EMMAUS, Pa. — A Lehigh Valley resident who has made a lasting impact in the world of comic book art has a new exhibit on display in Emmaus.
Bob McLeod of Emmaus, a professional comic book artist, has more than 50 signed prints and originals displayed in an exhibit this month at Laura's Custom Framing & Fine Art, 328 Chestnut St.
- An exhibit of the works of Lehigh Valley comic book artist Bob McLeod premiered last weekend in Laura's Custom Framing & Fine Art in Emmaus
- The exhibit is open until Dec. 2
- Fans, community members and McLeod's family gathered for an opening reception Saturday to discuss the works displayed and McLeod's career, which spans work on iconic Marvel and D.C. characters including The New Mutants and Superman
It's free to view the display.
Works displayed throughout the store encompass many iconic comic book characters he has drawn for Marvel and D.C. in his career, such as Spider-Man, Superman and the work for which he is largely known: the X-Men New Mutants series.
Laura Barton, who owns the custom framing shop, said McLeod has been a help in getting her established in the community.
"He did come in here for framing other things, and then I heard who he was and we became friends," Barton said. "When I asked him if he could have a show here, I did not realize that he lived in Emmaus, which is great."
McLeod and members of his family on Saturday attended an opening reception for the exhibit that the community attended. He said many of the displayed works are commissions he did for fans, while others on display are pages or covers from published works and originals.
"It's been a fun career," McLeod said. "I'm spoiled doing this from doing anything else because this is more fun. I mean, there's things I could have done that would have made more money. I tried doing some advertising for a while; I was bored out of my mind. This is just too much fun!"
McLeod is a common customer and supporter of the business and said that she has done a wonderful job for him when he has needed the services.
Some non-superhero works also were on display.
"I like doing humor, really," McLeod said. "That was my first love, what I do whenever I get a chance."
He said some of his favorite works involved fan-favorites Spider-Man and Superman.
"I read Superman as a kid, so it was an honor to work on him for my career," McLeod said. "Spider-Man is more fun to draw."
Kristina Fritzinger, a big X-Men fan from Northampton, attended the event and even has a tattoo of the New Mutants characters McLeod helped create.
She said she first met him this year at a convention and really appreciates what the medium can provide not just to the depth of the characters, but also to fans of all ages.
"I've been a fan of his my whole life and never knew until a couple years ago that he was local to me, which that was crazy to find out," Fritzinger said.
"I always tell people with little kids, [comic books are] one of the best things that you can give them to learn to read, because unlike a chapter, they can follow along, even if they can't read everything. So it's great for learning independent reading."
She said the event was really cool to experience as a fan of both the artist and the art.
"I don't really see any difference between a comic artist and a cartoonist and fine artists," Fritzinger said. "I think it's important to have culture in your life—especially now that the internet is such a big thing. We often forget that when everybody's plugged in online."
McLeod echoed that sentiment, saying that while many of the characters in Marvel and D.C. now are mainstream, it has been a mixed bag for those in the industry who spawned those characters.
He said recent films starring the characters have increased desire for more demanding complex and realistic art, while characterization of the comic book subjects in their films has not always been accurate to the source work.
"Suddenly, comic books are part of the mass culture, everybody now is enjoying superheroes," he said. "You're not ashamed to say you like superheroes now.
"But I don't feel it's been good for the comic art world necessarily. It's a totally different thing to have these characters in movies and have them in comic books."
McLeod said he has had no ambitions to be famous or have fans, but now as someone who has received accolades, commissions and recognition for his work, he said he is very lucky to be where he was and that it's great to have fans such as Fritzinger.
"I'm basically a shy person, believe it or not, I am happy to sit in my studio and not talk to anybody," McLeod said. "So it's great that everybody in the community embraces this."
Many of the framed and signed prints are available for sale at the shop throughout the duration of the exhibit.
The exhibit will continue until Dec. 2.
