoreboardartopening.eventbrite.com

Other Events Where You May Have Seen the Toonseum Staff!

Tar and Feathering Event at Wigle Whiskey

https://www.wiglewhiskey.com

Prix Jeunesse at WQED

http://www.prixjeunesse.de

Anthrocon

http://www.anthrocon.org

C2E2 Chicago

http://www.c2e2.com

Comics & Collectibles at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall & South Hills Mall

http://www.ndcomics.com

Yelp Events

http://www.yelp.com/pittsburgh

Lights, Glamour, Action! Pittsburgh Film Office Gala

http://www.pghfilm.org/lights-glamour-action.jsp

3 Rivers Art Festival

http://www.3riversartsfest.org

Jamiluvfest

http://www.jamiluvfest.com

It's Geek to Me "Wish Your Mouth had a Backspace Key" Book Release
http://www.geek-2-me.com

Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project
http://tote4pgh.com

Gay For Good Anniversary Party
http://gayforgood.org

We would also like to thank our Sponsors:

The Grable Foundation

StarKist

The National Cartoonist Society Foundation

The Pittsburgh Foundation

The Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation

The Sprout Fund

Jean Schulz

The Fine Foundation
ETC

Highmark

The ToonSeum Drawing Board Fund

Tribune Review Media

R K Mellon Foundation

Visit Pittsburgh

Wigle Whiskey

Boyd & Blair Vodka

Penn Brewery

and everyday characters and superheroes like you.

Our Board:

Rob Rogers

Harold Behar

James Mesloh

Deborah Scotto

Erin Marton

Stu Neft

Dan Vitale

Rick Sebak

Michelle Figlar

Wayno

Hilda Fu

Jim Martin

Jesse Schell

Don Peoples

Pat Kochanek

Dan Vitalie

Nick Cafardi

Wayno

Wendy Bennett

Our Director:

Joe Wos

Our Staff:

Mandi Bridgeman

Dani Grew

Our Volunteers and Interns:

Chris Bushmen

Nicole Cheynoweth

Rachael Kmack

Ling Liao

Katie Lynn

Juan Fernandez

Issac Fisher

Brady Lazendorfer

Kara Pack

Betsey Sokolosky

Lolia Adoki

Victoria Yu

Perry Ganchuk

Ashly Nagrant

Yoga for One and All!

2012-10-25T10:52:00.001-04:00

Over fifteen million people in the U.S. alone practice yoga so at this point it can hardly be called a fad. Yoga has been practiced globally for over 5000 years with more and more of it mental and physical benefits being discovered each year according to yogajournal.com.

Probably the most common misconception many people have when first beginning yoga is that in order to practice it you have to be as flexible as a gymnast. NOT TRUE! During yoga many of the poses performed help to relieve the body of its lactic acids, making you feel less tense, stiff and may even help to reduce pain. According to Web M.D. From your muscles to your soft tissues recent studies show that after an 8-week yoga regiment overall flexibility increased in participants by 35%.

Yoga also has great benefits when it comes to improving your overall strength. As stated at life.gaiam.com, instead of using weights to help build and tone the muscles, yoga uses your own body weight as the resistance which can help to improve overall muscle strength and endurance.

Breathing exercises are also a vital part of yoga and with each deep breathing exercise you help to increase your lung capacity which can lead to an endurance boost for your body. Also with the long lingering breathing techniques yoga can help to relax the body, reducing the amount of stress.

Yoga's popularity continues to increase as well as the health benefits known to it's practicers. As it is still being researched by medical professionals nationwide, yoga is an excellent way not only to improve your body, but you mind and soul as well.

The Toonseum will be hosting Yoda Yoga Nov 1^st at 7:30pm. Get destressed by Yoda-inspired poses as you zen out in the Toonseum's first ever Yoga class. This class is suitable for both beginners and intermediate. MEN AND WOMEN!!!! If you do not own a yoga mat, please bring a beach towel for comfort. For more information please go to http://geeks-rule.eventbrite.com.

Namaste

~Written by Rachel Kmack

Ways to Give

2012-10-11T12:04:00.001-04:00

Dear friends of the ToonSeum, Yes, You! 

Every year around October the ToonSeum reaches out for

our year-end giving donation requests. Why October and not November like everyone else? While most non-profits tap into the “holiday” giving spirit, we think Halloween is a much more fitting holiday for us at the ToonSeum.Just think of us as trick-or-treaters in superhero costumes knocking at your door!

October is an important time of year for the ToonSeum as it isa time when we are between grant funding, and of course

have a reduction in visitors from the summer months.We are also busy preparing for our 2013 exhibitions and program

schedule.

Of course that doesn’t stop us from continuing to offer our great programs and exhibitions right now! ToonSeum has some great exhibits and programs for October including an Evening of Terror with Doug Bradley and the Monster Engine

exhibition. We hope you will check out our website and newsletter for more information.

The ToonSeum is one of only a handful of cartoon and comic museums in the United States. We are proud to present

some of the world’s top artists and most iconic characters.


In 2013 Pittsburgh will be host to the National Cartoonists Society Conference and ToonSeum will present a rare public opportunity to be a part of the festivities for our friends and fans. 

But we can only do all this with your help and support.
We are a truly independent non-profit museum that is for and by fans of the comic and cartoon arts.

There are several ways you can show your support:

Make a tax deductible donation via: Razoo or Paypal
toonseum.org/waystogive.html

Toonseum App Special!!

2012-09-19T11:17:00.006-04:00

Thank you for joining us on the Toonseum App! Now you can stay up-to-date on the latest exhibits and events hosted by the Toonseum.

Right now the Toonseum is very excited to be hosting our nine-week Geek Series and Pumpkin Painting Party! Also, since Halloween is heading our way we found the perfect exhibit Monster Machine! Read our posts to find out more about these exhibits!

Receive 15% at the Gift Shop by saying "I got the Toonseum" App! Valid thru November 1st, 2012.

Pumpkin Painting Party

2012-09-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, October 6th at 1pm you can get into the Halloween Spirit with the Toonseum's pumpkin painting party. Kids can decorate pumpkins with scary or silly faces, craft Halloween decorations for their home and make some really cool masks. Come dressed as yourself or in costume as your favorite character.

Other activities include:

Cut-outs posters of your favorite fall characters for photo opportunities.

Tree, Pumpkin and Corn Coloring

Fall Fabulous Cartoons

Face Painting

and more!

Cost is $10.00 per child and $5.00 for adults. The party last from 1pm-3pm.

Geek Series Events!

2012-09-19T11:09:00.002-04:00

The Toonseum presents “GEEKS RULE!” a nine week geek series with a bevy of different activities helping to bring out your inner geek. The week night series has an activity for every type of geek including Geek TV, Geek Game Night, a Dr. Sketchy night, Toons & Brews, Yoda Yoga, Trivia Night, Geek to the Future, Geek Show & Tell, and a final Geek Wrap-Up Post Prom Party. Come to all of our nights or just one! All events start at 7:30pm! (21 and up)

GEEK TV- Sept 13th-Take a trip back in time to when TV shows really made a difference with this throwback to the best of 80's television shows.

Geek Game Night- Sept 26th- Why stay in when you can play your favorite board games and beat out complete strangers to become the Board Game Master?! Prizes for the top three competitors!

Dr. Sketchy- Geek your Heart Out Oct 4th- Geeky guys and gals take the stage in this quick-fire life drawing class. No need to be an artist just grab a pen and paper and have fun. Prizes, thrills and entertainment ensue!

Toons & Brews- Oct 18th-Got a hankering for learning some basic cartooning, but don't have the confidence? Well after sampling a couple of our brewery beers you may just think your the next great artist during our basic cartooning class!

Yoda Yoga- Nov 1st-Yoga has never been so relaxing now that Yoda is involved. This beginners Yoga class is for all of you who have wanted to do yoga, but never have. Also perfect for the experienced Yogians who simply want a chance to zen-out at the Toonseum.

Geek and Tell- Nov 15th-Basically, bring your geekiest or most hilarious prized possession. Whether it be your macaroni-made starship enterprise, your most coveted lock of hair plucked from the head of that kid from The Christmas Story, whatever you can find (or make up) bring it and also bring a really good story!

Guess the Geek Trivia Night! Nov 29th-Battle it out with your friends and foes in this Geek themed trivia night. Think you have all the answers? Be ready to guess your way to the top of Geekdom and win the title Master of Geeks!

Geek to the Future- Dec 13^th -Come and find out your Geekology with tarot card readers, astrologers and palm readers. Also, a array of futuristic shows from the past will make you feel Back to the Future.

Geek Wrap Up Post Prom Party Dec 21st-Get into your most garish dress or suit and cheers all your fellow geeks at this post prom after party. We don't care if your hair is a mess, that your makeup is smudged ...It's time to say goodnight to the teachers and have unbridled fun at this “guardian free” post party.

Cost $75.00 for all events; $60.00 for members

Or buy tickets separately $10.00 per event; buy tickets prior to event http://geeks-rule.eventbrite.com

Also, look for our other Geek events coming up including Geek Speed Dating, Fashionably Geek: a fashion show with a quirky twist, Geekayoke and Geek Out! Our geek public speaking workshop!

Monster Engine Exhibit at the Toonseum

2012-09-19T11:08:00.001-04:00

Kids love monsters and monsters apparently love kids, or else why would they spend so much time hiding under their beds? Well artist David Devries has come up with a concept that brings children's imaginations to life ,“The Monster Engine” and it's coming to the Toonseum on October 27th.

David Devries “The Monster Engine” takes drawings that children have created and turns them into realistic monster masterpieces by carefully recreating them with paint, airbrush and pencil. He originally got the idea from drawings that his niece had drawn in her book.

“It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it... no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life.” ~Devries

Prior to the “Monster Engine”, Devries illustrated for comic giants Marvel & DC and also painted monsters for Universal Studios. When he began “The Monster Engine” he used the techniques he had learned about shading and color to create monsters that looked three-dimensional.

In addition to his gallery exhibit, Devries released the book “The Monster Engine” which he won the Independent Publishers Book award. He also won “The Society of Illustrators Certificate of Merit” and the “Spectrum Silver Medal” He also has made special appearances on CBS “Morning show and has been featured in “The Sun” and “The New Jersey Observer” to name a few.

“I’ve loved art from the time I was a little kid-- especially comic books. When I got older, I actually got a chance to draw my childhood heroes--and get paid to boot. It was a dream come true. I was asked to paint Spiderman swinging over New York and Wolverine slashing robots with his unbreakable claws. My job was to make these heroes real for all the people who loved them. It wasn’t easy but I learned to make them colorful, detailed and full of action. Comics, however, weren’t the only thing I painted--I also painted monsters for Universal Studios, but those monsters weren’t as cool as the ones I saw lurking in my niece’s sketches. It was then, at age 33, that I decided to take all the lessons about color, action and detail and apply them to little kid’s drawings. It made me remember my childhood and also realize that no matter how old I became I could always see things like a child.” ~Devries

The exhibit will showcase the process in which the monsters are created starting from the hands of a child and shows the how Devries develops the monsters while keeping the child's vision as the primary focus. There will be a special event opening Halloween Party for kids on October 27^th at 1pm with a special appearance by David Devries. Please go to http://toonseum.org for more information.

Toonseum Rent-A-Room!

2012-08-14T13:40:00.001-04:00

If you didn't know it by now the Toonseum is now the hottest rental facility in Downtown Pittsburgh! With the perfect intimate, eclectic setting your next event can be the social event of the year. In the past year, the Toonseum has booked weddings, anniversaries, book signings, film screenings, birthday parties and even a baby shower and we are open to your craziest suggestions!

Here are some photos from some of our past events:

And If you haven't been by our facility before here is a preview of the space itself:

Main Gallery

Public Hall Gallery

Lou Schiemer Gallery

Courtyard

Happy 30th Birthday Care Bears!

2012-08-02T14:56:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Care Bears!

We all know and love the Care Bears, those sugary-sweet, wholesome, spunky bears which delighted children in the 80's and thirty years later the Care Bears are beginning a new chapter with a brand new look.

The Care Bears were created by American Greetings in 1982, following in the steps of their million dollar sweetheart "Strawberry Shortcake". In the first years in which the Care Bears debuted, consumers “cared-a-lot” about getting their hands on the adorable stuffed bears any way they could, even if a riot insued. With ten original bears, Tenderheart Bear, Cheer Bear, Friend Bear, Bedtime Bear, Birthday Bear, Wish Bear, Good Luck Bear, Grumpy Bear, Love-a-lot Bear, and Funshine Bear, there was a color, a belly badge and most importantly a bear for every personality. Even Grumpy Bear had his own following, much like Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs there is just something about a disgruntled cartoon character that pulls on the heart strings.

In addition to their massively produced retail line, the Care Bears also made their way to TV with specials like the ever popular “The Care Bears in the Land Without Feelings” and “The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine”. Eventually, they made their way to where many actors and actresses in Hollywood only dream of going, which is to the big screen. In 1985, “The Care Bears Movie” debuted to an astounding audience and even more importantly introduced the Care Bears extended family, the "Care Bear Cousins". The "Care Bear Cousins" were a new generation of characters including a penguin, a lion, a raccoon, a rabbit and other non-bear characters, which helped American Greetings give a fresh perspective on the popular franchise.

The Care Bears phenomenon grew larger over the years with the push of their line of Care Bear merchandise including plushies, records, CDs, pillow cases, key chains, figurines, lunch boxes, radios and cameras. In addition to their vast product line, AG also continued producing movies like " Care Bears Movie II: The New Generation", "The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland" and "Care Bears: Oopsy Does It" to name a few.

Jump ahead to the present and the Care Bears are back with a brand new show “Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot.” The show premiered on then HUB network on June 2^nd and it couldn't have been better timing. All of the Generation Ys are edging into their late twenties and having children of their own, and nothing could be better than bonding with your child over something that is reminiscent of your own childhood.

So, thank you Care Bears for thirty years of bear-tastic-times with many more to come!

~ Written by Mandi Bridgeman

CELEBRATE THIRTY YEARS AT THE "CARE BEARS BIRTHDAY BALL AT" THE TOONSEUM!

August 26th, 2012 at 1pm

945 Liberty Avenue in PIttsburgh, PA 15222

It's the Care Bears 30th Birthday and we are throwing all those loveable characters the first ever Care Bears Birthday Ball! Get dressed in your ball gowns girls and your cool kicks boys and come dance, color and meet and greet with actual Care Bears!

The event will also feature face painting, balloon making, a Care Bears coloring and maze station, complimentary popcorn, pin the rainbow on the Care Bear, a Care Bears movie screening, prizes, games, a dance party thrown by none other than DJ Wiley (and he's only ten-years-old!) and much, much more!

The event will be run by kids and for kids, meaning that the event will be run by a board of kid directors who will decide what awesome activities to have at the party and the adults will just have to go along with it!

You are also welcome to browse our current exhibit “Care Bears: Thirty Years of Caring...and Hugs” which features adorable original art from the Care Bears past thirty years.

The party starts at 1pm on August 26th, 2012 at 945 Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh. The event is open to all ages and admission is only $10.00 per child with admission for parents only $5.00!

Click here for Tickets!

The Toonseum is also currently featuring an exhibit “Care Bears: Thirty Years of Caring...and Hugs” through Sept 30th. Please follow the link to read more about it!

Pittsburgh Museum of Comic Art will host a retrospective exhibit celebrating the 30th anniversary of the beloved and iconic Care Bears. The “Care Bears: 30 Years of Caring…and Hugs” exhibit will run from June 29th through August 26th.

The ToonSeum’s “Care Bears: 30 Years of Caring…and Hugs” exhibit comes on the heels of the brand-new Care Bears television series debuting on June 2 on The Hub TV Network... Click Here to Read More!

Ka-Blam! Gotham Nights! Why You Should Join Us and Support the Toonseum

2012-06-25T15:33:00.006-04:00

Hi everyone! Thought I would share with you the history and mission behind the Toonseum straight from the words of our Executive Director, Joe Wos. Ka-Blam! Gotham Nights is our upcoming Fundraiser on July 21st, 2012. Yes, it is one awesome party, but also it helps keep the Toonseum a part of Pittsburgh's Pop Culture District!!!! For more information please go to http://ka-blam-eorg.eventbrite.com/

Once Upon a Toon…

By Toonseum Executive Director, Joe Wos

A Pittsburgh man with rectangular framed glasses and a bristly beard envisioned a museum, in fact, not just a museum, but a ToonSeum, where cartoon art would be celebrated for the young and the young-at-heart. That man with a vision is Joe Wos and he is here to tell you how it all began.

“For the past 25 years, I have been a performing cartoonist and storyteller, combining storytelling with live cartoon illustration on stage. I have performed for venues throughout the United States. Ten years ago, I got a life changing phone call from a young man who had seen me perform in Columbus, Ohio. The caller was the newly appointed education director of the soon-to-open Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California. The director wanted to know if I would perform and lead workshops for the opening week festivities. I was overwhelmed and delighted, and considering Schulz was my hero and inspiration, I immediately accepted the opportunity. A few months later, I was bound for my first trip to California.

Prior to working for the Charles M. Shultz Museum, I worked as a performer and consultant with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for over two decades. At the Children's Museum, I worked in a variety of roles including exhibitions, education, events, outreach programs as well as assisting in other programs. Now, I had already performed at hundreds of venues, but this was special, this was a museum dedicated to a cartoonist and not just any cartoonist, but my personal hero. I had never met “Sparky”, as his friends, family and other cartoonists called Mr. Schultz and unfortunately I never got the chance because he passed away before the Museum opened. I did, however, meet another inspiring hero, Jean Schulz. Jeannie is to this day the driving force behind the Schulz Museum. A dynamic, yet modest, visionary who saw the need for the Schulz Museum and made it a reality. In the years to follow, I would come to rely on her advice and support as the ToonSeum inched its own way to existence.

I spent a week at the museum, performing and getting to know the audience, staff and volunteers that make up the Schulz Museum. After that week, I left on a tour of San Francisco where I encountered the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum. It was then I realized, I was looking at what could be the next big museum movement in America, Cartoon Art Museums! Having been with the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for so long, I watched as the children museums industry expanded from just a handful of cities, to a national phenomenon with major museums in every city. When I returned to Pittsburgh I immersed myself in learning all I could about the operations of museums. I met every day with marketing, administration, volunteers, staff, anyone I could who would listen to my idea.

As it happened, I had been collecting cartoon art over much of my adult life. At this time, I had amassed a collection of over 500 pieces and I realized this collection could serve as the basis for an exhibition gallery. I decided the best way to begin would be by prototyping a gallery. The Children’s Museum agreed to provide an under-utilized hallway which I could retrofit with a hanging system and signage to create an appropriate space. It quickly became clear, however, that I would be on my own for raising the funds. I also knew that meant that I would have to create a non-profit entity which meant giving up any ownership. Around this time, the International Cartoon Art Museum was closing in Boca Raton. Mort Walker had made several noble attempts at maintaining a cartoon art museum but he had now essentially decided to move on.

Through Jeannie Schulz I got a meeting with Mort and asked if he would give me some advice. He consented and gave me the best advice I have every received on starting a museum: “Don’t do it.” He went on to let me know it would be an all consuming passion it would alter my life, be long hours, and ultimately it would never be mine. Also, that I would have to give up my collection, my career and even then there were no guarantees it would succeed.” He then said he could clearly see I was going to do it, and wished me success. But he prepared me, by letting me know the difficulty that would lie ahead, and sharing with me mistakes that he had made. So with my found knowledge, I entered eyes wide open into the adventure of starting a cartoon art museum in Pittsburgh.

With sage advice and life experience to back me, I began the process of putting together a board of directors. I started with local cartoonists, people I admired and respected but did not know personally. I was determined that I would not have family or friends on this board. I wanted to do it right and receive honest feedback every step of the way. I wasn’t doing this for me, I was doing this for Pittsburgh and beyond.

The board came together quickly. Rob Rogers an editorial cartoonist and former president of the Editorial Cartoonists Association became our President. I worked closely with him to build the rest of the board of directors, a mix of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and artists.

In June of 2007, we opened our first exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh with help from our first sponsor, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The first exhibit was entitled “From Illustration to Animation” and showed the process of turning a children's book into an animated cartoon. The exhibit featured original art from several children’s classic animated cartoons including Horton Hears a Who, Charlotte’s Web, Berenstien Bears, Heidi and much more. It also featured storyboard, cels, sketches and notes, all which came from my personal collection. The exhibit was a success and set the standards we hold for exhibitions to this day:

Exhibit original art, not reproductions.

Exhibits should show the creative process.

Exhibits should appeal to a wide audience when possible.

Artwork should be simply framed with a white mat and black frame.

Programming should compliment all exhibits.

Staff and volunteers should be able to engage guests in informative dialogue about all of the art.

We went on to present twelve more exhibitions during our time at the Children’s Museum. Overall it was a symbiotic relationship, we brought the museum a new audience, quality exhibitions and we had a place to call home. However it was not a sustainable strategy. Without a revenue stream of admission, and the Children’s Museum’s demand to approve all grant applications we could not grow.

It was a censorship issue, however, that led us to end our time with the children’s museum. It is our belief that art is an expression of freedom of speech. So, like every comic book geek, we realized there comes a time when you must move out of your parents basement.

Word hit the streets that the ToonSeum was looking to move and expand and I immediately received invites from around the country trying to move the ToonSeum to their cities. (A fact I hadn’t revealed to anyone until now! But the ToonSeum almost ended up in Georgia!) But, In my heart I knew we belonged in Pittsburgh. We had build a strong support network of fans and foundations.

After a lot of site visits and research, we moved to downtown Pittsburgh at the invite of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. Rather than rent off of the trust we decided to find a private landlord within the Cultural District, making us the only independent arts organization not renting off the trust within the Cultural District of Pittsburgh. We had learned from our relationship with the Children’s Museum that a cartoon art museum had to be completely independent of editorial influences from outside the institution. And with greatly appreciated funding from the Grable Foundation we were able to complete the move in 2009.

We opened our doors to great fanfare and enthusiam. Much to our gratitude, the front page of both local papers covering our opening event with legendary jazz musician and composer of the music for the classic cartoon “School House Rocks”. The ToonSeum was home and guests were beginning to trekked from all over the world to see our “Akira Exhibition”, “Gertie the Dinosaur”, and the now over 2000 pieces rotating through our gallery. We acquired large collections from the now defunct Cartoon Art Museum in Ticonderoga, New York, as well as some pieces from Mort Walkers International Cartoon Art Museum.

For two years we would be in our humble storefront in downtown Pittsburgh. A small gift shop was run by a local comics shop, but again we longed for independence and growth.

In 2011 a few opportunities arose and we made two big decisions. We change the bookstore over to the Toonseum from a previously independent retailer, which in turn would increase both responsibility and revenues. Then when the timing was right we would then use the revenue to expand our gallery doors. In 2011 the Toonseum added a second gallery and outdoor courtyard. The gallery was named after Pittsburgh native, cartoonist and producer Lou Scheimer of Filmation. Best known for their work on He-Man, Fat Albert and the Archies. He cut the ribbon using a replica of He-Man’s Power Sword from the 1982 Macy's Day Parade!

The space befits us. It is located on a culturally diverse and quirky block. Our courtyard features three cartoony musician statues that predate us but fit our space well. We have become an anchor of a pop culture tourism movement in Pittsburgh. In 2011, the much anticipated film Dark Knight Rises was filmed directly in front of the ToonSeum. We had a superhero exhibit at the time and the special guest was legendary Joker creator Jerry Robinson. It was with great delight we welcomed Dark Knight director Chris Nolan for a visit to meet him. It was a real highlight and no doubt with the release of Dark Knight Rises we will see even more tourists making the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh, The Birth Place of Pop Culture! There have been far too many exhibits, programs, guests, partnerships, and more to list here. All of them wonderful moments in the ToonSeum brief history.

While I look forward to continued growth, new exhibits and exciting programs at the ToonSeum I have always recognized that this museum has never been about me. It is about our fans, our volunteers and our staff. The people who make every day a delight to be here surrounded not just by the art that has inspired me, but by people who inspire me. I could not have done this without our board and dedicated volunteers. My right hand Mandi Bridgeman has truly been a godsend who has helped us grow our fan-base by leaps and bounds. We continue to grow, and in 2013 we will be honored to host the National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards, the first time our city has hosted in the NCS almost 70 year history. We have also taken a lead role in hosting a US Museum Conference in Pittsburgh in late 2012. (Inspired by my participation in this conference!)

As Mort Walker warned me, there would be great personal sacrifice, but not a minute of regret. I look forward to the coming years of new exhibitions, new fans, new friends and new collaborations.

And perhaps… an exhibition or two of ours touring the world. But that is up to all of you.

Eisner's New York comes to Pittsburgh!

2012-02-14T15:42:00.001-05:00

Will Eisner's New York
March 6th – May 27th

The ToonSeum
945 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh PA, 15222

The ToonSeum presents “Will Eisner's New York,” a rare collection of original works by legendary comics pioneer Will Eisner, each chronicling the artist's informal history of the city that shaped many of his illustrated masterpieces.

In many ways, Will Eisner's career is the history of the comic book. An enterprising teen when he founded one of the first packaging entities for comic book companies in the 1930s, Eisner would go on to change the landscape of the funny pages, injecting the comics with action and intellect with his sexy-noir adventures in The Spirit. He would soon break new ground as an instructional artist for the military and as a mentor for aspiring artist like Jack Kirby, Jules Feiffer, Frank Miller, and the underground artists of the 1960s. In the 1970s, Eisner again revolutionized the comics medium with the first “modern graphic novel,” the complex and haunting Contract With God. Eisner would continue writing graphic novels into the new century, along the way penning a series of influential comics how-to books and documenting comics history in a series of influential artist interviews.

From the Golden Age of Comics through the creation of the modern graphic novel (a form he was instrumental in popularizing), you will find New York City at the heart of Will Eisner's work. Whether thinly disguised as "Central City" in the pages of his legendary creation, The Spirit, or more directly presented in his autobiographical graphic novels, New York was portrayed by Eisner as only a native of the city could know it.

“Will Eisner's New York” allows audiences to explore the artist's most intriguing character—the ever -changing landscape of New York City from pre-Depression to bustling modernity. The exhibit includes over fifty original works spanning Eisner's seventy-year career, each capturing a glimpse at the city's beauty and squalor. From immigrant ghettos to the claustrophobic subways, dirty alleyways to towering rooftops, ramshackle tenements to grandiose bridges and foggy docks, Will Eisner's New York reveals the artist's powers of observation and empathy, and above all, the brilliance of his brush and pen.

The exhibition is curated by Denis Kitchen and Danny Fingeroth and is presented in partnership with the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art New York- MOCCA.

“It’s a pleasure to make Will Eisner’s original art accessible for public viewing,” noted Kitchen. “Even the best reproductions in books can’t do justice to the fine lines and nuances of the actual India ink on paper. There’s an innate humanity to Will’s work. Seeing his originals in person, with still visible hints of his pencil under drawings, and the sheer boldness of his brush strokes reveals an art that is alive with vitality.”

“Will Eisner's New York” is made possible by the generous support of the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation.

The opening reception for Will Eisner's New York will be held on Eisner's birthday, March 6th at 7:00pm. The event is free for members, $7.00 for non-members. Beer and wine will be available for those over 21 and each guest will receive a complimentary “Will Eisner's New York” poster from the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art New York. Tickets can be reserved at www.eisnertoonseum.eventbrite.com
For more information, visit www.toonseum.org or call 412-232-0199

Illustration Ale 2012 edition launch party!

2012-01-20T11:51:00.001-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe Wos, ToonSeum Executive Director, (412) 760-1896, joe@toonseum.com

The ToonSeum and East End Brewing Company to Release
Illustration Ale, a Special Hand-Bottled Beer

Pittsburgh, PA - The ToonSeum, Pittsburgh’s museum of to the cartoon arts, is proud to announce the 2012 edition of Illustration Ale, a robust Belgian style beer brewed exclusively for the ToonSeum by Pittsburgh's own East End Brewing Company.

Illustration Ale is a 700-bottle limited-edition Belgian specialty ale created as a fund-raiser for the ToonSeum. Two dollars from the sale of each one-liter, swing-top bottle will directly benefit the ToonSeum. The beer is a bottle-conditioned ale, brewed with a spicy farmhouse ale yeast which adds nuance to the rich dark malt character.

As with the May 2010 release of the first batch of Illustration Ale, each bottle bears a label created by one of six Pittsburgh cartoonists and graphic artists, making for a unique six-pack collection. This year's labels were designed by Mark Bender, Vince Dorse, Jasen Lex, Nathan Mazur, Ed Piskor, and Dave Wachter.

"Once again, a group of Pittsburgh artists created spectacular work for Illustration Ale. The labels provide fantastic images for people to ponder while they enjoy their beer," says East End owner and brewmaster Scott Smith. Specially illustrated labels on beer bottles has become a brewing tradition, and Smith, who enjoys his cartoons almost as much as his beer, has worked closely with many local artists (among them Wayno, Jim Rugg, and Mark Zingarelli) to design labels for his beers.

John Mattie, ToonSeum manager and craft-beer aficionado, said “East End Brewing Company continues to be a great friend of the ToonSeum and we're thrilled to team up for another batch of this special craft beer. Most people - myself included - will try a bottle of craft beer based on the artwork of the label alone. We're proud to say that a product bearing The ToonSeum name is just as notable for what's inside the bottle as for the awesome art on the outside."

East End Brewing and the ToonSeum will unveil the 2012 Illustration Ale with a special tasting session at the ToonSeum on February 4th at 6:00pm. Guests will not only get the first sips of the special brew, but will also be able to meet past and present label artists, have their bottles autographed, and enjoy the current exhibit, Funky Turns 40. A bottle of Illustration Ale will be included with the purchase of a ticket. A portion of proceeds benefits the ToonSeum.

Tickets for the event are $30 (members pay only $20) and can be purchased online at www.illustrationale.eventbrite.com or at the ToonSeum reception desk, 945 Liberty Avenue Downtown during regular business hours.

The ToonSeum’s mission is to celebrate the art of cartooning. Its goal is to promote a deeper appreciation of cartoonists and their work through hands-on workshops, community outreach, cartoon-oriented educational programming, and exhibitions of original cartoon art.

The ToonSeum is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 412-232-0199, or visit the ToonSeum website, http://www.toonseum.org.

"Na-na-na Gonna Have a Good Time!" at the ToonSeum After-Crawl Party!

2012-01-16T09:38:00.001-05:00

“Na-na-na Gonna Have a Good Time!” at the ToonSeum After-Crawl Party!

The ToonSeum is about to get funky! Join us from 8-10:30 p.m. Jan. 27 as we celebrate the opening of the ToonSeum's newest exhibition, “Funky Turns 40: The Black Character Revolution.”
Fat Albert, the Jackson Five, the Harlem Globetrotters and all your favorite '70s animated characters will be on display in the ToonSeum's Lou Scheimer Gallery.
As the Gallery Crawl comes to an end in the Cultural District, the party at the ToonSeum will be just beginning with DJ Orlando BusCrates Marshall spinning classic funk!
We also will be screening classic '70s cartoons in the main gallery.
Wear your '70s best (or worst).
Beer, wine and other refreshments will be served.
Attendees must be 21.
Admission is $10 for nonmembers and $5 for ToonSeum members.
Tickets are available at www.funky40.eventbrite.com

Funky Turns 40 at the ToonSeum

2012-01-02T11:38:00.001-05:00

The ToonSeum and the Museum of Uncut Funk present Funky Turns Forty, an exhibit celebrating the legacy of the first wave of positive Black animated characters of the 1970s.

Until the Civil Rights movement of the late 1950s and 60s, African-Americans were treated as second-class citizens. While prevalent in music and popular culture, Blacks still faced extreme political, economic, and social prejudices. In comics and animation, Blacks were largely ignored or were depicted in broad, derogatory stereotypes. But as laws and attitudes began to shift, the Saturday morning cartoons of the 1970s became a direct conduit of social change, introducing a host of new Black characters. For the first time, audiences were exposed to positive, relatable images of Black life through animated series like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, The Jackson 5ive, Josie and the Pussycats, I Am The Greatest, The Harlem Globetrotters and Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Funky Turns Forty presents a retrospective of original production cels and drawings from this turning point in cartoon history where Black and White animators created positive Black characters and Black-centric stories for all to enjoy.

A special exhibit in the Lou Scheimer Gallery at the ToonSeum will focus on the art of Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. Fat Albert was animated by Filmation and produced by Pittsburgh native and gallery namesake Lou Scheimer.

“The ToonSeum is proud to showcase this important period in animation history,” said ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos. “This is a unique opportunity to highlight the role that animation has played in promoting diversity, equality, and pathos.”

Funky Turns 40 is co-curated by Pamela Thomas of the Museum of Uncut Funk. The exhibition runs January 18th Through March 10th.

For more information visit www.toonseum.org
Or call 412-232-0199

ToonSeum is located at 945 Liberty Avenue, in Pittsburgh’s downtown Cultural District.

Admission:
Adults and Children 13 and older $5
Children 6-12 $1
Children 5 and under are free

ToonSeum picks the Ten Looniest Looney Tunes

2011-12-30T15:56:00.001-05:00

Help the ToonSeum bid farewell to Overture: Behind the Scenes of Looney Tunes with a special screening of our favorite Looney Tunes cartoons, The Ten Looniest, Saturday, January 7th at 5pm.

Warner Brothers' timeless Looney Tunes cartoons have left an indelible mark on popular culture and the art of animation, entertaining audiences for over 75 years. Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig have become international cultural icons, as have their brilliant creators Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson, Bob Clampett, Friz Freleng, and Tex Avery.

The Ten Looniest is a short-list of personal favorites selected by ToonSeum executive director Joe Wos, museum manager John Mattie, the ToonSeum volunteers, and Facebook and Twitter voters. Ten shorts (and maybe a few honorable mentions) will be screened, along with trivia and prizes.

Come early and get a final glimpse of Overture before it closes January 8th.

This event is presented free of charge, all ages welcome. Seating is limited.

ToonSeum: A Museum with Character

Juice Box Memories: The Best of Boy Mayor

Summer Camps at the Toonseum!

Cartoonist Lineup during Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival

First Annual Pittsburgh Comic Arts Festival!

Come play trivia at the Toonseum!

Jim Shooter: Shooting from the Hip

The Hippest Tuna Around: Charlie the Tuna

Pittsburgh Animator, Writer, “Night of the Living Dead” Actor and Filmmaker Dies

What's Wrong with Minnie Me?

David LeBlanc: Expression of Heroes

Toonseum 2012: An Animated Year

The Grable Foundation

StarKist

The National Cartoonist Society Foundation

The Pittsburgh Foundation

The Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation

The Sprout Fund

Jean Schulz

The Fine FoundationETC

Highmark

The ToonSeum Drawing Board Fund

Tribune Review Media

R K Mellon Foundation

Visit Pittsburgh

and everyday characters and superheroes like you.

Yoga for One and All!

Ways to Give

Toonseum App Special!!

Pumpkin Painting Party

Geek Series Events!

Monster Engine Exhibit at the Toonseum

Toonseum Rent-A-Room!

Happy 30th Birthday Care Bears!

Ka-Blam! Gotham Nights! Why You Should Join Us and Support the Toonseum

Eisner's New York comes to Pittsburgh!

Illustration Ale 2012 edition launch party!

"Na-na-na Gonna Have a Good Time!" at the ToonSeum After-Crawl Party!

Funky Turns 40 at the ToonSeum

ToonSeum picks the Ten Looniest Looney Tunes

The Fine Foundation
ETC