TONIGHT: First Person Arts' "Warning: Graphic Content" at Bryn Mawr

POSTED: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 3:57 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Arts Events Books

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The graphic novel is a much misunderstood genre of art. While most people associate it with superheroes like the Watchmen, it actually can stand as a unique and important form of serious, contemporary storytelling.

First Person Arts celebrates the genre with this evening's program at Bryn Mawr, "Warning: Graphic Content." Participating artists — Daniel Heyman, Jamar Nicholas and Josh Neufeld — tackle diverse issues in this multimedia presentation. The goal is to explore the relationship between the image and the memoir and why this marriage is so important in effective graphic storytelling.

200908181220 Neufeld narrates the floods of Hurricane Katrina in graphic memoir format. In A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, Neufeld introduces five diverse characters as they experience the struggles of post-Katrina life. The novel forces us to take a more realistic look at what happened in New Orleans in the aftermath of the storm.

A broad spectrum of human life is seen throughout Neufeld's book. We see his characters face the choice to leave pets in the flood waters. Others cannot find their loved ones. Bodies and boats float in the streets; people are forced to live off sparse, rationed foods. Through these gripping images, we are not only able to understand the plight of Katrina's victims, but truly empathize with them. This, along with the engaging and meticulous artwork, creates a graphic window into a very real world.

In true comic book fashion, A.D. takes on simple color and design patterns. The pages adopt two-toned color shades with black outlining. This effect is successful on the page, and engages the reader in its muted yet striking appearance. Despite this minimalism, Neufeld's artistic talent is apparent through his attention to detail, both facially and in the presentation of the city of New Orleans and the destruction that engulfs it.

While staying simple and traditional in its design, the content and character development of A.D. is superior in its complexity. We meet our characters a week prior to Katrina, and this allows the reader to truly get to know them.

agenda_column_peertopeer_3_4 Elsewhere in "Warning: Graphic Content," myriad efforts in graphic art are applauded, from Daniel Heyman's depictions of Abu Ghraib prisoners to Jamar Nicholas' adaptation of Fist Stick Knife Gun.

The translation from page to screen is also celebrated in a screening of Persepolis. The film combines two of Marjane Satrapi's graphic memoirs — this year's One Book, One Philadelphia selection — to cinematically illustrate her childhood during the Iranian Revolution.

Overall, "Warning: Graphic Content" sheds light on loyally depicted historical and personal events in a format that is both entertaining and enlightening.

Tue., March 9, 7 p.m., $15, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., firstpersonarts.org.

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