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Every day, heroes of the alternative comic world relate to their readers through creativity in their art form.

WSU’s Museum of Art will showcase alternative comic artists from the Pacific Northwest in celebration of this unique craft. Working with Larry Reid of Fantagraphics Books and Casey Bruce of Danger Room Comics, co-curators Zach Mazur and Ryan Hardesty of the Museum of Art selected artists from the local region to represent this industry.

Hardesty said simply working with so many artists became challenging at times. His responsibilities include bringing in the art required, visiting each studio in the northwest area, going through their portfolios and deciding which of their pieces fit best into the exhibit. Drawn in a smaller scale than most other forms of art, the selection process also required picking works large enough to fill the space and make the display more dynamic, Hardesty explained.

Narrowing down choices, each artist was selected based on how well the art complimented each other in the space provided. The alternative comics culture is divided into four generations. The exhibit features artwork from the second, third and fourth generations, representing traditional social issues such as teenage angst.

The differences between each generation of alternative comics depend primarily on the subject matter and background of the artists. Originating in the underground comix movement, the generations following strived to expand on quality story-telling and illustrations. Second and third generations tend to reflect the traditional side of comics while fourth generation art tends to have roots in fine arts and go beyond the traditional comic book art form.

“It’s one of those art forms that goes by the wayside,” Mazur said. “When you think contemporary art, you think a lot of academic art or conceptual art; what’s happening in museums, not what’s happening in the urban settings.”

For example, Ellen Forney’s art decorates the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station in Seattle while artist Mita Mahato uses collages to bring awareness to environmental issues. Both artists’ work are featured in this exhibit.

In the sub-culture of alternative comics, artists strive to break the stereotypical mold of the hero, the characters and the concept of a comic book. The characters in their work purposefully contrast the iconic superheroes of mainstream comics, like Marvel or DC, as a more relatable subject for the common audience.

“I’ve noticed one of my favorite things about interacting with these artists is that they’re very witty,” Mazur said. “They’re hilarious and super down-to-earth.”

Last Wednesday, Seattle-based artists Tom Van Deusen and Max Clotfelter worked together on a 12 foot by 16 foot mural for today’s opening. They met each other through their work in alternative comics and said they are motivated by their passion for art and comics.

“I love telling a story,” Van Deusen said. “I get delight out of knowing somebody is going to read it, get the jokes and make them laugh.”

Van Deusen said he attended school originally for printmaking and first discovered the alternative comic scene in Seattle, while Clotfelter said he grew up reading comics, which inspired him to pursue writing and drawing as an adult.

“Drawing comics is a way to have a hobby that offers an opportunity to do things like this,” Clotfelter said. “It’s a community, we hang out with each other, and it’s just a culture.”

Larry Reid of Fantagraphics Books will attend today’s opening to explain more about the world of alternative comics, and the generations inspired by them. The NW Alternative Comics exhibit will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday beginning today at WSU’s Museum of Art. Admission is free.