| NEW YORK – Graphic Radicals is a 30th anniversary retrospective of World War 3 Illustrated, an independently published political comic magazine founded in 1980 by artists Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper. Comprised of original comics drawings and paintings, posters, commissioned murals, documentary film, animation and a complete set of issues, Graphic Radicals will be the largest World War 3 Illustrated exhibition to date and will highlight the history that the magazine has scrutinized, documented, and participated in for three decades. |  |
Graphic Radicals is a 30th anniversary retrospective of World War 3 Illustrated, an independently published political comic magazine founded in 1980 by artists Seth Tobocman and Peter Kuper. Comprised of original comics drawings and paintings, posters, commissioned murals, documentary film, animation and a complete set of issues, Graphic Radicals will be the largest World War 3 Illustrated exhibition to date and will highlight the history that the magazine has scrutinized, documented, and participated in for three decades.
World War 3 Illustrated was first established in response to the Iran hostage crisis and impending election of Ronald Reagan and since then has confronted social and political issues ignored by the mainstream press. The magazine is an annual publication produced by a collective of artists in response to a particular theme. World War 3 Illustrated has covered topics as diverse the Tompkins Square Riot, homelessness, first-person accounts of 9/11, the prison industrial complex, a teachers’ strike in Mexico, Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts, and in the upcoming issue, the food chain. Critic Lucy Lippard wrote of World War 3 Illustrated that its “ecological and social prophecies are coming to pass, and the apocalyptic vision that gives WW3 its desperate force and unique identity is the present.”This retrospective exhibition is the culmination of nearly two decades of collaboration with Exit Art to bring comic art to a wider audience. Exit Art was a pioneer in giving art world recognition to the medium of comics with its groundbreaking exhibition Comic Power (1993). Exit Art presented an exhibition of original art from World War 3 Illustrated’s 25th anniversary issue in 2005.
EVENTS
Tuesday, December 7 / 7-9pm
Opening Night: Issue #41 Release Party
The opening of Graphic Radicals coincides with the release of World War 3 Illustrated: Issue #41 – The Food Chain. Copies of the issue will be available for purchase and artists from the magazine’s long history will be on hand to sign copies.Everybody eats … but how do we stop from being eaten? This latest batch of new comics unearths some of the answers and asks the big questions about the food chain, our relationship to it and experiences with it. Featuring work by Jennifer Camper, Sue Coe, Sandy Jimenez, Sabrina Jones, Peter Kuper, Mac McGill, Rebecca Migdal, Seth Tobocman and many others. Edited by Ame Gilbert, Ethan Heitner, Sandy Jimenez, Rebecca Migdal, and Edwin Vazquez.
Friday, January 14 / 7-9pm
Picture the Homeless
With artist talks and presentations by Seth Tobocman, Mac Mcgill and Rebecca Migdal and music by Eric Blitz and Andy Laties
Picture the Homeless is a grassroots organization of homeless men and women who fight to impact and change policies and systems on issues that directly effect the homeless population such as housing, police violence, and the shelter-industrial complex.
picturethehomeless.orgFriday, January 21 / 7-9pm
Friends of Brad Will
With artist talks and presentation by Susan Simensky Bietila and Peter Kuper
Friends of Brad Will is a network of activists which promotes enhanced public awareness about the human rights abuses linked to the “war on drugs.” In that context, it is working to promote government policies and actions that result in accountability for the murder, in Mexico, of U.S. journalist Brad Will; the release of and end to harassment of innocents and witnesses to his murder, who are being scapegoated with it; and the rejection of Plan Mexico.
friendsofbradwill.orgWednesday, January 26 / 7-9pm
Milk Not Jails
With artists talks and presentations by Sabrina Jones and Kevin Pyle
Milk Not Jails is a consumer campaign to mobilize New York residents to support the dairy industry and the long-term sustainability of the rural economy. It advocates for criminal justice and agriculture policy reform to bring about positive economic growth.
milknotjails.wordpress.comARTISTS
Mumia Abu Jamal, Penny Allen, Peter Bagge, Isabella Bannerman, Rosie Bottom, Steve Brodner, Zenzele Browne, Leigh Brownhill, Christopher Cardinale, Sue Coe, Scott Cunningham, Brian Damage, Eric Darton, Eric Drooker, Kate Evans, FLY, Susan Greene, Ethan Heitner, Chris Heneghan, Paula Hewitt, Mirko Ilic, Ryan Inzana, Melissa Jameson, Sandy Jimenez, Sabrina Jones, Kathy Kelly, Tom Keough, Stephen Kroninger, Peter Kuper, Irene Ledwith, Tom McDonald, Mac McGill, Rebecca Migdal, Naji-Al-Ali, Ursula O’Steen, Jose Ortega, Maddalena Polleta, Kevin Pyle, Carlo Quispe, Corinne Rhodes, Spain Rodriguez, James Romberger, Joe Sacco, Nicole Schulman, R. Sikoryak, Susan Simensky Bietila, Erin Sinefit, Chuck Sperry, Art Spiegelman, Tenesh, Seth Tobocman,Tom Tomorrow, Teresa Turner, Lawrence Van Abbema, Marguerite Van Cook, Anton Van Dalen, Edwin Vazquez, John Williamson, Susan Willmarth, Samantha Wilson, Leah Wishnia, David Wojnarowicz, WW3 Arts In Action, Micah Ian Wright
CURATORS
Peter Kuper, Seth Tobocman, and Susan Willmarth.
