February 9 – May 5, 2013 Reception Saturday, March 23, 2013     Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination 100 Years of an Animated Artist The Cartoon Art Museum has announced a centennial retrospective of the art of legendary animation director and creator Chuck Jones, on display from February 9 through May 5, 2013.  The exhibition, comprising [...]

January 19 – April 28, 2013 Extended through April 28   Gabrielle Gamboa is a cartoonist, visual artist, and arts educator based in Santa Rosa, California.  She studied painting and film at California College of Art, and earned a BA in Painting at San Francisco State University.  A long-time self-publisher and zine maker, she was [...]

October 13, 2012 – January 13, 2013 Opening Reception Saturday, October 13, 2012 from 8:00-11:00pm       Beginning on October 10, 2011, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Jonas Madden-Connor.   Jonas Madden-Connor is a cartoonist living and working in Berkeley. He’s the creator of the award-winning [...]

October 13, 2012 – March 10, 2013           In the fall of 1982, Fantagraphics published its first issue of Love and Rockets, a black-and-white magazine featuring stories and art by the brothers Jaime, Gilbert and Mario Hernandez, a.k.a. Los Bros. Hernandez.  These early comics, informed by the brothers’ love of Archie [...]

September 22, 2012 – February 3, 2013     Opening reception Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 6:00-8:30pm Advance tickets for the opening reception can be purchased through this link. The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents Sketchtravel, a unique collaborative project bringing together 71 talented artists from around the world. Acclaimed artists Dice Tsutsumi of Japan [...]

October 6, 2012 – February 17, 2013    Join Screenwriter and Co-Director Chris Butler at a special presentation on Wednesday, November 7! The Cartoon Art Museum proudly presents original works of art from the feature film ParaNorman, produced by LAIKA, the Portland-based animation studio owned by Nike co-founder and Chairman Philip H. Knight, and released [...]

June 23 – September 23, 2012 Beginning on June 23, 2012, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Susie Cagle. Susie Cagle is a journalist and cartoonist living and working in Oakland. She has drawn true stories in comic books since 2008, including the Nine Gallons series on San [...]

May 12 – October 7, 2012 “And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s mightiest heroes and heroines found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, the Avengers were born—to fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! Through the years, their roster has prospered, changing many times, [...]

May 5 – September 30, 2012 Opening Reception Friday, May 4, 7:00-9:00pm Reception is free and open to the public Cinco de Mayo marks the opening date for a major art exhibition focusing on Latinos in comics:  La Raza Comica: A Celebration of the Latino American Experience in the Comic Arts. This exhibition features original [...]

Exhibition:  April 28 – August 5, 2012 Presentation and booksigning with Jeffrey Brown: Thursday, May 17, 2012, 7:00-9:00pm What if Darth Vader actively raised his son? What if “I am your father” was just a stern admonishment from an annoyed dad? In this hilarious and sweet comic reimagining, Darth Vader is a dad like any [...]

April 21 – September 16, 2012   In 1952, editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines launched MAD, one of the most influential and imitated humor publications in the world.  Originally created to parody popular TV shows, movies and, inevitably, comic books, MAD soon expanded into a wide-ranging satire of modern American culture. Features like [...]

February 4 – April 29, 2012 Opening reception Thursday, February 23, 2012 In 1992, seven of the most popular comic book artists in the world joined forces to create Image Comics, a company specializing in the publication of creator-owned comics and graphic novels.  The first wave of Image Comics were an immediate hit with fans, [...]

February 1 – April 22, 2012 Puss in Boots, the Academy Award® Best Animated Feature nominee from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is the subject of an impressive new art exhibition at San Francisco’s Cartoon Art Museum.  This 20-piece exhibit provides a behind-the-scenes overview of the development of the 2011 hit animated feature film.  From preliminary [...]

December 10, 2011 – March 4, 2012 Beginning on December 10, 2011, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of ten Bay Area LGBTQ cartoonists. This installment of the Cartoon Art Museum’s Small Press Spotlight has been curated by the students of the Engage: Queer Comics Project class at the [...]

December 17, 2011 – May 6, 2012 “I never thought my art would be displayed anywhere other than my mother’s refrigerator. And even she tried to hide it under large magnets and grocery lists.”  -Stephan Pastis, Pearls Before Swine The newspaper comics page is known for its sense of tradition.  The Katzenjammer Kids is still [...]

November 12, 2011 – April 15, 2012 Programming to be announced We’re off to see the Wizard! The Cartoon Art Museum celebrates The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with an exhibition featuring vintage newspaper tearsheets and original artwork spanning over 100 years of classic comics. At the dawn of the 20th century,  L. Frank Baum created [...]

October 1 – December 4, 2011 Karen Luk is drawer of words, writer of images and erstwhile sword fighter.  She was professionally published at 17 by Marion Zimmer Bradley for the anthology Sword and Sorceress, but decided to make art instead while in college.  She is a graduate of the California College of Art.  Since [...]

KING FEATURE SYNDICATE BRINGS TOGETHER COMIC INDUSTRY TO COMMEMORATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11 WITH THEMED STRIPS AND ART EXHIBITS More than 90 Comics from Artists at Major Cartoon Syndicates Pay Homage to Dark Day in History The Renowned Newseum, as well as Several Major Cartoon Museums, Will Display the Strips in Special Exhibits [...]

September 17, 2011 – February 5, 2012 HELD OVER BY POPULAR DEMAND! For over 22 years, cartoonist Lloyd Dangle entertained, educated, and occasionally outraged audiences worldwide through his weekly comic strip Troubletown. Dangle retired the feature in April 2011, and the Cartoon Art Museum is pleased to present Last Stop: Troubletown, a comprehensive retrospective featuring [...]

June 25 – September 18, 2011 Beginning on June 25, 2011, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Thien Pham. Thien Pham first came to America on a tiny boat of dreams and rubber tires in 1980 from his home in Vietnam. Channeling this adventurous spirit, Thien graduated from the [...]

July 16 – December 11, 2011 The Riverdale gang makes its way to San Francisco this summer for an all-new original art exhibition celebrating 70 Years of Archie Comics! America’s favorite teenager, Archie Andrews, has been entertaining readers worldwide since his 1941 debut, through hundreds of different titles and over one billion comics sold.  The [...]

Howl – Reading Ginsberg event: Thursday, July 14, 2011 7pm to 10pm Free and open to the public Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s film, Howl, produced by Werc Werk Works, opened the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Featuring James Franco as the beat poet Allen Ginsberg, the film took an experimental approach to documenting the creation [...]

June 11 – November 6, 2011 Sneak preview reception:  June 9, 2011 “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight!  Let those who worship evil’s might beware my power—Green Lantern’s light!” Just in time for Green Lantern’s theatrical debut, the Cartoon Art Museum is presenting the first museum exhibition celebrating 70 [...]

March 26 – June 19, 2011 Beginning on March 26, 2011, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Tessa Brunton. Cartoonist Tessa Brunton was raised in the Bay Area and now lives in Oakland.  Although Tessa began making zines in high school, she first discovered comics while working at [...]

December 18, 2010– March 13, 2011 Reception: Thursday, February 10, 2011 from 7pm to 9pm (free and open to the public) Beginning on December 18, 2010, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing  Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Peter S. Conrad. Peter Conrad is a writer and artist from the East Coast, who has [...]

Held over by popular demand! December 4, 2010 – May 29, 2011 Few cartoons have been able to capture the attention of multiple generations like the Looney Tunes.  These enduring characters are celebrated in the Cartoon Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Overture:  Looney Tunes Behind the Scenes, which opens to the public on December 4, 2010. [...]

Extended due to popular demand! November 6, 2010 – May 8, 2011 For 30 years, Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher has been a prominent editorial cartoonist for The Economist, the world renowned magazine focusing on commentary and analysis of world politics, business, finance, science, technology, culture, society, media and the arts.  The Economist and the Cartoon Art [...]

September 18 – December 12, 2010 Beginning on September 18, 2010, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Amy Martin. Amy Martin is a cartoonist from Chicago who now lives in San Francisco.  She has been self-publishing comic books since 2004, and has completed twelve books.  She is the [...]

October 1, 2010-January 30, 2011 While the history of women in comics is well-documented, and the Jewish contribution to the art form widely acknowledged, Graphic Details:  Confessional Comics by Jewish Women will be the first museum exhibit to showcase the singular voices of female Jewish artists whose revealing diaristic and confessional work has influenced the [...]

June 26 – November 28, 2010 Over the past decade, graphic novels have exploded in popularity with children and teenagers.  The Cartoon Art Museum’s latest exhibition, Storytime! Graphic Novels for Kids of All Ages, features the work of ten influential cartoonists whose work broke new ground in bookstores and libraries.  Their graphic novels are promoted [...]

June 19 – September 12, 2010 Beginning on June 19, 2010, the Cartoon Art Museum’s ongoing Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Trevor Alixopulos. Trevor Alixopulos is Hawaii-born transplant to the Bay Area, raised in Sonoma County. He has been working in art comics and small press for the past ten years. First [...]

July 3 – October 31, 2010 HELD OVER THROUGH OCTOBER 31! The Cartoon Art Museum is honored to host Before Sita Sang The Blues:  Spotlight on Nina Paley, the first comprehensive exhibition of award-winning cartoonist and animator Nina Paley,  creator of the critically acclaimed animated feature Sita Sings The Blues. This retrospective will feature a [...]

Guest curated by Brian Walker May 8 – extended through September 26, 2010 Programming to be announced Beetle Bailey made his first appearance on Sept. 4, 1950 and today Mort Walker’s comic strip is enjoyed by more than 200 million readers daily in over 1,800 newspapers around the world.  The Cartoon Art Museum is celebrating [...]

March 20 – June 13, 2010

Presented by The Cartoon Art Museum and The Hero Initiative Cartoon Art Museum exhibition:  February 13 – June 20, 2010 Reception and Charity Auction:  April 2, 2010 The Cartoon Art Museum and the Hero Initiative proudly present Ed Hannigan:  Covered, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the art of Ed Hannigan.  This retrospective features a selection of [...]

Cartoon Art Museum exhibition: January 30 – extended through June 20, 2010 For over 70 years, audiences have thrilled to the adventures of Batman, one of the most popular and enduring fictional characters of the modern age.  From his first appearance in Detective Comics in 1939 to the blockbuster Dark Knight film of 2008, Gotham [...]

Cartoon Art Museum exhibition: January 16 – May 2, 2010 NEW ANIME EXHIBIT CUTS INTO THE PAST AND REVEALS HIDDEN TREASURES San Francisco, CA – The popular Japanese art forms of manga and anime cut into the past and assume their rightful place in the canon of fine art in a new exhibit at the [...]

December 19, 2009 – March 14, 2010
Andy Ristaino is the creator of Myth Conceptions, Nightblade The Nearsighted Ninja, Life of a Fetus (SLG), The Babysitter, The Uncredibly Confabulated Tales of Lucinda Ziggles, and the forthcoming Escape from Dullsville.

November 24, 2009 – January 24, 2010
See puppets and sets from Fantastic Mr. Fox at the Cartoon Art Museum!

September 12, 2009 – February 7, 2010
A retrospective exhibition celebrating the art of seminal underground comix creator and San Francisco legend Spain Rodriguez, Rebel in Ink looks back on Rodriguez’s 40-plus years as a comic book artist, providing the most comprehensive gallery exhibition of his work to date.

July 18, 2009 – January 10, 2010
Celebrating 50 years since the original release of the classic animated feature from Walt Disney Studios, Once Upon A Dream explores the creation of one of Walt Disney Studios’ most enduring films, from pencil art and model sheets to animation cels, color guides and behind-the-scenes photographs of the cast and crew.

September 19 – December 13, 2009
Richard Sala grew up with a fascination for musty old museums, dusty libraries, cluttered antique shops, narrow alleyways, hidden truths, double meanings, and late night walks. He’s known for his creepy, spooky, and weird illustrations and paintings.

August 8, 2009 – January 24, 2010
The Internet has revolutionized all forms of communication, and comics are no exception. The Cartoon Art Museum explores the digital revolution in its latest exhibition, Monsters of Webcomics, a showcase of some of the best and boldest work published on the World Wide Web.

The Cartoon Art Museum exhibits pieces that represent the history, contemporary development, creators, design, and processes underlying the art forms of cartoons, comics, digital animation, illustration, and videogames.

The Cartoon Art Museum hosts more than 10 major exhibitions every year. This list of Cartoon Art Museum exhibitions dates back to December 2001, when the museum re-opened in its current location.