Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art facts for kids
Comics professionals Robert Sikoryak, Danny Fingeroth, Arie Kaplan, Jerry Robinson and Eddy Friedfeld at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in 2006
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| Established | October 2001 |
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| Dissolved | July 9, 2012 |
| Location | 594 Broadway, New York City |
| Type | exhibition of narrative art, cartoons, comic books and graphic novels |
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (often called MoCCA) was a special place in New York City. It was a not-for-profit arts organization, which means it was a group that worked to share art without trying to make money. MoCCA focused on comic books, comic strips, and all kinds of cartoon art.
MoCCA held many fun events. These included book launches and educational programs in schools. They also offered classes, workshops, and talks about comics. MoCCA was most famous for its yearly comic convention, called MoCCA Fest. This festival first happened in 2002.
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About MoCCA: A Museum for Comics
MoCCA was a museum dedicated to the amazing world of comics and cartoons. It celebrated how stories are told through pictures. The museum helped people learn about different types of art, from classic comic strips to modern graphic novels.
How MoCCA Started and Changed
Lawrence Klein started MoCCA in October 2001. The museum was located at 594 Broadway in New York City. It was a place where fans could explore the history and art of comics.
However, on July 9, 2012, MoCCA announced some sad news. The museum had to close its physical building right away. This happened because they had trouble raising enough money to keep it open.
But the story didn't end there! On August 2, 2012, MoCCA shared new plans. They decided to join forces with the Society of Illustrators. This meant MoCCA's art and ideas moved to the Society's building in the Upper East Side. It was also confirmed that the popular MoCCA Fest would continue.
The Exciting MoCCA Festival
The MoCCA Festival (or MoCCA Fest) is a big yearly event. It helps raise money for the Society of Illustrators, which now looks after MoCCA's legacy. It is New York's biggest showcase for independent comics. Hundreds of artists and publishers come together to share their work.
The festival usually has a main floor filled with creators. There are also other rooms for talks, slide shows, and interviews. From 2002 to 2008, the festival was held at the Puck Building. Then, from 2009 to 2014, it moved to the 69th Regiment Armory. In 2015, it used two places: Center548 for exhibitors and the High Line Hotel for programs. Since 2016, Metropolitan West has hosted the exhibitors, with talks happening at Ink48.
From 2002 to 2012, MoCCA gave an award at the festival. This award honored artists whose work made comic art even better. It was first called the MoCCA Art Festival Award. In 2009, it was renamed the Klein Award to honor MoCCA's founder, Lawrence Klein. MoCCA Fest also hosted the comics industry's Harvey Awards in 2004 and 2005.
Amazing Art Exhibits
In 2003, MoCCA opened its art gallery with its first exhibit, "Gag Art!". This show focused on funny single-panel cartoons from magazines. Later exhibits explored different topics. Some shows looked at the connection between New York City and cartoonists. Others featured women comic-book artists. There were also special shows about famous artists like Stan Lee and Will Eisner.
One popular exhibit was "From Richie Rich to Wendy the Good Little Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics". Another show, The Art of Archie Comics, was even promoted in Archie Digest Magazine #260 in March 2010. A seven-page story called MoCCA Madness appeared in the magazine. It featured MoCCA's president, Ellen Abramowitz, and director, Karl Erickson.
See also
- Cartoon Art Museum (San Francisco, California)
- Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (Columbus, Ohio)
- The Cartoon Museum (London, England)
- National Cartoon Museum (Formerly of Greenwich, Connecticut and Boca Raton, Florida)
- ToonSeum (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- Belgian Comic Strip Center (Brussels, Belgium)
