Comic Anthology

RISD Illustration is pleased to present this anthology of work by RISD students in the art form of comics. This volume appears at an auspicious moment. The artistic profile of comics and associated genres has never been higher or more influential, inspiring museum shows, massive capital expenditure in the entertainment field, decorative application to a wide spectrum of commercial products and personal embellishments and an outpouring of illustrated narratives that range from the artfully crude to carefully designed graphic novels. Comics have fully infiltrated fine art painting and sculpture, with powerful centers in Japan, Europe and North America. Comicon, the annual convention devoted to the art form and its influences, is underway as I write, making the front page of the New York Times Arts section and drawing massive crowds from around the world as well as A-list creative celebrities from Hollywood and “anti-Hollywood”.