Les’ Illustration Concepts Class

The Invisible Exhibit July 31, 2010

The Illustration Department’s Summer Reading Project for 2010 is H. G. Wells’ classic “The Invisible Man”.  First published in 1897, Wells’ science fiction novel gives us the timeless iconic mad experimenter who suffers from his scientific over-reaching, he plays with forces of nature he cannot control and pays with his life.  Griffin’s invisibility can be seen as both a superpower and a curse.  He is a victim and the aggressor.  Taking place in the small English country town of Iping, location is crucial to the story. The mysterious stranger that appears terrorizes the locals in a very noir-ish fashion.  The idea of paranoia contained in a small town is a theme artist and author Jeff Lemire handles brilliantly in “The Nobody”, a graphic novel based on Wells’ Invisible Man.

A showcase in the 8th floor lobby is devoted to  examples of how the Invisible Man has been illustrated over time along with other images that explore the definition of invisibility.  Ralph Ellison wrote his book, “The Invisible Man” in 1952, to explore themes of identity and racism. His narrator is invisible because people refuse to acknowledge him in society. If you are ‘voiceless” are you invisible? Camouflage renders someone or something …invisible, and there are millions of things we encounter everyday that are invisible to the naked eye.  Being invisible is not only a physical state but a psychological, and political one as well.  The Invisible Man presents a unique challenge for artists; How do you illustrate what you cannot see? What does it mean to be invisible?

A key to pieces in the showcase:

1. Czech poster for the Invisible Man (Neviditelny) 1980’s
2. Poster for the 1933 movie “The Invisible Man” Directed by James Whale (of Frankenstein fame).
3. The Dell “mapback” paperback version of TIM (The Invisible Man) with a map of  Sussex-Ipping.
4. Painting by René Magritte
5. “The Invisible Man” by Regino Gonzales, aka “RG
6. Painting by René Magritte  ”The-friend-of-order” 1964
7. Sue Storm the Invisible woman of the Fantastic Four drawn by Jack Kirby.
8. TIM poster for the 1933 movie
9. “Fighting the World of Invisible Invaders: Outpacing infectious Disease” paperback book cover
10. The Invisible Man” By Ralph Ellison paperback book cover 1952, on the right is a photo of the author.
11. “Invisible Jim” As Not Seen On TV! Surreal novelty (courtesy of S. Guarnaccia)
12. Classics illustrated #2 TIM . adapter/illustrator: Rick Geary
13. Marvel comics TIM Adapted from H.G. Wells. Cover art by Jim Steranko 1972
14. The Invisible Man. Chinese artist Lui Bolin paints himself to disappear into his surroundings to make a statement…no photo shop here.
15. The Invisible Woman movie poster and ad that appears in the movie 1940.
16. A parody of Hopper’s  “Nighthawks”.
17. Erotic Invisible man by Eric October
18. Fantastic Four #1 1961
19. Sue Storm-The Invisible Girl
20. Paper back covers of TIM (right)  Berkley Highland books  Pub. (left) Readers Enrichment series
21. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, comic and panels. Story by Alan Moore, art by Kevin O’Neill.
22. French, artist unkn.
23. Cards, book, and spread. “The Nobody” , Vertigo comics Written illustrated by Jeff Lemire.
24. Classics Illustrated #153 : TIM 1959 Painted Cover by Norman Node (courtesy of R. Sikoriyak)
25. camouflaged moth
26. Invisible short stories paperback (courtesy of S. Guarnaccia)
27. Superman’s Pall Jimmy Olsen covers  DC Comics  # 12 1956 Curt Swan penciller, # 40 1959 1956 Curt Swan penciller
28. The New Invisible Man c. 1958  Mexico
29. Invisible Man: A Memorial to Ralph Ellison, Sculptor Elizabeth Catlett, 2003
Riverside Park @ 150th Street, Manhattan
Bronze, granite. This sculpture honors author Ralph Ellison, who lived opposite this park
30. Interior illustration for the  Folio Society edition of The Invisible Man illustrated by Grahame Baker
31. Ad for the 1933 movie explaining the special effects
32. Batman Unseen DC Comics 2010  “In order to stop the unseen Dr. Glass from killing Bruce Wayne, Batman must use the invisibility serum on himself and battle the Invisible Man on his own terms”
33. Marvel comics TIM Adapted from H.G. Wells. Cover art by Jim Steranko 1972