Edgar Allan Poe Museum Showcases Comics!

While Michael was growing up in San Diego and Alaska reading comics, I was curled up with a book in New Jersey.  From 4th-6th grade, it was most likely an Edgar Allan Poe novel or short story.  I loved the mystery and suspense.  Just the thought of the ending of The Fall of the House of Usher still creeps me out!

So, I read with interest this notice, (printed below), from The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia.  Since April they've run a special exhibit devoted to “Poe in Comics.”  The exhibit's been so popular, especially bringing children to the museum, that they've extended its run for at least another month. If you're in the area, I'm sure you'll want to check it out.

This first-ever museum exhibit devoted to Poe’s presence in comics and graphic novels opened to the public with a bang last April, and brings together sixty years of comic books featuring adaptations of Poe’s tales and poems, stories in which Poe appears as a character, and parodies of Poe’s works. In addition to the comic books on display are dolls based on comic characters and fantastic original artwork by major comic artists including Michael Golden (shown in above photo), Gahan Wilson, Richard Corben, and Rick Geary.

According to the museum curator, Chris Semtner, Michael Golden’s work is a prominent part of the show. “Among the items on loan for the exhibit are Golden's illustrations for "The Cask of Amontillado" for Marvel Classics as well as a copy of that issue of Marvel Classics,” confirmed Semtner. “The drawings have been a great addition to the exhibit. Since we normally devote our exhibit space to manuscripts and artifacts from Poe's time, this show has given us a good opportunity to appeal to a younger audience, particularly the school groups who visit.”

Other highlights of the show include the superb draftsmanship and dramatic composition in Corben’s drawings for "The Tell-Tale Heart." And, Spanish artist Isidro Mones interprets “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” with the accomplished technique of a seventeenth century Dutch master.

It’s no wonder that the works of Edgar Allan Poe have been an inspiration to comic book artists. Called "America's Shakespeare," Poe created or mastered the short story, detective fiction, science fiction, lyric poetry and the horror story. His dark genius has invited children and adults to read and love literature for over 150 years.

Richmond's Poe Museum boasts the world's finest collection of Edgar Allan Poe's manuscripts, letters, first editions, memorabilia and personal belongings. Opened in 1922, in The Old Stone House, the museum is only blocks away from Poe's first Richmond home and his first place of employment, the Southern Literary Messenger.

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Thanks for reading this blog post today from Tina, and please join us again for more!

~  Michael

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