The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco is currently showing two exhibitions highlighting anime and manga.

The first exhibition, “Drawing the Sword: Samurai in Manga and Anime,” explores the “evolution of Japanese artistic traditions by demonstrating the ever-changing image of the iconic samurai.” The exhibit juxtaposes 19th-century woodblock prints with 21st-century animation production cels and drawings. Titles on display throughout the exhibit include Afro Samurai, Bleach, Evangelion, Gundam, Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai Champloo, Samurai Jack, Lone Wolf and Cub, Usagi Yojimbo, and Wolverine. This exhibition runs at the museum from January 16 to May 2, 2010.

The second exhibition, “Batman: Yesterday and Tomorrow,” is hosting a selection from the Batman manga adaptation which Jiro Kuwata wrote and illustrated from 1966 to 1967. Chip Kidd’s Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan translated and published some of Kuwata’s work in 2008. This exhibition runs at the museum from January 30 to June 6, 2010. Kidd will make an appearance during the exhibition, although the details of his visit are yet to be determined. The ICv2 reported last month that a second volume of Chip Kidd’s Bat-Manga: The Secret History of Batman in Japan is in the works after Kidd received “a verbal nod from everybody involved.”

In addition, the Japan Society Gallery in New York will host an exhibition titled “Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters: Japanese Prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.” Utagawa is considered a forerunner to contemporary manga artists. More than 150 of Utagawa’s works will be on show during the exhibition. The exhibition will run from March 12 to June 13, 2010.

One bright thing that came out of the ACTiveGamerS Street Fighter IV tournament, was meeting convention sketch artist Jessica Gaona. From my brief talk with her, Jessica has been drawing ever since she could get her little hands around a pencil. And although her focus hasn’t always been anime drawings, she’s bringing a flair into the arena that clearly separates her from other stock artists.

Jessica will be up in Bay Area this coming weekend at NorCal Regionals. If you’re looking for great anime artwork to put up on your walls, you should definitely stop by and have a few commissions made. Also, keep on the lookout for a Jessica Gaona x Kineda collab in the near future!

Jessica Gaona Pics and Artwork