The Zany Dzigns of Diana Z

Beginning on May 11th, the Toonseum will exhibit "The Zany Dzigns of Diana Z." The exhibition will highlight artistic examples of Pittsburgh native Diana Zourelias-Noro's Work.

As a freelance artist, Diana's work has appeared in the hidden pictures of Highlights Magazine as well as in the humorous greeting cards of Ruscraft Cards, American Greetings and Hallmark . You may have also recognized her work with her line of popular gift wraps for Garven LLC., the Looney Toon characters of Trau and Loevner and even Pittsburgh icons such as the logos for both Dingbats and Abates.

In addition to her print work, Diana also appeared online with American Greetings and her comic series Granny's Garden, which followed the precocious life of a grandmother and her long adoration for floral and fauna.

Other works include her work for Dover Publications that includes "Monster Bugs" and "Monster Insects", Mix and Match Princesses, Celebrity Parents, Celebrity Kids Paper Dolls, Presidential Pets, Abraham Lincoln Activity Book, Fairyland Hidden Pictures and many more. These books will also be available for purchase, while supplies last.

Diana or "Mrs. Z", as her students call her, has been an illustration instructor for Oakbridge Academy of Arts for the past five years. At Oakbridge, she encourages her students to develop their skills as painters, cartoonists as well as develop their creative skills for the working artist.

The exhibit will feature a hidden picture wall for both adults and children to test their eye at finding all the hidden objects within the sketches as well as many more of her endlessly amusing Dzigns!

The Opening Celebration for "The Zany Dzigns of Diana Z" will take place on May 11th, 2012 at 7:00pm at 945 Liberty Avenue, PIttsburgh PA. 15222. Please go to www.toonseum.org for more information or call 412-232-0199. Admission is $5.00 and Free For Members!

Will Eisner's New York

The ToonSeum presents Will Eisner's New York, a rare collection of original works by legendary comics pioneer Will Eisner, each chronicling the artist's informal history of the city that shaped many of his illustrated masterpieces.

In many ways, Will Eisner's career is the history of the comic book. An enterprising teen when he founded one of the first comic book companies in the 1930s, Eisner would go on to change the landscape of the funny pages, injecting the comics with action and intellect with his sexy-noir adventures in The Spirit. He would soon break new ground as an instructional artist for the military and as a mentor for aspiring artist like Jack Kirby, Jules Feiffer, Frank Miller, and the underground artists of the 1960s. In the 1970s, Eisner again revolutionized the comics medium with the first “modern graphic novel,” the complex and haunting Contract With God. Eisner would continue writing graphic novels into the new century, along the way penning a series of influential comics how-to books and documenting comics history in a series of influential artist interviews.

From the Golden Age of Comics through the creation of the modern graphic novel (a form he was instrumental in popularizing), you will find New York City at the heart of Will Eisner's work. Whether thinly disguised as "Central City" in the pages of his legendary creation, The Spirit, or more directly presented in his autobiographical graphic novels, New York was portrayed by Eisner as only a native of the city could know it.

Will Eisner's New York allows audiences to explore the artist's most intriguing character - the ever -changing landscape of New York City from pre-Depression to bustling modernity. The exhibit includes over fifty original works spanning Eisner's seventy-year career, each capturing a glimpse at the city's beauty and squalor. From immigrant ghettos to the claustrophobic subways, dirty alleyways to towering rooftops, ramshackle tenements to grandiose bridges and foggy docks, Will Eisner's New York reveals the artist's powers of observation and empathy, and above all, the brilliance of his pen.

The exhibition is curated by Denis Kitchen and Danny Fingeroth and is presented in partnership with the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art New York- MOCCA.
Will Eisner's New York is made possible by the generous support of the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation.
The opening reception for Will Eisner's New York will be held on Eisner's birthday, March 6th at 7:00pm. The event is free for members, $7.00 for non-members. Beer and wine will be available for those over 21 and each guest will receive a complimentary Will Eisner's New York poster from the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art New York. Tickets can be reserved at

www.eisnertoonseum.eventbrite.com
For more information, visit www.toonseum.org or call 412-232-0199

Hall Gallery

Haring inspired animation art

Superheroes at the Andy Warhol Museum? A Keith Haring exhibition at the ToonSeum? Has the museum world gone topsy-turvey?

This summer, the ToonSeum presented its popular exhibit "Superheroes: Icons and Origins" — a showcase of the most iconic superhero characters of all time as drawn by their original masters. This fall, the Andy Warhol Museum offers up "Heroes and Villians: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross."
In what is clearly a Bizarro comic plot twist, the ToonSeum is putting its own spin on Andy Warhol contemporary and collaborator Keith Haring! The ToonSeum is presenting "Animating Haring!" — an exhibit celebrating Haring inspired animation art.

“Pop art has recognized the role of comics and cartoons for decades,” said ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos. “The influence of cartoons on Keith Haring’s bold line drawings is undeniable and lends itself well to the art of animation.”

Twenty pieces will be on display on the ToonSeum hall gallery— featuring the playful dancing men, colorful dogs and other iconic symbols used by Haring throughout his career. These original production cels and sketches are from animated segments produced for Sesame Street of America under the guidance and approval of the Keith Haring Foundation.

Haring was born in Kutztown, Pa. The cartoon work of Dr. Seuss and Walt Disney Studios are credited as his earliest inspirations. In 1976, he attended the Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh. After dropping out, he remained in Pittsburgh for a few years, then eventually moved to New York. His cartoon-inspired simple bold lines and vibrant colors became his trademark style and garnered international recognition. The ToonSeum is delighted to recognize Haring's roots as a young cartoonist.

The exhibition will run from Oct. 22-Feb. 26 in the ToonSeum Hall Gallery..