New York City Comic Book Museum Collaborates with Williamsburg Art & Historical Center for Exhibit, CHARACTERISM, April 5 through 27 in Brooklyn.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2003

The New York City Comic Book Museum is collaborating with Brooklyn's Williamsburg Art and Historical Center on their upcoming exhibit, CHARACTERISM.

The exhibition is on display April 5 through April 27 at the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.

"It seemed only fitting that we partner up with the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center and expose more people than ever before to our beloved art form, the comic book," said David Jay Gabriel, Executive Director of New York City Comic Book Museum. "The Williamsburg section of Brooklyn is the emerging international art community of New York, and is considered by many to be the nexus of the art world. Yuko Nii, the recipient of the 2001 Award For Excellence granted by New York's Governor Pataki, believes comic book art to be as valid as any fine art. I am pleased that we were able to contribute some fine examples of original comic book art to include in this impressive exhibition. It is also exciting to be working with artists from Grand Design Communications for this event."

"CHARACTERISM features a global phenomenon in the contemporary art market, initiated by a new generation of artists exposed to pop cultures," said Yuko Nii, founder and artistic director of the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. "This show emphasizes those arts which incorporate cartoons, comics, Japanime, Manga, and more, as their main element of expression. It examines how those pop cultures in the USA and Japan are affecting each other and the influences on the development of the current art market. Thus a comparison can be made between these artists who have chosen direct expression of character creation through comic illustration and their counterparts in the fine arts as seen in CHARACTERISM, who expand and reinterpret this comic book culture."

"We are especially pleased to present as part of the exhibition works by some of today's leading Manga artists -- Kia Asamiya (Dark Angel), and through the courtesy of our friends at Central Park Media, Yoshiro Komado & Tommy Ohtsuka (from Slayers) and Hitoshi Tomizawa  (from Alien Nine)," said David Bernstein, of Grand Design Communications.

Original comic book art in the NYCCBM collection on display in the CHARACTERISM exhibit includes:

-- Pages from Phil Jimenez's Wonder Woman and Jim Valentino's

ShadowHawk;

-- Superhero sketches from Joseph Michael Linsner and Gene Colan;

-- Jason Narvaez's art from Secret Agents, published in Third Eye

Publishing's Annual #2;

-- Art from Christine Norrie's popular KUNG-FU SPACE GIRLS;

-- Art from Mario Ruiz and Samson: Judge of Israel, and the

upcoming Son of Man;

-- Manga-infused art from Shoto Press artists Rizky Wasisto Edi

and Seijuro Mizu.

Additional information about the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center and the CHARACTERISM exhibit is available on their web site at http://www.wahcenter.org.

About the New York City Comic Book Museum:

The mission of the New York City Comic Book Museum is to preserve the historical and artistic legacy of comic book culture, place it in the context of a changing society, show its usefulness in educating and entertaining, and instill in audiences the value and joy of this rich American heritage.

It is the nation's only museum dedicated to the art of the comic book. NYCCBM, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, has concentrated on its outreach programs with traveling exhibits, industry gatherings, panel discussions, virtual exhibits and comic book promotions all around the city and the country.

The museum is searching for its permanent home to serve as a research facility, library, and showcase for comic books and the creators of this American art form. Additional information about NYCCBM is available on their web site at http://www.nyccbm.org.