Have you heard of My Boyfriend is a Bear yet? If you’re not on the hype train for this fantastic new Oni Press OGN written by Pamela Ribon and drawn by Cat Farris yet, you should be. It’s about a young twenty-something, Nora, who’s had a hard time dating in LA (for real though, who hasn’t?). However, when she meets a bear on a hike, everything changes!
Insanely endearing and full of whimsy, My Boyfriend is a Bear has quickly become one of my favorite comics of the year. And tomorrow, in advance of the comic’s release on April 17th, Cat Farris will be exhibiting some of of her gorgeous watercolor process art from the OGN.
The exhibition, in partnership with Sequential Art Gallery and Studio (at 328 NW Broadway #113, Portland, OR), will feature an artist reception tomorrow, April 5th, from 6PM-10PM and will run throughout the month. At the reception, limited edition cover prints and copies of My Boyfriend is a Bear will be available for purchase.
Per Oni Press:
Founded in 2005, Sequential Art Gallery + Studio, and focuses on the work of comic book artists, illustrators, and storytellers in the Pacific Northwest. Curated by Kaebel JK Hashitani and Merrick Monroe, and aided by Andrew Paris, the gallery showcases local artists who explore the concept of sequential art, which is loosely defined as using consecutive images to tell a story.
“When I created the art for Bear’s hibernation sequence, I wanted to do it in a way that clearly set his time apart from Nora’s,” said artist Cat Farris. “Using actual watercolor seemed like a natural choice to me to create soft, almost dream-like images. Thanks to the Sequential Art Gallery, folks have a chance to see these pieces in all their original glory!”
“We have been watching Cat for years, seeing her hone both her art style and professionalism,” said Sequential Gallery curator, Kaebel JK Hashitani. “She started talking about My Boyfriend is a Bear last summer, sharing samples of the watercolor work for the book—that’s when we knew it was time to showcase her artwork!”
Sequential Art Gallery + Studio is open for viewing Mondays 2pm-7pm, and by appointment. The exhibit will close Monday April 30th.