Exhibition explores Marvel Comics artist’s creative process

A new exhibition at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Cary Graphic Arts Collection featuring comic artist and alumnus Adam Kubert ’81 (medical illustration) will have visitors’ spidey senses tingling.

The exhibition, titled “Anatomy of a Comic,” will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how Kubert illustrated an entire issue of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man No. 305. Visitors can grab a final copy of the issue and compare it page-by-page with the original script, see how Kubert interpreted the script into pencil sketches and view the final ink illustrations.

“One of the things we’re very much interested in showing here at the Cary Collection is process work, so you can see the sketches and artwork that go into a final graphic design project,” said Steven Galbraith, curator of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection. “We teach with process work because it allows students to see the creative process that the great masters like Adam Kubert go through. It’s both inspiring and also educational to see the ideation process.”

Kubert will deliver a talk and field questions at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15, on the first floor of the Wallace Library. A reception will follow at 7 p.m. in the Cary’s exhibition gallery on the second floor. The event is free and open to the public.

The exhibition also includes other classic illustrations from both Adam Kubert and his father, acclaimed comic book artist Joe Kubert, featuring iconic characters like Batman, Sgt. Rock, and the X-Men.

“Adam Kubert is a superstar comics artist—he’s drawn some of the most prominent characters at both Marvel and DC, and his work has all of the exciting features we want to see in comic books,” said Daniel Worden, a comics scholar and faculty in RIT’s School of Individualized Study. “He is a modern master of the medium and his iconic style has left an indelible mark on our culture.”

“Anatomy of a Comic” is now on display until Jan. 18, 2019 next to the Cary Collection on the second floor of the Wallace Library. The exhibition and talk are presented jointly by the Cary Graphic Arts Collection and the School of Individualized Study.