MCDONNELL AT ACP: The Arts Council of Princeton will host an artist interview and book signing with artist-author Patrick McDonnell on Saturday, November 30 from 3 to 4 p.m.

The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will host an artist interview with Patrick McDonnell on Saturday, November 30 from 3 to 4 p.m. McDonnell — a Princeton resident — is the creator of the worldwide syndicated comic strip, MUTTS; a New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor-winning children’s book author, painter, and award-winning playwright. His original works are on view at the Arts Council through December 7.

The paintings in his Taplin Gallery exhibition — created with acrylic latex, oil stick, ink, and collage — are a continuation of the story of self-discovery told in his graphic novel, The Super Hero’s Journey, created for Marvel and Abrams Books.

“All art is a form of meditation, a looking inward to find the real you, the secret identity of the super hero in us all,” said McDonnell. “I’ve always loved the raw beauty and kinetic energy of both comic art and abstract expressionism. My art heroes include Schulz, Herriman, and Kirby, along with de Kooning, Twombly, and Basquiat.”

The paintings in this exhibition celebrate a surprising symbiotic interplay of these two dynamic art forms. McDonnell explores and expands on the spiritual and political undertones of the early Marvel super hero comics of his youth: the interplay between gods and man and the divisiveness of hero versus hero. “This work is a dance of nostalgic simplicity and moral innocence trying to come to terms with today’s unprecedented fear of a dystopian future with hope for a better tomorrow,” he said.

On view in ACP’s Lower Level Gallery is “Breaking the Chain: The Guard Dog Story,” a special exhibition of hand-colored prints with remarque from the MUTTS comic strip and McDonnell’s new book of the same name, centering on the plight of tethered dogs. A portion of the proceeds from book sales, available at the November 30 event, will benefit Skillman’s SAVE: A Friend to Homeless Animals, a nonprofit shelter dedicated to protecting the health and welfare of homeless companion animals in the greater Princeton area and beyond.

The Arts Council of Princeton is at 102 Witherspoon Street. For more information, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or call (609) 924-8777.