Artist/author chooses real-life heroes for graphic novel

Stories of World War II veterans told in comic book style.

L-R: Jack Newhouse, Charlie Bath and the late Earl Ellis of The Liarsí Club talk during their regular breakfast get-together at McDonald's in Xenia, 2008.

Contributed photo L-R: Jack Newhouse, Charlie Bath and the late Earl Ellis of The Liarsí Club talk during their regular breakfast get-together at McDonald's in Xenia, 2008.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Pamela Dillon, Contributing Writer 1:32 PM Saturday, November 12, 2011

Superheroes in comic books have been around for a long time: Spider-man, Superman, and the Green Lantern. “The Liars Club” exhibit is about another kind of superhero — military veterans.

In this case, the superheroes are World War II vets Charlie Bath, Jack Newhouse and the late Earl Ellis.

“My premise was to interview seniors about their life and times, and then create a graphic novel based on relevant episodes of that history,” said Yellow Springs author/illustrator Michael Fleishman.

“Many images were shot during the course of the interview, and used extensively as the glue that ties the story together: conceptually, narratively and visually.”

Fleishman caught up with the gentlemen during their daily breakfast at a local McDonald’s in Xenia back in 2008. They’d been meeting there for several years, and he hung around to hear the widowers’ tall tales.

The three veterans jokingly implied that maybe 15 percent of what he heard was actually true. Like a fisherman and his catch, embellishment was the order of the day.

In spite of the frivolity, there was a very serious undertone when the veterans talked about their service. Newhouse joined after the attack on Pearl Harbor and became a surgical technician, assigned to the combat engineers.

“I missed the invasion. We were supposed to land in France, but once we got to England, all our equipment went directly to France. We couldn’t go until we were re-supplied,” Newhouse said. “So I missed all the ‘good things’ on D-Day. For that, I was very thankful.”

These narratives are broken up into comic-book panels, interspersed with digitally enhanced images. Fleishman is an associate professor of commercial art at Edison Community College in Piqua. One of his students, Mark Gibbs, is a featured illustrator for the comic book.

Flashbacks and reminiscences garnered during the interview became the actual art that was drawn and then woven into the fabric of the dialogue. Fleishman used Mac software to combine the story and visuals to create an actual comic book.

“The Liar’s Club concept became a real, honest-to-goodness comic book, thanks to funding received from the Greene County Council on Aging and their fearless leader, Karen Puterbaugh,” Fleishman said. “Karen immediately loved the project and fully embraced the comic book format.”

That project includes a reception on Friday as part of the third weekend Fling in the Springs featuring Fleishman and his wife, filmmaker Joanne Caputo. “Letters From Frank,” a documentary short about her mother’s love-letter collection, will be screened that evening.

The film received a juror’s award at the Ohio State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition and won second place at the Yellow Springs 2011 Short Film Festival. Antioch college intern Meg Miller will perform piano solos at the event.

Fleishman was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and says he wasn’t a sports star or particularly motivated as a student. He just wanted to make a living at his drawing table, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. In addition to his visual art, he has written books, including “Exploring Illustration” (published by Thomson/Delmar) and “Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer” (Allworth Press).

But this exhibit is about his latest book, a comic book about local heroes.

“I was glad, and proud, I served, but I wouldn’t go back for a million dollars. There were many who didn’t make it. I had a lot of close calls ... but I was lucky,” said Ellis at the time of the interview.

Unfortunately, Ellis didn’t live to see the opening reception of the exhibit on Veteran’s Day. He died on Oct. 21 at the age of 95.

Throughout the exhibit, copies of “The Liar’s Club” will be available for purchase. The cost is $5, with all proceeds going to GCCA.

The city of Xenia is prominently featured in the book. In one panel, the map of America is set up like the flag whirling inside a tornado.

“[Xenia] is one of the best places in the United States. Of course, Xenia was the place where the big tornado was, too. My wife and I would go out west and people knew that name — Xenia, Ohio,” Bath said. “This is America and we’re proud of it.”

Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.

How to go

What: An exhibit about “The Liars Club,” a comic book by Michael Fleishman

Where: Yellow Springs Arts Council Gallery, 111 Corry St., Yellow Springs

When: Continues through Nov. 26

Reception: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday with “Letters From Frank,” a documentary short

More info: (937) 767-7955 or ysartscouncil.org

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