Since the 1940s the exotic and mystical idea of Tibet held by many non-Tibetans has made the region an ideal locale for the setting or subject of comic books. These works often present a slightly distorted view of the region, and they abound with clichés and absurdities. However, one of the dominant characteristics of comics is that they often seek to depict an alternate reality, where the irrational, the comical, the unusual, the threatening, and the fabulous predominate.

So reads the opening text for the exhbition Hero, Villain, Yeti, which opened last Friday at the Rubin Museum of Art. On view are more than fifty comics from around the world that feature Tibet as a primary setting or reference, ranging from Disney’s Dr. Scrooge in the kingdom of Yakety-Yak to Tintin in Tibet to biographical and educational comics drawn and written by Tibetans. Some of the comics from France, Belgium, Germany, India, and Tibet have been translated for the first time and are presented along with the original versions.

An animated video brings to life page after page from the comics on view, placing the thinking behind this entertaining and thought-provoking show in sharp perspective. The curator, Martin Brauen, shows visitors how comics have become the fairy tales of our time through their relationship to historical documents, a narrative wall scroll, sculpture, and, of course, action figures. Bound copies of the comics are arranged by subject (Fantasy, Action, Biography, etc.) on a reading table with little stools, where a visitor could easily spend an afternoon lost in the magical realm of the imagination.

Hero, Villain, Yeti continues at the Rubin Museum of Art through June 11, 2012. 150 West 17^th Street, NY, NY. Free. For related public programs, please visit the website.

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