Smallville

This is a photo of "Smallville" — a papercut premiering at my next show, at Brave New World Comics in Newhall (Santa Clarita), California.

Please join me at the opening on Saturday night, April 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. Details here.

"Smallville" is 18" x 24" and backed with cut-up Superman comics primarily featuring Smallville, the town where Kal-El was raised; as well, the piece includes bits and pieces of Superman's Fortress of Solitude, and a little Metropolis as well.

The papercut explores the immigrant experience in America – the Statue of Liberty being the entrypoint for many a new American, while Smallville is Kal-El's Statue of Liberty; it's where he becomes an American (an Earthman, really) and where he learns what it is to be human. It's where he learns to be a part of our civilization... but of course he also has his special place to be alone, his Fortress of Solitude – where he can truly be himself, amongst Kryptonian architecture and artifacts. This papercut is an exploration of the dichotomy between staying true to one's origins and assimilating into the larger culture.

The papercut includes pieces from:

• Action Comics 839 (Jul 2006), 903 (Sep 2011), and 15 (Feb 2013) — Geoff Johns, Kurt Busiek, Renato Guedes 

• Superboy 8 (Aug 2011), 10 (Oct 2011), 15 (Feb 2013), 16 (Mar 2013) and Annual #1 (Mar 2013) — Tom DeFalco, RB Silva, Rob Lean

• Superman 3 (Jan 2012), 15 (Feb 2013) — Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort 

• All-Star Superman 5 (Sep 2006), 11 (Jul 2007) — Grant Morisson and Frank Quitely 

• Adventure Comics  455 (Jan-Feb 1978) — Juan Ortiz and Vince Colletta 

• Teen Titans 7 (Mar 2004) — Geoff Johns and Tom Grummett 

• Supergirl 15 (Feb 2013) — Mike Johnson and Mahmud Asrar 

• Superman: Peace on Earth (Jan 19990 — Alex Ross and Paul Dini 

• Shatter (1988) — Peter Gillis and Mike Saenz

• Etc. Book One (1989) — Tim Conrad and Michael Davis