'Pow! The Power of Women in Illustrative and Sequential Arts'
Through Sun/11, Pond

POND'S CONTRIBUTION TO Ladyfest Bay Area showcases works by 19 women artists, all working in comics, illustration, and related fields. It's an incredibly dense show in a smallish space; plan to come back a couple of times if you really want to take it all in. Most of the artists are represented with two or three original drawings, plus copies of their recent comic books, which you can pick up from the wall rack and thumb through. Some of their names may be familiar to you already, including Dame Darcy, Trina Robbins, Bitter Pie, Mari N. Schaal, and Ariel Schrag. While a few of the drawings are cute and funny, most are dark and angry, drawn in a dense and claustrophobic style that combines intelligent writing and a generally bleak outlook on life. Roberta Gregory's Bitchy Bits video – a hilarious series of 15 three-minute cartoon shorts – plays in a continuous loop on a TV in the corner. Gregory's stubble-legged protagonist is half Ally McBeal, half Alice in Wonderland, vacillating wildly between fantasy and reality while she spews neuroses, clichés, and genuine insights into the life of a 30-something urban woman. Two of the 19 artists, Nancy Elliott and Martha Sue Harris, depart somewhat from the show's title theme by presenting sculptural works. Elliott's Buttfest Rules, OK? is a rock band of inflatable "bop bags" (red kiddie punching bags) with a different musician drawn on each one. They take up a lot of floor space, but they skirt the line between two- and three-dimensionality, physical presence and airy absence. Harris also uses children's toys as a taking-off point in her work. Her homemade, mutant stuffed animals inspire feelings of horror and sadness, but also happier memories of childhood toys that remain lovable regardless of their physical condition. Thurs.-Sun., 3-8 p.m., and by appointment; 214 Valencia, S.F. (415) 437-9151. (Lindsey Westbrook)