"The Uncanny Adventures of Okie Cartoonists"
Oklahoma History Center
2401 N. Laird
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
$5, free in costume
522-0765, www.okiecartoonists.org
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. They come from other planets, big cities and small towns alike.
But what about the creators of such characters?
For Chester Gould, the father of everyone's favorite police detective, Dick Tracy, he grew up in Pawnee. In fact, some would say Oklahoma is a breeding ground for successful cartoonists.
Michael Dean, public relations director for the Oklahoma History Center, said most people would be surprised by how many artists are from the state, and the center's new exhibit, "The Uncanny Adventures of Okie Cartoonists," will be the first to celebrate them.
"Having cartoonists from Oklahoma is surprising, yet it follows along in a number of other areas in the arts like music and acting and writing," Dean said. "You have a number of people from Oklahoma that have been involved in that particular genre that you wouldn't expect from Oklahoma."
The opening event is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Oklahoma History Center, 2401 N. Laird, and will feature the work of some of the state's premier cartoonists, including editorial cartoonist Jim Lange of The Oklahoman; Sterling Gates, a writer for "War of the Supermen" and "Supergirl"; and many others. Several guest speakers will give presentations at the event, including Gates, Hall Duncan and Rob Vollmar.
Admission is $5, but attendees dressed as a superhero or comic-book character will be admitted for free. For more information, call 522-0765 or visit www.okiecartoonists.org. "Adam Kemp
