Our Comics, Ourselves: Identity, Expression, and Representation is an independent traveling exhibition and public program that presents the graphic stories that describe the complexity and diversity of our collective experience, and examines the social and historical contexts within which they emerged. Through comics we are not only able to recognize ourselves and our own experiences, but also the experiences of others. We deepen our understanding of the world around us by reading these stories and engaging with their intricacies.
Curated and organized by Jan Descartes and Monica Johnson, the comics included in this exhibition are outside what has been called “mainstream” in comics—in other words, they do not replicate heroic aspirations of a monolithic American boyhood. They do not aspire towards unified idealism. Instead, these are the stories about all of us—either made by us, for us, or in our names. They are complicated, and sometimes messy. By attempting to narrate around mainstream standards and into uncharted territory, these comics let more of us know that we, too, belong to this world and that maybe, therefore, we are also able to participate in and shape it.
History
OCOS originated at Interference Archive (Brooklyn, NY) in 2016, and is based on their archival collection of comic books, zines, graphic novels, and other comics paraphernalia related to social movement history. It was originally sponsored by the Society of Illustrators, and the Center for Cartoon Studies, and included a full-color catalog [link to justseeds to purchase]. Since then, OCOS’s materials have grown into their own collection, now numbering more than 300 comic works primarily from the United States, that range from 1939-present day, and that explore subjects like racism, gender and sexual identity, feminism, immigration, abortion, cultural identity, social activism, veterans of war, sexual violence, public health, civil rights, and a lot more. Since 2016, OCOS has traveled to George Mason University (Fairfax, VA) and two locations at the University of Connecticut (Storrs and Waterbury campuses).
Mission
We developed this exhibition and its programs as an open space for discussion about identity-focused comics and the spectrum of topics they address, and also as a challenge to the mainstream comics industry to improve the way our stories are told, if they are told at all. Therefore, each iteration of OCOS includes a robust program of presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and tours of the exhibition.
About the title
Taking a cue from the women’s movement by way of the Boston-based women’s health collective, Our Bodies, Ourselves, the exhibition title suggests the desire to reclaim the comics narrative from the dominant form.
The Catalog
In an attempt to broaden the scope of this discussion, many renowned comic artists were invited to contribute their favorite comics from their personal collections—works by other creators that either ignited their curiosity in the medium, or influenced the work they do now. Participants include Edie Fake, Paul Buhle, Leela Corman, Ganzeer, AK Summers, Carol Tyler, John Jennings, and Sandy Jimenez, among many others. An exhibition catalog (available for sale here) of original writing and artwork by these participants with full color reproductions of the work they love will accompany the exhibition.