Beyond Batman

For eight years now, Ryan Claytor, who teaches visual narrative classes at Michigan State University and the University of Michigan-Flint, has assembled a team of like-minded enthusiasts that puts forth super heroic efforts to bring the MSU Comics Forum to East Lansing. The forum is a celebration of all things comic books, going well beyond the capes and tights and delving into the variety of styles and talents that make up the medium. That doesn’t mean that superhero fans aren’t invited, by any means. Despite the tumult, Claytor even admits a certain fondness for the genre.

“I’m not gonna say I don’t read any superhero books,” said Claytor. “I just prefer a more literary slant. Works that tackle topics that haven’t been tackled before.”

Events related to the forum started on Monday, including an exhibition at MSU’s Residential College in the Arts and Humanity’s Lookout! Gallery entitled “African Biography and History in World Comics.” The exhibit will feature works from all over Africa that deal with history and biographies from the continent. The exhibit may even feature works donated to MSU Library’s special collections that Claytor himself picked up on a trip to Mali in 2009.

“I saw a flier that I thought had to do with a comics related event, but I couldn’t read the language,” Claytor said. “I ended up just going and it turned out to be a comics convention. I bought a bunch of comics to donate to MSU.”

The forum proper starts Friday with an in-store signing at East Lansing’s Hollow Mountain Comics with Jason Howard, a Holt-based comic artist. Howard is known for working alongside some of the industry’s A-list talent, including “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman. Howard’s work can be seen in author Warren Ellis’ moody sci-fi serial “Trees.”

After the signing, Tom Hart takes the stage at MSU to give the keynote address. Hart has led an illustrious career in the industry, garnering awards for his selfpublished work, “Hutch Owen’s Working Hard,” and teaching at New York’s School of Visual Arts. Hart is working on an elaboration of a mini-comic he produced on the topic of the untimely passing of his 2-year-old daughter. Claytor’s description of the work hints at a punch rarely found in typical comics fare.

“As a new parent, that comic brought me to my knees,” Claytor said.

On Saturday, the forum will hold its annual artist alley and panel discussions. Guests can meet artists and look at works from over 30 exhibitors from Michigan and beyond. For those feeling intellectual, this year’s panel discussions feature a variety of topics and participants to round out the forum’s scholarly approach to the comics medium.

Putting together this year’s forum was a bit of a scramble. Its original keynote speaker, MAD Magazine cartooning virtuoso Sergio Aragones, had to drop out for health reasons. While his absence may sting a bit, this year’s forum is still packed with events and high quality talent, furthering the case that comics can be so much more than Ben Day dots and daring do. Despite the hiccups, Claytor has all the confidence that this will be as great a forum as in years past.

“The marketing was quick for this one (due to Sergio dropping out), but people should know we have an amazing keynote speaker,” Claytor said. “Tom Hart is gonna kill it with his keynote speech.”

—JONATHAN GRIFFITH

“African Biography and History in World

Comics” Feb. 16 - Mar. 6 Noon-2 p.m. Monday-Friday Lookout! Gallery 362 Bogue St., East Lansing comicsforum.msu.edu

In-Store Signing with Jason Howard

5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20 Hollow Mountain Comics 611 E. Grand River Ave., East Lansing (517) 708-7191 hollowmountaincomics.com

Keynote Address with Tom Hart

7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20 Snyder/Phillips Hall Basement 362 Bogue St., East Lansing comicsforum.msu.edu

Artist Alley and Panel Discussions

11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21 Snyder Phillips Hall 2nd Floor 362 Bogue St., East Lansing comicsforum.msu.edu

FRIDAY FEB. 20-21 & FEB. 27-MAR. 1 >> A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE AT LCC

Theater In the award-winning “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Tennessee Williams poignantly portrays how family ties can sometimes turn into nooses. Presented by LCC’s theater department, the play offers a glimpse into the scandalous private lives of a dysfunctional New Orleans family. Directed by LCC theater Professor Paige Dunckel, the play features local filmmaker Michael McCallum as Stanley Kowalski, Anna Szabo as Blanche Dubois and Sarah Lynn Wilke as Stella Kowalski. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $15/$10 seniors and staff/$5 student. Dart Auditorium, 500 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing. (517) 483-1488, lcc.edu/showinfo.

FRIDAY, FEB. 20 >> ‘TIDAL SHIFT’ OPENING RECEPTION AT THE BROAD

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum puts the spotlight on the talented ranks of MSU’s own studio art and design faculty with its new exhibit, “Tidal Shift: Department of Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial.” The exhibit features works from over 20 artists in a variety of contemporary mediums. Outside of MSU, members of the studio art and design faculty regularly exhibit and have gained national and international recognition for their work. 6:30 p.m. FREE. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 E. Circle Drive, East Lansing. (517) 884-4800, broadmuseum.msu.edu.

FRIDAY FEB. 20-22 & FEB. 25-MARCH 1 >> MACBETH AT MSU

Theater PREVIEW Tragedy, murder and witches make their way to the stage of Fairchild Theatre as MSU’s Department of Theatre presents Shakespeare’s classic, “Macbeth.” Come early on Sunday for a director pre-show discussion at 1:15 p.m., or stay late on Feb. 26 for a director post-show discussion. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $15/$13 seniors and faculty/$10 students. Fairchild Theatre, Auditorium Building, MSU Campus, 542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing. theatre.msu.edu/macbeth.

FRIDAY FEB.20-21 & 27-28 >> BLUE LIGHT PLAYERS PRESENT THE MUSIC MAN

Theater The Blue Light Players are celebrating their 10th anniversary with performances of “The Music Man,” a story of a con man posing as a children’s band leader. The Blue Light Players are a nonprofit musical theater group dedicated to raising money for families of fallen police officers. This year’s production will honor Ingham County Deputy, Grant Whitaker, and Michigan State Trooper, Jeffrey Werda, who lost their lives in the line of duty. 7 p.m. $15. Albert White Auditorium, Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing. bluelightplayers.com

SATURDAY FEB. 21 >> WICKED DIVAS

Enjoy favorite Broadway, opera and pop numbers sung by Elphaba and Glinda as the Lansing Symphony Orchestra presents Wicked Divas. Singers Emily Rozek and Nicole Parker will be performing in character as the witches from the Tony Award-winning musical, “Wicked.” The diva-driven evening includes selections from “Wicked,” “Gypsy,” “Funny Girl,” “Carmen” and more. 8 p.m. Tickets starting at $20. Wharton Center, 750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing. (517) 487-5001, lansingsymphony.org.

THURSDAY FEB. 26 >> AL SHARPTON AT MSU

Outspoken and often controversial, the Rev. Al Sharpton will close out this year’s Slavery to Freedom lecture series hosted by MSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. A prominent social justice activist and National Action Network leader, Sharpton has dedicated his life to the advancing the cause of civil rights. He hosts the nationally syndicated radio show “Keepin’ it Real” and the MSNBC television show “PoliticsNation.” 7:30 p.m. FREE. Wharton Center, 750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing. (517) 432-4979.