Opening October 2 at The Center for Cartoon Studies

September 28, 2026

Line Drives & Motion Lines: A Century of Baseball Comics

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) presents Line Drives & Motion Lines: A Century of Baseball Comics, an exhibition exploring how generations of cartoonists have used baseball to sharpen their craft, capture movement, and tell stories through pictures.

Featuring work by Bill Gallo, Ray Gotto, Ellen Lindner, Lincoln Peirce, Richard Thompson, Barney Tobey, Rich Tommaso, Gluyas Williams, Denys Wortman, Leo O’Mealia, and others, the exhibition spans newspaper spot drawings and editorial cartoons, comic strips, magazine illustrations, and graphic novels.

For much of the twentieth century, sports cartoonists worked under the daily pressures of newspaper deadlines, turning games into drawings that were immediate, expressive, and observant. The sports page became a proving ground for many cartoonists, while baseball itself offered an unusually rich subject for exploring gesture, exaggeration, timing, pacing, and visual storytelling.

Although every work in the exhibition features baseball, Line Drives & Motion Lines is ultimately about cartooning at its best, by some of its greatest practitioners.

Opening Reception: Friday, October 2, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Gallery Talk: 6:00 p.m.

Curators: E.B. Sciales ‘22 and James Sturm

Location: CCS Gallery, 94 South Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont

The exhibition is part of White River Junction’s First Friday celebration. This October 2nd, First Friday includes the 5th annual TWIST (Twin State Comics and Zine Fair) hosted by Junction Arts Media! TWIST features 35 Upper Valley and New England cartoonists and zinesters, including students and alums from The Center for Cartoon Studies. This event is FREE to table and attend!

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) Gallery hours are by appointment: info@cartoonstudies.org

For more information about The Center for Cartoon Studies programming, events, graduates, and this event, visit: cartoonstudies.org

Cartoon by Bill Gallo

Cartoon by Leo O'Mealia

The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) is America’s premier cartooning school and studio located in the historic village of White River Junction, Vermont. CCS programs include a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree, one- and two-year certificates, Low Residency Option 2nd Year, fellowships, and workshops in Vermont and online. Faculty and visiting artists include many of today’s most celebrated cartoonists. CCS has received national acclaim for its work and prominent mention in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. cartoonstudies.org