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Compulsive Narratives: Stories That MUST Be Told

January 16 – April 26, 2014

Compulsive Narratives: Stories that MUST be Told, guest curated by Cheryl Harper, presents graphic novelists John “Derf” Backderf, Julie Doucet, Ellen Forney, Justin Green, Sandy Jimenez, Peter Kuper, David Small, Lance Tooks, Carol Tyler, and Gilad Seliktar. The comics-inspired works of sculptors Mark Newport and Melissa Stern, painters Hiro Sakaguchi and Arpita Singh, and printmaker Marcus Benavides dialogue with original drawings from the graphic novels where compulsive narratives unfold.

Graphic novels are often considered book-length comics. The word “comix,” is an adulteration of the word “comics,” referring to self-published books or comic strips, often produced by small presses especially for underground adult audiences.

Image: Derf Backderf, From My Friend Dahmer, 2012 (detail), pen and ink, 14” x 11”

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