Tuesday, October 18 at 7:00pm

Acclaimed graphic novelists Daniel Clowes and Seth in conversation about The Death-Ray and The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists in their only New York City event. Presented by Desert Island, Drawn & Quarterly, and Housing Works.

The Death-Ray utilizes the classic staples of the superhero genre — origin, costume, ray-gun. sidekick, fight scene — reconfiguring them in a story that is anything but morally simplistic. With subtle comedy, deft mastery and an obvious affection for the bold Pop Art exuberance of comic book design, Daniel Clowes delivers a contemporary meditation on the the darkness of the human psyche.

In The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists, Seth offers a rich and varied study of Canadian cartoonists, both real and fictional. This group of drawings celebrates nearly every kind of cartoon – newspaper strips, nickel-backs, gags, comic books, political satire, accordion books, and graphic novels – but is bound together by his own carefully-crafted style. Seth uses bold black lines and gray ink washes, occasionally with watercolor, to create his dramatically lit scenes. As the title suggests, the series has a distinctly Canadian flavor; mounted police, igloos, dog-sleds, pine trees, bears, and British soldiers all make appearances.