The Art Of Paul Hoppe Opening Reception

Last week was the great opening reception of my big 10 year retrospective at the German Consulate General in New York.

With Dr. Jakob von Wagner, Chief of Cultural Affairs at the Consulate General

I was honored to be able to exhibit my work at such a prestigious space and thrilled that so many people came out for the occasion. Friends, colleagues, clients, collaborators… and many other people who had heard about the show.

It was especially nice to have my mother with me for the occasion, who had just flown in all the way from Germany.

If you'd like to see more photos, I'll be slowly adding some to this Facebook Album.

The show is still up till November 29th, open on weekdays, 9-5.30pm, 871 United Nations Plaza.

Thanks again to everybody who came out, and especially to Dr. Jakob von Wagner and Dr René Rubbeling.

With Whitney Sherman, Professor at MICA, and her husband (left) and my mother.

Q & A with DART / American Illustration

Design Arts Daily (DART), the American Illustration blog and newsletter, has done an online interview with me. From the very kind intro:

Paul Hoppe, an illustrator and comics artist, has been a friend of DART since his work first appeared in AI26. At the New York City comics fairs, he acts as a semaphore: a tall fellow, he is also one of a few participants who has figured out how to be visible in a crowded hall—often standing alongside his even taller Rabid Rabbit vertical banner. Next week, a 10-year survey of Paul’s work will be seen in an exhibition at the German Consulate in New York. […]

You can read the whole Q & A here:
http://www.ai-ap.com/publications/article/8372/paul-hoppe-the-qa.html

Many thanks to Editor-In-Chief Peggy Roalf for the kind words and the nice interview!

The Art Of Paul Hoppe Update

This is a brand-new image drawn specifically for my upcoming big show. It depicts the Consulate building with some creative license.

Here are the details:
Opening reception is November 5th, 6-8pm
871 United Nations Plaza

(1st Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets)

New York, NY


The event is free and open to the public, but RSVP is required on this site: https://paulhoppe.eventbrite.com


The show will be on display through Nov 29th, 2013

New York Comic Con Artist Alley 2013

NYCC came and went, like a whirlwind! It was a very successful fest for me, I sold just under 200 mini-comics and made more than twice as much as last year in $$. The people were very enthusiastic again, there was a lot of positive energy, and so, so many people!

I took the opportunity to snap some pictures, but nothing can do justice to it except being there in person. Yes, if you are afraid of crowds it might not be your cup of tea, but everybody is nice and friendly, so you just need to have some patience and a bit of stamina.

My table was, as usual, divided into a few sections: First there are the books for younger audience with publishers such as Chronicle Books  and Random House and the brand-new Last-But-Not-Least Lola. In the middle I have my illustration work, the various prints that I tend to to have at these occasions. And finally the BEHOLDER books, my gonzo-superhero tales for very immature mature readers. I also gave out a lot of cards for my upcoming show at the German Consulate.

For me personally it's very gratifying that some readers / customers from last year came back for more. I hope the  new people from this year will come back next year as well!

As usual, I got some signatures from some old-school artists, for example Chris Claremont on a German edition of the X-Men, and chatted with inker Bob Wiacek, who I had met last year.

A special event for me was the PEANUT signing I did at the Random House booth on the show floor. I was impressed how many people came and did a little drawing for each and every one.

Thanks again to everybody who came and made this so successful and so much fun for me! See ya next year!

New York ComicCon 2013

Last year I had a truly great time at New York ComicCon Artist Alley, so I'm back again this year! It's going down next week, Thursday through Sunday, Oct 10-13th.

This time I'm bringing some reinforcement. I had this large banner made of Dr Brain (from Tales To Behold), so you can easily find me. But just in case: I'll be at table BB5 of Artist Alley.

I'll have many goodies for you: For the young ones, there will be PEANUT and THE WOODS, and for the very first time LAST-BUT-NOT-LEAST LOLA.

For the more aquired taste, I'll have all my self-published BEHOLDER mini-comics, so you can complete your collection.

And for art-lovers, there will be three finely crafted prints to purchase:
Destinations, Ruins, and Ruins Girl.

Something for everyone!

And besides my own table, I'll also have a signing at the Random House Booth on the Main Floor, Sunday 2-3pm.

New York Comic Con is being held at the Javits Center (655 West 34th Street) in Midtown Manhattan,  from Oct 10-13th. This year NYCC Artist Alley will be returning to the North Pavilion of the Javits Center.

Publishers Weekly reviews Last-But-Not-Least LOLA

Thanks very much to Publishers Weekly for reviewing the first book of Last-But-Not-Least Lola! I especially love that they call my illustrations feisty.

Last-But-Not-Least Lola Going Green

Christine Pakkala, illus. by Paul Hoppe

Boyds Mills, $15.95 (192p) ISBN 978-1-59078-935-3

Outspoken second grader Lola Zuckerman is tired of being last in her classroom, where alphabetical order rules the day. She’s also tired of former best friend Amanda, who used to live next door but has upgraded homes and friends. School isn’t all bad, though: there is the environmentally focused “Going Green” contest that Lola is eager to win. Of course, the students’ ideas are shared in alphabetical order, but Lola manages to come out on top. Winning doesn’t bring Lola the glory she’d hoped for, however, since her brother outshines her by getting an award on the same day. Along the way, Lola comes to recognize her own role in her falling-out with Amanda, navigates family problems, and learns to control some of her more impulsive tendencies. Debut author Pakkala handles sibling rivalry and the pain of losing a friendship with intuition and a light touch, while Hoppe’s feisty b&w spot illustrations subtly enhance Lola’s overall enthusiasm. Deadpan humor and a charming heroine carry this breezy read, first in a planned series. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. Illustrator’s agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Sept.)

If you'd like to get this for your little ones, you can get a signed copy from me personally at New York Comic Con next week! My table is BB5 in the Artist Alley, October 10th-13th.

Last-But-Not-Least LOLA is out now!

My latest project is out now: Last-But-Not_Least Lola, an early readers' chapter book series written by Christine Pakkala. After comics, children's books and a graphic novel, this is yet another kind of illustrated books that I'm tackling for the first time.

The series is written by Christine Pakkala and tells the adventures of a young girl called Lola Zuckermann. Because of her last name, she is always called on last by the teacher, but that's not her only problem. In her class, there is a "Going Green" contest, so she has to come up with a great idea to preserve the environment. And since she'll have to go last again, she hopes not all the good ideas will be already taken…

It's been a blast illustrating this first book of the series. The humor and the relatable characters gave me a lot of ideas what to depict. I do love this format: The book has a lot of illustrations (most spreads have one), but they are light and simple, with focus on characterization. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with Christine's wonderful script and with the awesome people at Boyd Mills.


The book is out now, it's perfect for 2nd and 3rd-graders, or to be read for even younger kids.
I'll have it with me at New York Comic Con Artist Alley, if you'd like a signed copy. Or get it at any book store, or from the publisher  as well as Amazon or IndieBound starting NOW!

Solo Show at the German Consulate, NY

I'm very proud to announce my upcoming solo-show at the German Consulate in New York. This will be the biggest solo-exhibition of my work so far, featuring editorial artwork, children's books, comics and personal works.

Needless to say this is an enormous honor for me. In addition, I will also be celebrating my ten year anniversary in the US. It would mean a lot to me to see you there, you the colleagues, friends and mentors that have been accompanying me along the way.

Opening reception:

November 5th, 2013.

871 United Nations Plaza


(1st Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets)


New York, NY

I will have more info as the event gets closer.

Many thanks to Dr. René Rubbeling und Jakob v. Wagner of the Consulate General who invited me. It is like coming home.