EUGENE, Ore. -- (September 11, 2009) – A full series of public programs at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon compliment “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of the Superhero.” Programs including lectures, a film series, a two-day conference, and family-friendly events and classes are slated throughout the exhibition, on display from September 26, 2009 through January 3, 2010.

 “Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of the Superhero,” features rare and valuable works by some of the most admired artists in the history of superhero comics, gathered from private collections from across the country. The exhibition breaks new ground in its critical evaluation of the artistic and cultural importance of this particular comic book genre.

Public programs provide the opportunity for individuals to learn more about the exhibition and the artists through a variety of programs including lectures, films, and free family-oriented events. 

Scheduled guest speakers and presenters include Peter Coogan, director of the Institute for Comics Studies and co-founder and co-chair of the Comic Arts Conference; Douglas Wolk, critic and author of “Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean;” Marc Andreyko, comics and screenplay writer; Michael “Doc” Allred, comic writer and artist; and Gail Simone, current ongoing writer of “Wonder Woman” and author of “Welcome to Tranquility” and “All-New Atom.”

The programs include:

Free Preview Reception: Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of the Superhero
Friday, September 25, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Join us at a free celebration for the opening of our Superhero exhibition.

Schnitzer Cinema: Superheroes
Wednesday, October 7: CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO
5:30 p.m.
Enjoy a full bill of superhero cinema each month. Richard Herskowitz, film curator, Houston Cinema Arts Society, and faculty, UO Arts and Administration, has unearthed three rarely screened but artistically exciting superhero feature films, to be preceded each week by a classic Max Fleischer Superman cartoon and a surprise short subject.

Saturday Celebrations
Saturday, October 10, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Join us for a family-friendly free evening of art, food and fun celebrating the art of the Superhero! The evening includes exhibition tours and hands-on art making activities for all ages.

Curator’s Gallery Talk
Wednesday, October 14, 5:30 p.m.
Explore the art of the superhero in Faster Than a Speeding Bullet with exhibition curator Ben Saunders, UO Associate Professor of English.

“Legal Kryptonite: Superman’s Creators & Copyright”
Wednesday, October 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Who owns Superman? Delve into the saga of Superman’s copyright history with Dominick Vetri, Professor, University of Oregon Law School as he analyzes four significant events in the history of this legendary superhero. Superman vs. Captain Marvel and infringement issue; two unsuccessful lawsuits by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; and the successful 1997 lawsuit (decided in 2008) made by Siegel’s heirs.

Understanding Superheroes Conference
October 23 - 24, 2009
This interdisciplinary symposium offers multifaceted insight into the genre of the superhero for novice and aficionado alike. Exhibition curator Ben Saunders has assembled an exceptional panel of experts and industry insiders, including keynote speakers Danny Fingeroth (author of Superheroes On The Couch and Disguised As Clark Kent) and Charles Hatfield (author of Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature). Guests panelists include Kurt Busiek (author of numerous Superhero titles for Marvel and DC and creator of the award-winning Astro City series), and Gail Simone (writer on Marvel’s Deadpool, DC’s Birds of Prey, co-creator of Welcome To Tranquility for Wildstorm, and current Wonder Woman scribe).

Understanding Superheroes is made possible by the generous support of the following institutions, UO departments, and programs: The Oregon Humanities Center; the College of Arts and Sciences; the Arts and Administration Program; The Department of Art History; The Comparative Literature Program; The Department of Creative Writing; The Center for the Study of Women in Society; The Department of English; The Harold Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies; the Knight Library, Department of Special Collections; The Office of the Vice President For Research and Graduate Studies; and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. 

For more information, visit http://jsma.uoregon.edu/understandingsuperheroes.html

The Essence of the Superhero
Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m.
Peter Coogan, director of the Institute for Comics Studies and co-founder and co-chair of the Comic Arts Conference, discusses the essence of the superhero and clears up the critical haze in his talk "Heroes Ain't Superheroes: An Examination of the Essence of the Superhero Genre.” Douglas Wolk, critic and author of Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean, explains the peculiar Venn diagram of superhero cartooning, cartooning and visual art in his talk "Super-Aesthetics.”

Superhero Costume Party
Friday, October 30, 7:00 p.m.
$30.00 per person, $27.00 for JSMA and UO Alumni Association members
Leave your secret identities behind. Jump into the nearest phone booth and don your cape and mask for a superhero-themed Halloween bash at the JSMA. All superheroes, sidekicks, alter egos, and supervillans welcome! Call (541) 346-3027 for additional information and reservations. Cosponsored by the UO Alumni Association and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

Schnitzer Cinema: Superheroes
Wednesday, November 4: DANGER: DIABOLIK
5:30 p.m.
Enjoy a full bill of superhero cinema each month. Richard Herskowitz, film curator, Houston Cinema Arts Society, and faculty, UO Arts and Administration, has unearthed three rarely screened but artistically exciting superhero feature films, to be preceded each week by a classic Max Fleischer Superman cartoon and a surprise short subject.

Saturday Celebrations
Saturday, November 7, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Join us for a family-friendly free evening of art, food and fun celebrating the art of the Superhero! The evening includes exhibition tours and hands-on art making activities for all ages. Our November program includes a manga demonstration 5:30-6:30 p.m. by artist Marianne Walker and a manga-making activity. Co-sponsors: Copic Markers Products/Imagination International Inc.

Writing Mature, Adult-Themed Superhero Comics
Wednesday, November 11, 5:30 p.m.
Marc Andreyko, comics and screenplay writer, leads a talk on his experience writing mature, adult-themed superhero comics. In 1994, Andreyko’s publication The Lost debuted and earned him a Harvey Award nomination. He has also partnered with P. Craig Russell, Jill Thompson, and Brian Michael Bendis. Andreyko continues to chronicle the adventures of Kate Spencer, a.k.a. Manhunter, in Batman: Streets of Gotham and is at work on new projects.

Comic Book Heaven:  The Creative Process of a Guy who Lives on the Oregon Coast
Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m.
Michael “Doc” Allred, comic writer and artist, has worked on virtually every major comic book icon, including, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four and Sandman, but he is best known for his cultish creation Madman and his history of rock and roll told via the perspective of an alien clone known as Red Rocket 7. Allred has also created Marvel mutants with Peter Milligan on the X-Force and X-Statix series. He lives on a lake on the Oregon coast with wife and sometime colorist Laura Allred.

Schnitzer Cinema: Superheroes
Wednesday, December 2: MISTER FREEDOM
5:30 p.m.
Enjoy a full bill of superhero cinema each month. Richard Herskowitz, film curator, Houston Cinema Arts Society, and faculty, UO Arts and Administration, has unearthed three rarely screened but artistically exciting superhero feature films, to be preceded each week by a classic Max Fleischer Superman cartoon and a surprise short subject.

NewArt Northwest Kids: Heroes and Heroines Reception
Saturday, December 5, 11:00 am - noon
Join us for this much-anticipated special reception honoring the students whose work is on view in NewArt Northwest Kids: Heroes and Heroines. Our Holiday Family Day and Open House follows.

Holiday Family Day & Open House
Saturday, December 5, noon-3:00 p.m.
This free family day celebrates the art of the superhero. Enjoy holiday performances, gallery tours, and art activities for the whole family. Design your own superhero cape, watch demonstrations by Disney artists Janet and Michael Gilbert and work alongside them to invent your own superheroes and heroines, create your own comic, and more!

Gender & The Superhero
Wednesday, December 9, 5:30 p.m.
Author, activist and Wonder Woman expert Andy Mangels interviews Gail Simone about her career as the writer of superhero comics and animation. Simone first came to fan attention with her website Women in Refrigerators, listing the many instances in which female comic book characters were the victims of violent attacks because of their gender or whose attacks were used as a plot device for a male character. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, Simone is the writer of Welcome to Tranquility and All-New Atom and, in 2007, became the ongoing writer of Wonder Woman. Portland, Oregon-based Andy Mangels is the author or co-author of over twenty books, including two best-sellers, and nearly one hundred comic books, including an award-winning anthology.

Children’s and Family Classes and Workshops
Adventures in Art: Parent/Child Art Class
Eight Tuesdays: September 29; October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17
10:00-11:30 a.m.
Instructor: Sisy Anderson
Cost: $75/child; accompanying adult is free
Ages: 3-6
Experience the entrancing world of art through your child’s excited eyes and growing skills! This class is designed to present the fundamentals of art, a variety of media, and the tools an artist uses in a series of hands-on, engaging art projects. Lessons this term will be inspired by art of the superhero and the museum’s current exhibition Faster Than a Speeding Bullet and will include the exploration of line, color, words, and images.

After School Art Class: Superheroes and Heroines
Eight Wednesdays: September 30; October 7, 14, 21 and 28; November 4, 11, 18
3:30 – 5:00p.m.
Instructor: Liz Parr
Cost: $75
Ages: 7-11
Explore your inner superhero! Participants will create their own secret superhero identity, design superhero costumes and explore the Faster Than a Speeding Bullet exhibition in the museum galleries. Comic supplies are provided. Capes are optional!

Guest-curated by Ben Saunders, a professor of English at the University of Oregon, “Faster Than A Speeding Bullet” explores the imaginative world of some of the most compelling fantasy figures to emerge from twentieth-century popular culture — the superheroes of American comic books.

“Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of the Superhero” is sponsored by the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation, The William C. Mitchell Estate, and JSMA members. Community partners: Imagine Graphics and Image King Signs. Media Partners: Eugene Magazine and KLCC 89.7 FM.
 
About the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is a premier Pacific Northwest visual arts center for exhibitions and collections of historic and contemporary art based in a major university setting. The JSMA features significant collections galleries devoted to Russian Icons and art from China, Japan, Korea, America and elsewhere as well as changing exhibition galleries.  The JSMA is one of six museums in Oregon accredited by the American Association of Museums.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is located on the University of Oregon campus at 1430 Johnson Lane. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and high school students.  Free admission is given to ages 13 and under, JSMA members, college students with ID, and University of Oregon faculty, staff and students. For information, contact the JSMA, 541-346-3027.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact:          Debbie Williamson-Smith, 541-346-0942, debbiews@uoregon.edu
Erick Hoffman, 541-346-3162, erickh@uoregon.edu
 
Link: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, http://jsma.uoregon.edu
 
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