Fresh Comics

781 Beach Street
San Francisco, CA 94109

Past Events

Dec. 7, 2018: The Folks Behind the Funnies Screening

Sari Armington premieres her film The Folks Behind the Funnies at The Cartoon Art Museum on Friday, December 7th, 2018 at 6:30 PM. Tickets are available online on Eventbrite and, if capacity allows, at the door.

Every day, to millions of readers in almost every nation on earth, comic strip characters appear as familiar friends in newspapers and on the internet. Yet few of us know much about the cartoonists who created them. One-on-one interviews with twenty-one of the world’s most popular newspaper cartoonists, brings us up close and personal with these delightful creators.

The Folks Behind the Funnies is a loving tribute to the art of comic strips and the people behind them. These never-seen-before interviews are timeless.

Featuring:

Scott Adams, Dilbert
Chris Browne, Hagar the Horrible
Darby Conley, Get Fuzzy
Ron Ferdinand, Dennis the Menace
Cathy Guisewite, Cathy (retired)
Marcus Hamilton, Dennis the Menace
Bunny Hoest, The Lockhorns, Laugh Parade, Howard Huge
Lynn Johnston, For Better or for Worse (Canadian)
Bil Keane, The Family Circus
Jeff Keane, The Family Circus
Rick Kirkman, Baby Blues
Mell Lazarus, Momma, Miss Peach
Patrick McDonnell, Mutts
Steve McGarry, Badlands
John McMeel, Andrews McMeel Universal
Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine
Dan Piraro, Bizarro
Hilary Price, Rhymes with Orange
Jerry Scott, Zits, Baby Blues
Rick Stromoski, Soup to Nutz
Brian Walker, Hi & Lois
Mort Walker, Beetle Bailey

The Folks Behind the Funnies was originally co-produced as a national PBS documentary on the history of the comic strips, looking broadly at comic strips from the 1950s to the present. Principal photography started in May 2003. In October of that year, the film’s director/producer, Nicholas Armington passed away in an accident. The project was left dormant until 2015 when Sari Armington (Nicholas’s widow and business partner) revived the footage.

Sari Armington has been a film maker with broadcast credits on PBS and other outlets. The documentary, The Plunge: Time Lapse Through History was instrumental in the restoration of the iconic Richmond Natatorium.

Oct. 23, 2018: Toon Talk: Art of Harley Quinn

Since her debut on Batman: The Animated Series in 1992, Harley Quinn has emerged as one of the true superstars of DC Comics, appearing in blockbuster cartoons, comic books, video games, and movies.

Join the Cartoon Art Museum on Tuesday, October, 23 2018 for a Harley costume contest at 6:30pm and discussion to follow with Harvey Award-winning author and Cartoon Art Museum Curator Andrew Farago as he discusses his book The Art of Harley Quinn and looks back at a quarter-century of Harley history.

The suggested admission for this event is $10 general, $5 with Harley Quinn Costume Contest participation and free for Cartoon Art Museum members.

Aug. 25, 2018: Marin Comics Fest Kickoff

The second annual Marin Comics Fest kicks off at the Cartoon Art Museum on Saturday, August 25, 2018, with cartoonists Alexis E. Fajardo (Kid Beowulf) and Alex Schumacher (Decades of (in)Experience). Both creators will be signing books and discussing their work with museum visitors from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission for this event is free. In addition, those presenting a valid Marin County library card will receive free same-day admission to the museum galleries.

June 16, 2018: Toon Talk: Infinity War and Beyond

Before Thanos battled Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Infinity War, he was known to Marvel fans as one of the most dangerous villains in comic book history. On Saturday, June 16, 2018, the Cartoon Art Museum welcomes a star-studded pantheon of comic book creators to discuss these game-changing cosmic Marvel Comics of the seventies and eighties, with an insider’s look at the comics of Jim Starlin, the subject of the Cartoon Art Museum’s current retrospective exhibition.

Special guests include Brent Anderson (Astro City), Steve Englehart (The Avengers), Mike Friedrich (Captain Marvel), Al Gordon (Fantastic Four), and Steve Leialoha (Warlock).