Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art

Comics professionals Robert Sikoryak, Danny Fingeroth, Arie Kaplan, Jerry Robinson and Eddy Friedfeld at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in 2006

The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) is an American not-for-profit arts organization devoted to the production and history of comic books, comic strips and other forms of cartoon art. Located at 594 Broadway in New York City, MoCCA was founded by Lawrence Klein in October 2001.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, MoCCA hired Matt Murray as executive director.^{[citation needed]} He was succeeded in late 2008 by Karl Erickson.^{[citation needed]}

Events

MoCCA sponsors events ranging from book openings to educational programs in New York City schools, and also hosts classes, workshops and lectures.

MoCCA Art Festival

The MoCCA Art Festival or "MoCCA Fest" is an annual fundraiser for the museum. It is New York's largest independent comics showcase, featuring hundreds of creators and publishers on the main floor, typically accompanied with additional rooms devoted to educational panel discussions, slide shows, and interviews. From its inception in 2002 until 2008 it was held at the Puck Building. Since 2009, it has taken place at the 69th Regiment Armory.

Each year, MoCCA Fest presents the Klein Award, named in honor of MoCCA Founder Lawrence Klein. The award, originally known as the MoCCA Art Festival Award from its inception in 2002 until 2008, is presented to an artist whose outstanding work has elevated the comic art form. Past Klein award receipients have been Jules Feiffer (2002), Art Spiegelman (2003), Roz Chast (2004), Neal Adams (2005), Gahan Wilson (2006), Alison Bechdel (2007), Bill Plympton (2008), Jerry Robinson (2009), David Mazzucchelli (2010), Al Jaffee (2011).

MoCCA hosted the comics industry's 2004 and 2005 Harvey Awards.^[1][2]

Exhibits

The MoCCA table at the Big Apple Con, November 14, 2008.

In 2003, MoCCA opened its art gallery with the debut exhibit "Gag Art!", focusing on single-panel magazine cartoons.^{[citation needed]} Subsequent exhibits have included, "Living Masters of Comic and Cartoon Art";^{[citation needed]} "Toon Town", dealing with the relationship between New York City and cartoonists;^{[citation needed]} "Cartoons Against the Axis: World War II Bonds Cartoons from the Terry D'Alessio Collection";^{[citation needed]} "New York Artists Showcase: R. Kikuo Johnson & Paolo Rivera";^{[citation needed]} "The Golden Age of Saturday Morning Cartoons";^{[citation needed]} an exhibition of women comic-book artists, "She Draws Comics" (July to November 2006);^[3] retrospectives devoted to Stan Lee^{[citation needed]} and Will Eisner;^{[citation needed]} "The Art of Archie Comics";^{[citation needed]} "Peter Kuper Diario de Oaxaca: A Sketchbook Journal of Two Years in Mexico";^{[citation needed]} "Sounds and Pauses: The Comics of David Mazzucchelli";^{[citation needed]} and "From Richie Rich to Wendy the Good Little Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics".^{[citation needed]}

MoCCA's "The Art of Archie Comics" exhibit was promoted with a story in Archie Digest Magazine #260, March 2010. The seven-page story, "Archie in MoCCA Madness," was written by Arie Kaplan and drawn by Fernando Ruiz and featured appearances by MoCCA President Ellen Abramowitz and then-Director Karl Erickson.

See also

• Cartoon Art Museum (San Francisco, California)
• Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (Columbus, Ohio)
• The Cartoon Museum (London, England)
• National Cartoon Museum (Formerly of Greenwich, Connecticut and Boca Raton, Florida)

References

1. ^ HarveyAwards.org: "Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Announces 2004 Harveys Nominees"
2. ^ Press release (May 13, 2005): "18th Annual Harvey Awards Winners to Be Announced in June 11 Ceremony in NYC"
3. ^ The Village Voice (July 6, 2006): "Best in Show: Women's Work", by R. C. Baker

External links

• MoCCA official site