Alex Ross at the Warhol Museum

Looking for something fun to do in Pittsburgh?  Looking for something fun to do in Pittsburgh that's also comic book related?  Looking for something fun to do in Pittsburgh that's also comic book related and takes place starting October 1st?  BOY that's getting specific!  But in a major twist of fate, there's something happening that fits the criteria for all three of those descriptions.

I learned recently that The Andy Warhol Museum on Pittsburgh's North Shore (right next to PNC Park, home of the nose-diving Pirates!) will soon feature the exhibit "Heroes & Villains: The Comic Book Art of Alex Ross".  This exhibit runs from October 1st all the way to January 8th of next year, but those who show up on opening day can catch some additional programming.

The exhibit itself will obviously feature Ross's work as the main attraction, but it'll also showcase some of the work (comic and otherwise) that inspired Ross, including paintings by Norman Rockwell and Ross's mother, Lynette.  I'm sure that Warhol Superman painting will be there in a prominent location, too:

Tickets for this show are $15 for adults, but if you've got scads of money lying around ($250), you can be one of 30 people to take a private tour with Alex Ross himself around the museum on October 1st at 1:30.  For $35 extra, you can go to the "Unmasked" afterparty from 8:00-11:00 (the museum is apparently anticipating having people show up to this in full costume).

For exactly zero dollars (woo!), Ross is having a signing from 3:00-5:00.  This is pretty exciting, as it'll probably be the best chance I have to get an autograph from him - if you've been to a comic convention where Ross appears, lines are always egregiously long.  There's a two-item limit for this signing, which is a great thing; it's always incredibly annoying to see someone wheel up a crate of 500 comics for a creator to sign, especially when that person stands silently as the creator signs for half an hour.

Of course, when you're limited to two items, it becomes difficult to decide on what to bring - there's the seminal Marvels and Kingdom Come, the newer Project Superpowers or Kirby: Genesis, or some of Ross's art books like Mythology.

The description on the museum's website mentions an uncompleted Andy Warhol film that will be screening for the first time since 1964...Batman/Dracula.  I'm sure it'll be a nearly incomprehensible, no-budget mess, but just the idea of a Warhol Batman movie...featuring Dracula...is pretty interesting.

I'm planning on going but will opt for the standard $15 ticket.  And yeah, I'll probably give Alex Ross a copy of Teddy and they Yeti...just in case he looks at it and decides, "holy crap, I need to paint a cover for this series."  I guess I'll let him if he wants to.

Here are the appropriate links for the various events:

- main exhibit page: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=2869
- private tour: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=3971
- "Unmasked" afterparty: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=4095
- autograph session: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=3977
- hours and admission information: http://www.warhol.org/visit/