Comic Book Artists Take Gallery by Storm

Ka-Pow! Bam! Look out! Comic book artists are taking over and they're bringing stormtroopers and eye candy with them.

opens at 6 p.m. Friday. Six artists are contributing to the show, including Wyandotte’s own Tony Miello.

This is the fourth comic book show River's Edge Gallery has hosted.

"Comic books have a big history in Detroit," gallery Owner Patt Slack said. "It's a creative stone that Detroit was built upon."

Besides being known for music, Detroit is home to many of the first underground comic book artists, Slack said.

"There are a lot of Detroit comic book artists that are doing really well right now," she said.

The show will have more than 50 pieces on display. Miello is joined by fellow comic book artists Jay P. Fosgitt, Jay Shimko, Katie Cook, Bill Pulkovski and Bruce Gerlach. All six comic book artists are from southeast Micigan. Miello met them all through comic book conventions. He said they're all talented.

"There’s a pretty good camaraderie between the artists," he said.

Stormtroopers will be making an appearance along with female models dressed as either nerdy school girls or comic book characters.

Two other artists will get to be part of the show as well. The gallery hosted a for artists of all abilities and ages to enter their comic book artwork for a chance to be displayed along with the artists. The winners will be announced Friday, with that artwork instantly becoming a part of the show.

Another part of the show will be a giant artboard in the front window sectioned off into six panels. Each of the comics from the show will draw on their own panel during the opening. The artboard will then be auctioned off for charity.

While he has displayed and sold his art at many comic conventions over the years, this is Miello's first time displaying his art work in a gallery. When River's Edge Gallery approached him last year about having a show, Miello said, he jumped at the chance. The fact that it is taking place in his hometown is an added bonus, he said.

"Wyandotte has such a good reputation for being artist friendly," Miello said. "It's really cool to be able to do something like this here. It adds to the whole community thing for me."

Miello grew up in Brooklyn, NY but has lived in Wyandotte for 11 years. He went to college for civil engineering and has worked as a pipe fitter, commercial boiler mechanic and electrician before pursuing comic book art as a career. Between his New York accent and physical stature, Miello said people expect him to be in cement, construction or breaking legs.

His love, though, is comic book art. Miello has been drawing ever since he can remember. He taught himself how to compose and break down comic book pages all by himself. The last art class he took was in high school.

While Miello is primarily a stay-at-home dad to his son, he also has managed to make a career in the comic world for himself. Sometimes that means staying up extra late or working an entire weekend on a project.

"I want to make a living doing this," he said.

He is the co-owner and co-promoter, along with Dennis Barger of Wonderworld Comics, of Detroit Fanfare, a comic book convention. This September, the second Detroit Fanfare will expand to Cobo Hall in Detroit after selling out at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn last year.

Miello writes his own comic strip about his original character, Gapo the Clown. The strip is published twice a week online and is visited by 700 to 800 people a day. His first book of Gapo the Clown comics will be published this spring. He is currently illustrating a comic book for Bowling for Soup, an American pop-punk band.

Miello feels a lot of people don't consider comic books art, saying they're too commercial.

"It takes a lot of talent to draw the same character over and over again and make it look the same," he Miello. "Comics should get a lot more respect for being an art form."

Miello said he feels a little silly having attention put on himself and he might get a little nervous, but he is looking forward to the opening on Friday.

"I'm excited," he said. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

The show runs through March 12. Miello's comic strip can be viewed online or on Facebook.