Category Archives: News

Illustration Faculty & Alumni Updates Digest

General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, Interviews, News, Performances, Publications, , , , , , ,
russian mr. wiggles.
  • Adjunct Faculty Neil Swaab tells us that the Russian edition of his book, Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles: Volume 1, has just been released. Get your copy here.
philip fivel
  • Illustration Alum Philip Fivel Nessen has updated his portfolio with new artwork. See more images here.
bentfootes
  • Illustration and Alum R. Sikoryak created the animation and archival images for the mockumentary, The Bentfootes, a loving skewering of 200 years of American dance. Catch a free screening:

Saturday and Sunday March 29-30, Tuesday April 1 @ 1:00 pmFestivalHUB @ Seaport | LMCC Swing Space210 Front Street at Beekman Street, NYC

angie mason
jonathan jay lee
  • Illustration Alum Jonathan Jay Lee sent us an email recently saying, “I did some really exciting stuff in Hong Kong, I drew this comic book for this HK popstar called Kary Ng. She wanted to be a superhero, it was used for her concert and her new single. I did a cover for HK magazine, and I redesigned and painted the interior of this club in Lan Kwai Fong…If you get the chance, I posted links and pictures of my projects in HK at the end of my website.”
george bates t-shirt
yaccarino
  • Illustration Alum Dan Yaccarino is writing a screen adaptation of his children’s book, Where the Four Winds Blow as an animated feature for Fox/Blue Sky Studios, developing a new animated series based on his popular book Unlovable and writing and illustrating more childrens books.

Congratulations to all our faculty and alumni on their recent accomplishments!Want to see your news here?  Email us!

Parsons Illustration Alumni Event tonight at Society of Illustrators

Events, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Dept. Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , ,

SOI event

Over 170 people–alumni, as well as current faculty and students–have RSVP’d for the Parsons’ Illustration Alumni Event tonight at the Society of Illustrators. Not only will this be a wonderful gathering of artists, friends, and colleagues, but also an opportunity to view the 50th Annual Exhibition, organized by Peter DeSeve (Illustration, ’80) and featuring a host of works including gold medal winning pieces by Illustration Faculty Nora Krug and Jillian Tamaki.

It’s also an excellent way to remind people of how valuable the Society of Illustrators is as a resource and artistic institution. Illustrator Ronnie del Carmen recently blogged, “I walk into the the building on 128 East 63rd street and up to the second floor where I encountered the pantheon to classic illustration in America. I had to hold my jaw up.” And that’s the truth. Read the rest of Ronnie’s entry here and make sure that even if you can’t attend the event tonight, take the time to visit the Society sometime soon.

alumni event info

[lettering and illustration done by Julian Hector (Illustration ’07 ) ]

Video of Tara McPherson’s art & info about Flatstock

Events, Exhibitions, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, Reviews, , , , , ,

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvF3u_JGoU&hl=en]

Check out this great video–narrated by art critic Julia Morton–featuring Illustration Adjunct Faculty Tara McPherson and her exhibition “Lost Constellations” on view through March 22nd at Jonathan Levine Gallery.

You can also catch Tara (and her artwork) at Flatstock 16 in Austin, Texas this week.  Flatstock brings poster artists from around the world for the bi-annual convention sponsored by the American Poster Institute, dedicated to the promotion of music poster art and design worldwide.  Tara will be manning a table at the following times:

Thursday, March 13 (1:00PM – 6:00PM)
Friday, March 14 (11:00AM – 6:00PM)
Saturday, March 15 (11:00 – 6:00PM)

You’ve heard the sordid tales of deluxe poster prints sold to you (the fans) by the artists themselves, now come see for yourself. FLATSTOCK 16 is free for everyone so come one come all!

Jillian Tamaki releases new book!

General Info, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, Publications, , , , ,

skim

Jillian Tamaki (Illustration Adjunct Faculty) has illustrated a new book called, Skim. Here’s the official synopsis:

Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls’ school. When her classmate Katie Matthews is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself because he was (maybe) gay, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. It’s a weird time to fall in love, but that’s what happens to Skim when she starts meeting secretly with her neo-hippie English teacher, Ms. Archer. When Ms. Archer abruptly leaves the school, Skim has to cope with her confusion and isolation. Her best friend, Lisa, tries to pull her into “real” life by setting up a hilarious double-date for the school’s semi formal, and Skim finds an unexpected ally in Katie.

Skim, which was a collaboration between Jillian her cousin Mariko Tamaki, was written up in Publisher’s Weekly earlier this month. Here’s an excerpt from the article:

The Tamakis, although cousins, did not know each other well before beginning the project. However, the collaboration process proved to be remarkably smooth, especially considering neither had worked on a comic before. Jillian noted, “It was a cocreation, in the purest sense of the world.” Mariko, who is a performer as well as an essayist and novelist living in Toronto, sent to Jillian, in Brooklyn, scripts consisting of narration and dialogue, but little direction as to what should happen on the page. Jillian had a free hand to illustrate the story as she saw fit. “My job was to make this a visually beautiful object,” she said.

Both author and artist strove to create a high school story that moved beyond the stereotypes and melodrama that typically make up the genre. Mariko explained, “I tried to get the dialogue as close to what I remember teenagers sounding like,” adding that she trusted Jillian to create “teenage bodies that looked like teenage bodies.” The two have tried to create a work of literary depth that also offers hints about even minor characters’ lives beyond the central story line of Skim. Mariko stresses that ultimately the book is about “the instability of relationships in high school—the slow complicated way friendships break up and change.”

Read the rest of the article here, and learn more about Skim at Jillian’s website (click on “Books”).

Congratulations, Jillian!

R. Sikoryak’s upcoming events

Events, General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, Publications, , ,

bob

Adjunct faculty member (and Illustration Alum) R. Sikoryak is a busy guy these days. In addition to working on his upcoming book, Bob is also taking part in the events below. Check ’em out!

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Fantagraphics Books & Rocketship Brooklyn are proud to present:

A HOTWIRE COMICS RELEASE PARTY & SIGNING!

WHO: Craig Yoe, Mark Newgarden, Glenn Head, Danny Hellman, Sam Henderson, R. Sikoryak, Jonathon Rosen, Mark Dean Veca, Chadwick Whitehead…

WHAT: HOTWIRE COMICS Vol. 2 Release Party & Signing

WHERE: ROCKETSHIP
208 Smith St. b/w Butler and Baltic in Brooklyn.
ph# 718-797-1348

WHEN: Friday, March 14, at 8PM

HOTWIRE COMICS Vol. 2 weighs in at 136 pages, 64 in full color, with an eye-popping fold-out and big 9×12 format. Edited by Glenn Head (Snake Eyes). Featuring all new work by these GREAT talents: Tim Lane, Jonathon Rosen, Mark Newgarden, R. Sikoryak, David Sandlin, Mary Fleener, Johnny Ryan, Matti Hagelberg, David Paleo, Sam Henderson, Danny Hellman, Glenn Head, Carol Swain, Mark dean Veca, Stephane Blanquet, Mack White, Onsmith, Lorna Miller, Chris Estey, David Lasky, Ivan Brunetti, Tobias Tak, Craig Yoe, and Christian Northeast….

HOTWIRE puts the kicks back in comics! Yes, the Eisner and Harvey award nominated comics’ anthology is back for another mindbending, madcap, mash-up of thrills, spills, and glorious cartoon mayhem!

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SPLAT! A Graphic Novel Symposium will take place on Saturday, March 15 at the New York Center of Independent Publishing (NYCIP) in Manhattan, with keynote speaker Scott McCloud . The NYCIP is a non-profit educational program (part of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen) dedicated to promoting and supporting independent publishers across the United States.

Graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular, creating a groundswell of excitement and interest. Addressing the graphic novel’s considerable impact on the public consciousness, the SPLAT! Symposium, organized by the NYCIP, will provide an intensive educational forum for the publishing community, educators, librarians, and people eager to find out more about the comics universe. It will also supply prospective creators with a unique opportunity to learn what it takes to be a graphic novelist.

The conference will feature a number of movers and shakers from the graphic novel world, including: Scott McCloud (one of the most influential and highly regarded cartoonists in the country, who will be the Symposium’s keynote speaker); Jim Killen (Barnes and Noble); David Saylor (Scholastic), Raina Telgemeier (The Baby-Sitters Club), CB Cebulski (Marvel Comics); Bob Mecoy (Bob Mecoy Literary Agency); R. Sikoryak (Drawn & Quarterly); Nick Bertozzi (The Salon); Charles Brownstein (CBLDF); and many more…

Rodolphe Töpffer and the Word/Image Problem

Events, General Info, Illustration Dept. Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , , , ,

topffer

[click for full-size version]

Rodolphe Töpffer & the Word/Image Problem

A celebration of the first English-language translation of Töpffer’s complete picture-story work by David Kunzle and a symposium on the word/image problem with Peter Blegvad, Anne-Marie Bouché, Noah Isenberg, Ben Katchor, David Kunzle, Victor H. Mair, Jim Miller, Patricia Mainardi, Aimée Brown Price and others.

Presented by the Illustration Department, Parsons The New School for Design and Liberal Studies, The New School for Social Research.

PARSONS, THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN
Theresa Lang Student Center
55 West 13th Street, 2nd floor, NYC
Saturday, March 8, 2008 3 – 8 pm, free and open to the public
No reservations needed; seating is first come, first serve.

Early Notice: ICON5

Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , , ,
adam mccauley

ICON5 will be held in New York City at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan. The theme of this year’s conference, The Big Picture, is more than a slogan, it is the perspective through which we see our future – a future of limitless possibilities for illustrators as thinkers, story tellers and providers of creative content. The conference promises to examine and discuss the current creative and economic forces that every illustrator and our industry face today.

Parsons Adjunct Faculty members Jordin Isip and Tara McPherson will speak on the following panel:

Gallery 101
Saturday, July 5, 2:00pm – 3:00pm

Martha Rich with
Tara McPherson, Jordin Isip and Jonathan Levine

The increasing popularity and success of the small gallery has created a need for new, affordable and original art. Exhibiting in a gallery is a great way for illustrators to expand beyond traditional forms of illustration and generate additional income. How do you take that next step into the exhibiting world and get your work out of the studio and on the gallery wall? Illustrator Martha Rich questions gallery curator Jonathan Levine and illustrators Jordin Isip and Tara McPherson about the challenges and successes connected to their gallery experiences. Curious about showing your work in galleries, curating your own shows or developing a new line of revenue and expanding your creativity? This session is for you.

Other ICON5 speakers are: Marshall Arisman, Steven Bliss, Enrico Casarosa, Allan Comport, Andrew Coningsby, Tad Crawford, Ronnie del Carmen, Chrystal Falcioni, Mark Gallagher, Von Glitschka, Rudy Gutierrez, Mirko Ilíc, Jordin Isip (Parsons Illustration Adjunct Faculty), Barry Jackson, James Jean, Jerelle Kraus, David Lanham, Jonathan LeVine, Luba Lukova, Ross MacDonald, Gedeon Maheux, Leonard S. Marcus, Tara McPherson (Parsons Illustration Adjunct Faculty), Stephan Martiniere, Tim Mendola, Mitch Nash, Gary Panter, Daniel Pelavin, Louisa Saint Pierre, Ina Salz, Keri Smith, Mark T. Smith, Greg Spalenka, James Sturm, June Walker, and Robert Zimmerman.

icon5
July 2-5, 2008
New York City
Registration info can be found here.

 

[image by Parsons Illustration Alum Adam McCauley]

Tara McPherson solo show at Jonathan Levine

Exhibitions, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , ,
tara mcpherson

Parsons Illustration Adjunct Faculty Tara McPherson is currently showing new works at her first solo show for the Jonathan Levine Gallery, here in New York. Here’s the official press release:

For the artist’s first solo show at the gallery, Lost Constellations features a new series of oil paintings and resin-cast sculptures, incorporated into a site-specific installation. The sculptures are a new experience for the artist, who has never before worked in this medium, three-dimensionally in full-scale proportions.

The painted portraits in Lost Constellations depict adventurous super-heroines from an alternate universe, crossing dimensional planes of time and space. McPherson considers the idea of parallel existence through the use of multiple views or angles on a subject, inspired by the Einstein cross (a phenomenon caused by gravitational lensing) while her series of bodily transfigurations convey principles on the physical manifestation of thought. A reoccurring cast of female characters appear in various states of action-fighting battles and growing toward self-discovery. Using her signature bold and graphic style, Tara’s imagery explores love, loss and loneliness through variations on strength, vulnerability and female empowerment. Concepts of non-verbal communication and the evolution of spoken language are explored as well, along with an interpretation on the circle of life- represented through transitional properties of water particles: gas, liquid and solid.

One of the first women to gain recognition in a genre (and greater Art world) dominated by Male artists, Tara McPherson is a role model for younger female artists in the movement. A multi-faceted artist, she has successful careers in both Fine Art and Illustration. Her process remains the same in commissioned illustrations as in her personal work. Tara only does what she enjoys, never compromising her talent or individual sense of creative expression. Fine Art allows McPherson to develop a deeper, more intimate narrative for her subjects. Through layers of paint and symbolism, ideas that take pages of storyboard to convey in illustration projects can be condensed into a singular panel for one of her original pieces of artwork.

tara @ levine 2

Lost Constellations: Tara McPherson
Jonathan Levine Gallery
Feb 23 thru Mar 22, 2008
529 West 20th Street, 9E New York, NY 10011 ph:212-243-3822

Congratulations, Tara!

Parsons Sustainable Design Review Competition

Competitions, General Info, News, ,
sustainable design

Parsons Sustainable Design Review is a competition centered on the theme of sustainability that is open to students of The New School. This year the theme revolves around responsibility in the retail environment from design to production, distribution to selling, consumption to waste control.

Kiehl’s: Since 1851 is the proud sponsor of the 2007/2008 Sustainable Design Review competition.

Five semi-finalists will receive $500 and support to develop models for submission to the final round of judging.

The competitions finalist will receive $2,500 and may have the opportunity to implement their ideas in Kiehl’s stores.

To submit, students send their final projects to sdr@newschool.edu by March 17th, 2008.

Please contact Tracy Chow at chowt464@newschool.edu with any questions.

Careers with A Conscience on 02.27.08

Events, General Info, Illustration Industry, Internships, News, , , ,

Careers with a Conscience is a job and internship fair that brings socially and environmentally responsible companies and organizations to the New School. Students are invited to meet with representatives and learn about corporate responsibility and sustainable business practices as well as current and future internship and employment opportunities. Students and alumni from all New School divisions are invited and we hope you can join us as well!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
55 West 13th Street, Lang Student Center, 2 Floor

Companies attending include:
Apple
Champion Learning Center
City Parks Foundation
Commission on Voluntary Service Action
Douglas Gould and Co.
Eileen Fisher
Global Information Network
Green Map System
Greenmarket/Council on the Environment
High Five Tickets to the Arts
Images.com
J. Ottman Consulting
John Patrick Organic
Kenneth Cole
Loomstate
Loyale
New York City Center for Charter School Excellence
Peace Corps
PETA
Pratt Area Community Council
Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure
The Doe Fund
The Foundation Center
The Four Hundred Showroom/Bahar Shahpar
The Synergos Institute
Urban Samaritan
YAI- National Institute for People with Disabilities

This event is coordinated by Krysta Vollbrecht and Nicole Lenzen of Parsons Career Services in collaboration with the Career Development offices from all New School divisions. Please contact them at Parsonscareers@newschool.edu with any questions.