Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Cat Farris, HRL, my boyfriend is a bear, oni, oni press, Pamela Ribon, sequential art gallery + studio

Cat Farris Debuts 'My Boyfriend is a Bear' Early at Portland Art Exhibit

Last year, Bleeding Cool proclaimed My Boyfriend is a Bear, the upcoming Oni Press graphic novel by Pamela Ribon and Cat Farris, to be potentially the next Game of Thrones, with the concept of forbidden girl-on-bear romance taking Game of Thrones' forbidden royal incest concept to the next level. However, it seems that artist Cat Farris is taking a more artistic and less sensational approach to promoting the comic. Farris will debut the graphic novel at an exhibit in Portland beginning on April 5th and throughout the month, ahead of the book's April 17th release date.

The exhibit, which kicks off with a reception on April 5th from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., will show off original watercolor artwork from the book. Limited edition cover prints and limited edition copies of the graphic novel will be available at the exhibit, amongst other offerings.

Here's what the book is all about:

Nora has bad luck with men. When she meets an (actual) bear on a hike in the Los Angeles hills, he turns out to be the best romantic partner she's ever had! He's considerate, he's sweet, he takes care of her. But he's a bear, and winning over her friends and family is difficult. Not to mention he has to hibernate all winter. Can true love conquer all?

"When I created the art for Bear's hibernation sequence, I wanted to do it in a way that clearly set his time apart from Nora's," said Farris in a press release. "Using actual watercolor seemed like a natural choice to me to create soft, almost dream-like images. Thanks to the Sequential Art Gallery, folks have a chance to see these pieces in all their original glory!"

"We have been watching Cat for years, seeing her hone both her art style and professionalism," Kaebel JK Hashitani, curator of Sequential Art Gallery + Studio, where the exhibit is taking place. "She started talking about My Boyfriend is a Bear last summer, sharing samples of the watercolor work for the book — that's when we knew it was time to showcase her artwork!"

Sequential Art Gallery + Studio is open for viewing Mondays 2 p.m.–7 p.m., and by appointment.  Here's some more info on the gallery from the press release:

Founded in 2005, Sequential Art Gallery + Studio, and focuses on the work of comic book artists, illustrators, and storytellers in the Pacific Northwest. Curated by Kaebel JK Hashitani and Merrick Monroe, and aided by Andrew Paris, the gallery showcases local artists who explore the concept of sequential art, which is loosely defined as using consecutive images to tell a story.

The exhibit begins on April 5th and lasts until April 30th. My Boyfriend is a Bear will be in stores April 17th.

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