The Ohio State Cartoon Research Library will launch its seventh Festival of Cartoon Art this fall, entitled “Virtuoso Cartoonists.” This will be a three-pronged event showcasing the minds and work of notable cartoonists throughout history.

Appealing to anyone interested in cartoon art – from those who buy the newspaper just for the comics to professional cartoonists – this festival is a unique opportunity to meet celebrated cartoonists and learn about their contribution to American cartoon art.

The first festival was held in 1983 by the OSU Cartoon Research Library and has become a triennial event, exploring various themes and featuring a variety of speakers.

Speakers scheduled for this year’s festival include Sergio Aragones, Lynda Barry, Jim Borgman, Eldon Dedini, Will Eisner, Lynn Johnson, Ben Katchor, Rick Kirkman, David Levine, Pat Oliphant, Roy Peterson, Jerry Scott and Jeff Smith. The forum will be held at the Ohio Union Conference Theater. Registration is required for attendance.

“Historic Virtuoso Cartoonists” is one of the exhibitions planned for the event. Held at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center Aug. 26 – Sept. 30, this event will display original art and tear sheets of 19 cartoonists, including comic strips, magazine cartoons and editorial cartoons.

The works mounted in this exhibit are part of the OSU Cartoon Research Library’s permanent collection. A catalogue with each featured cartoonist’s work and their biographical sketches will be available at this exhibit.

The OSU Cartoon Research Library will be the site of the “Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995” exhibit. This will mark the first time a display of original “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strips has ever been mounted.

Bill Watterson, the comic strip’s cartoonist, has loaned 36 original comic strips to the OSU Cartoon Research Library from his personal collection.

An essay by Watterson and his comments on each of the comic strips in the show will be available with reprints of the displayed strips. Both exhibitions are free.

Lucy Shelton Caswell, professor and curator at the OSU Cartoon Research Library is the chair of the planning committee and the curator of both exhibitions. She and other faculty members of the library have been working on this event for years and are excited to be in its final stages of preparation.

“We usually start planning the next festival as soon as one is over, so we began working on this one in 1998,” Caswell said. “As a matter of fact, we have already had a meeting to begin work on the 2004 festival.”

Caswell and the other members of the Cartoon Research Library are anticipating a large crowd to attend this year’s festival.

“Funny Papers,” a celebration of original cartoon art from Ohio, will be held in conjunction with the festival from Sept. 27 through February at the Thurber Center Gallery, 91 Jefferson Ave.

The gallery will display and sell original strips and pages by four Ohio cartoonists: Jim Borgman (“Zits” with Jerry Scott), Tony Cochran (“Agnes”), Polly Keener (“Hamster Alley”) and Jeff Smith (“Bone”).