Superfan … Again! 1974

Editor: This piece, "Superfan... Again!" by Jack Davis, was created in 1974 using pen and drawing techniques. The cartoonish style makes me smile; it's almost absurd in its depiction of athletic devotion. What do you see in this artwork? Curator: This image carries echoes of earlier traditions, doesn't it? The almost grotesque exaggeration of features, particularly in the figure's face, resonates with the imagery of political cartoons, particularly Daumier and Gillray. Davis is playing with the visual language of power and obsession, translating it to the realm of sports fandom. The superhero costume is revealing! What do you make of the inflating football? Editor: Well, it makes me think of someone struggling to inflate expectations, literally blowing them out of proportion until they explode! Curator: Precisely. Notice the tiny football in the lower corner of the piece! The deflation becomes very interesting within the comic panel. Here, he's tapping into a long history of visual metaphor. The bursting of the football becomes almost a sacrificial act, the deflated imagery a statement on hubris and fleeting glory. Where do you see traces of other types of iconography here? Editor: The cape is pretty telling; it’s like he sees himself as a hero… the superhero image and the football together create this almost sad depiction of devotion gone too far. Curator: Davis is masterful at using symbols we recognize and twisting them into something more complex. And this deflating image also has something tragic about it, and brings into question the emotional, cultural and psychological symbolism the sports world holds. Editor: Absolutely, seeing it as a set of potent, recognizable symbols reframes the image in a very thoughtful way. I will remember that.