The Pittsburgh ToonSeum was a museum dedicated to all things cartoon. They had exhibits ranging from comics, to animation, to the history of cartoons. The museum closed its doors on February 24th and has no definite plans for when or where it will open up again. With this closing, it appears as if the cartooning industry is shrinking and falling out of the public favor in Pittsburgh. Local cartoonist and Central Catholic teacher Joe Wos, who was once involved with the ToonSeum, can explain why cartooning isn’t going anywhere, despite the decision to close the doors to the museum.

What was your involvement in the founding of the ToonSeum?

Mr. Wos founded the ToonSeum as a section of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and eventually expanded it to an off site gallery and it grew in size from there. His original vision for the project was a place where fans and artists could come together to appreciate art in a unique way. He said “Before I left I had high hopes that it would continue to grow,” in an electronic interview. As we can see, the museum did continue to grow. But, what happened that led to its closing?

What has your involvement in the operation been throughout the past few years?

“I left the ToonSeum almost 5 years ago now. I have had no involvement with it at all since leaving. I left to focus on my own work, publishing books, syndication and performing,” adding that he has been doing very well as a solo performer and that he “gave up 7 years of my life running ToonSeum, mostly as a volunteer. It was time to move on.”

Do you think closing the doors is a good idea?

“Honestly, no. It’s a terrible idea. It’s no longer a museum without a physical space”. Mr. Wos believes they closed the doors because the management could not find the resources to keep it open. He counters that, saying that if their funding had already been hit by the past few years of lackluster performance, closing the doors will even further limit income. He said that “ Without a physical venue, gift shop, etc. They are losing revenue streams and will eventually lose funding. It’s a sad situation.“

Do you know of, or have any plans for the future of the exhibits and of the ToonSeum itself?

“I don’t. I’ve read the statements from the new board president but beyond that am not privy to their plans,” responding, however, that he is now working on a new cartoon and arts collective. The project is looking to bring new and entertaining exhibits to fill the gap that is left in the Pittsburgh community. More news will be available about this project in the near future.

The ToonSeum is not the end all be all of cartooning in Pittsburgh. In Wos’s Cartooning class at Central he teaches about the theory, art, and history of cartooning, especially the large impact that Pittsburgh had on the arts. The class is heavily art based and teaches students how to find their own style in cartooning, which does not require advanced artistic skill. The class is a great part of Central’s curriculum that adds culture and comedy to the classroom. Any student looking for a future in art, especially in a cartoon art, can learn how to succeed by taking the Cartooning course that Central has to offer.

How has your time at Central been?

            “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Central. The students are really great. It’s very rewarding to be able to encourage students to express themselves through the cartoon arts.” He also appreciates the Cartooning class because as he breaks down the fundamentals of cartooning for others, he learns more about his own personal style.

Do you think our education system limits the way artists can express themselves?

            Mr. Wos believes that many education systems can limit the way ‘visual media’ is interpreted. He used the example that when you appreciate art, it is art and when you appreciate literature, it is literature. But, many schools have the stigma that when you combine art and literature, it is not either, but just a ‘silly comic’. Luckily, Central is open to the idea of visual literacy and offers many courses to practice it (Cartooning, Literature of Film, Honors Humanities, Etc.) “We need a great aesthetic and discerning appreciation for comics, film, movies, and even memes! That’s one of the great things about Central, they immediately embraced a cartooning class without a second thought. It’s important to give students an outlet for expression, whether that is doodling or film making.”

Is it possible to succeed as an artist in today’s age and if so, how can students aim their interests toward that?

            “The internet provides great opportunities for exposure for artists to find new audiences. The problem is capitalizing on that to turn it into a revenue stream. My advice to anyone who wants to get into the arts is to take business and marketing classes!” He believes that anyone can be a talented artist, but only those who take interest in it and can run their art like a successful business can make it in the modern day of art. Mr. Wos wanted to get this message out to all the readers of the Viking who may be interested in cartooning, or any other form of art, “Just draw. Constantly. Get better and when you think you are finally good enough, draw some more and get better. At some point you need to just put yourself out there and try. You will fail a lot but you have to keep at it. That’s one of the things about art, it’s easy to tell the ones who really want to be artists because they never give up, no matter what. It takes a lot of drive and focus.”

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If you want to see some of Mr. Wos’s work you can check out his syndicated comic of mazes, MazeToons. Or find his newly published book “A Celebration of Animation: The Top 100 Animated TV Characters”. Also, check out the student made comic strips included in this issue of the paper.