ROMance ART. More than 100 artists contributed work to "Spacenight — A Tribute to Bill Mantlo," a fundraising auction for the writer of the ROM Spaceknight comic series. Artist Tomomi Fujimaru’s piece (left photo) and a work by filmmaker and comics writer Greg Pak (with color assistance by Christina Strain) are included in the fundraiser, which continues through January 1. (Images courtesy of Floating World Comics)

From The Asian Reporter, V17, #51 (December 18, 2007), page 20.

By Toni Tabora-Roberts

I’ll admit I’m not a knowledgeable fan of comic books. Don’t get me wrong, I’m generally fascinated by the artistry (and geekiness) of it all, but always found it a rather intimidating world to enter. That’s what makes "Spacenight — A Tribute to Bill Mantlo" so special. For hard-core fans there’s amazing fodder — more than 100 artists from around the world contributed their own renditions of ROM Spaceknight. For relative newbies like me, this exploration of one beloved comic character is like an impressive glimpse into comic art through a funky gallery show, and it all takes place at the hip Floating World Comics in Portland’s Old Town.

Floating World owner Jason Leivian, who is of Chinese, German, and French descent, was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Portland for nearly 10 years. The lifelong comics fan found his calling when he realized he couldn’t find the kind of comics he wanted to buy. "I felt there was a void in Portland that needed to be filled. No one was doing the type of store I thought Portland deserved, so I put it together myself," he said.

In June of 2006 Leivian opened Floating World Comics. Since then he’s shown that he and his store go beyond just selling comic books. Leivian is also curator and producer, having put together a variety of art shows, including a Day of the Dead exhibit and the current Spaceknight showcase.

"Spacenight" beneficiary Bill Mantlo was the writer of Marvel’s ROM Spaceknight comic series. In the early ’90s, he suffered a severe, debilitating head trauma after being struck by a car. Leivian was compelled to put together this show as a fundraiser for Mantlo, who currently resides in a brain injury rehabilitation nursing home. Because of the severity of his injuries, Mantlo needs constant care.

Leivian shared Mantlo’s influence on him in an online interview with filmmaker and comics writer Greg Pak. "First comic I ever bought — the sci fi / horror elements were very appealing. He’s responsible for me discovering comic books," Leivian told Pak.

ROM Spaceknight began as a Parker Brothers toy. The toy company then teamed up with Marvel to create a tie-in comic book. Though the comic book was only intended as a support to the toy, ROM the toy quickly lost steam and Parker Brothers went back to the world of board games. ROM Spaceknight comic books, however, lasted 75 issues over seven years, with ROM emerging as a noteworthy character in the world of Marvel Comics and a cult favorite of fans.

Apparently, Leivian was not the only one with a soft spot in his heart for ROM. Over 100 artists turned in their own illustrations and interpretations of ROM Spaceknight. Notable work in the show by Asian artists includes Jared Greenleaf’s piece, which depicts a stylized, kinetic ROM. His piece eventually became the promotional image for the show. Greg Pak (with Christina Strain) created "Nine Faces of ROM," an amusing print that portrays ROM’s visage in various emotional states. Alvin Yeung’s print explores text and typography in one of the least representative of the pieces. And Hyeondo Park shows a painterly, almost mystical ROM.

There are a lot of intriguing things about the show. The range of interpretation and the quality of the work is excellent. Visitors find old-school sci-fi alongside anime-inspired images, graphic design work next to whimsical illustration. For someone who has a stereotype of what comics look like, this is a great opportunity to check those stereotypes and discover the potential for the artistry comics bring.

Another exciting aspect is what I would call "Cyber Curating." Leivian put a call out to artists for submissions via the web and e-mail. A majority of the pieces were received electronically, then printed in small limited editions. Not only was he able to include more than 100 artists, the contributors represent about 20 different countries.

The fundraiser consists of an auction of several original pieces, as well as sliding scale sales of limited edition digital prints. Proceeds go directly toward medical care for Mantlo. More than $600 had been raised as of December 9. The auction will remain open to raise additional funds.

The show is on display through January 1. Floating World Comics, located at 20 N.W. Fifth Avenue, Suite 101, in Portland, is open daily from 11:00am to 7:00pm. To learn more, call (503) 241-0227 or visit <www.floatingworldcomics.com>.