Superheroes: A Living Myth

What does it mean to look at America from the outside? Julie Rocheleau (Globetrotters) and Elène Usdin (Detroit Roma, René·e aux bois dormants) discuss how their work approaches America as a place of projection, displacement, and imagination.

Hear from legendary underground comics artist Charles Burns (Black Hole) about his career and how he developed his instantly recognizable work, from supernatural unease to stories of adolescence and contamination, often in stark black and white. The discussion precedes a screening of Fear(s) of the Dark, a horror anthology with shorts from Burns and other cult-classic comic artists.

Witness the collaboration between music and visual art in this Great Gatsby-inspired live illustrated concert. Artist Benjamin Lacombe will bring the classic novel to life through projected real-time illustration, paired with contemporary jazz from New York-based musicians who shape their music to Lacombe’s images as they appear.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from French illustrator Benjamin Lacombe, known for his whimsical adaptations of classics in an intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from manga artist Felipe Smith, known for his graphic novel series PEEPO CHOO and Marvel’s Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider, in an intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!

Felipe Smith discusses his wide-ranging career that spans continents and genres, from manga series PEEPO CHOO to Marvel’s Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider, as well as his fascination with manga and Japanese comics.

How can a French comics fan break into the American market? Blending practical insight, firsthand anecdotes, and a clear-eyed view of the industry, Fabrice Sapolsky offers an informative and humorous talk, shedding light on the realities and opportunities of comics in the United States.

Throughout the weekend, Tinker Auditorium will feature a pop-up Comic Arts Fest Artist Alley & Bookstore: a hub for book signings and meetings with authors, as well as exclusive books and merchandise for sale. Food and beverages will also be available for purchase.

Illustrator Benjamin Lacombe discusses his adaptations of classic literature (The Great Gatsby, The Little Mermaid) and his approach to visual storytelling, as well as his live illustration performances that combine music, dance and visual art.

Watch Parisian superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir travel to New York City in this TV special from the global smash hit animated series.

Dive into the history and mythology of the superhero through the first episode of this acclaimed PBS documentary featuring interviews with Stan Lee, Chris Claremont and other stars of the comics industry. Through this unusually rich gathering of writers, artists, editors, and screen creators, the documentary unfolds as a rare and authoritative oral history of the American superhero, narrated by those who have defined, expanded, and reinvented it. Following the screening, hear from director Michael Kantor, writer Laurence Maslon and comics writer Ivan Cohen.

Unleash your inner superhero in these free, family-friendly workshops! From learning to sketch to making their own superhero mask, kids will take inspiration from comics to create larger-than-life characters of their own.

Workshops are free and first-come, first served.

In the 1980s, the Captain Africa series featured one of the first African superheroes, inspiring a new generation of African comic artists. This documentary is followed by a conversation with writer/director Xavier Fournier and artist Greg Anderson Elysée

Chronicling the creation of one of the most beloved DC comics, this documentary explores how Alex Ross and Mark Waid developed the story and illustrations for Kingdom Come. The screening is followed by a discussion with writer Joey Cavalieri and editor Charles Kochman.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from illustrator Elène Usdin, known for her graphic novels Detroit Roma and René·e aux bois dormants, in an intimate, hands-on drawing workshop!

Franju’s wild final feature, and second foray into Feuillade territory, is a pulpy fantasy/crime thriller featuring a search for treasure hidden by the Templars, a red-masked villain known as The Man Without a Face (plus his army of zombielike killers), and Gayle Hunnicutt equipped with a catsuit and deadly darts.

In this adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s novel, delusions of reality are conveyed through two very different yet equally idealistic protagonists in WWI France: a Polish widow (Emmanuelle Riva) who aids wounded soldiers on the front lines and a starry-eyed teenager (Fabrice Rouleau) who creates a new identity in order to enlist.

This playful, hyper-stylish homage to Louis Feuillade’s silent serials follows the titular black hat and cloak–wearing vigilante, whose latest target is a thieving banker, entangling his virtuous daughter, her child’s scheming governess, and a detective on Judex’s trail.

“If the visual intensity of the silent film had never existed, Franju would have invented it.” – Raymond Durgnat

Part Agatha Christie whodunit, part William Castle gimmickry, with a dash of giallo, Franju’s mischievous follow-up to Eyes Without a Face watches a greedy family (including a baby-faced Jean-Louis Trintignant) scramble to inherit a fortune… all while the beneficiaries begin turning up dead.

An exquisite Emmanuelle Riva appears in the title role of a complex woman stifled by a confining provincial existence and loveless marriage. Her increasing resistance to playing the role of perfect wife and mother triggers an intense, murderous hatred for her boring, landowner husband (Philippe Noiret)

An early body-horror marvel, Franju’s influential chiller sees a surgeon/mad scientist (Pierre Brasseur) take extreme measures to restore the face of his daughter (Édith Scob) after a disfiguring car accident. Misunderstood upon its release and now rightfully recognized as a masterpiece, Franju’s best-known work is memorably gruesome and gorgeous.

Before directing his debut narrative feature in 1958, Franju made a series of extraordinary documentary shorts beginning with Le Métro (1935), co-directed by Henri Langlois. After an extended break, he created La Premiere nuit (The First Night, 1958), Notre-Dame, Cathédrale de Paris (1957), Mon Chien (My Dog, 1955) and the legendary Blood of the Beasts (Le Sang des bêtes, 1948).

Watch Parisian superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir travel to New York City in this TV special from the global smash hit animated series.