Artist’s exhibit inspired superheroes, extraordinary people

When you head to the inaugural Comic-Con this Saturday, be sure to check out the awesome work of artist Fernando Del Rosario on display in the Mission Viejo Library.
 
His collection of original composed art is in honor of the two things near and dear to his heart – superheroes and inspirational quotes by extraordinary people.
 
Growing up as a foreigner in this country, Fernando says he was not popular, athletic or charismatic.  As an awkward boy trying to find his place in a new country, he found solace and inspiration in the stories and characters of the superheroes he would see on TV or read about in the pages of a comic book. 
 
While developing his own identity and confidence, Fernando’s interest expanded to poetry, philosophy and quotations by infamous people.  He was drawn to movies and documentaries of struggles, adversities and accomplishments.  At that point, he realized superheroes really do exist.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Bruce Lee, Nelson Mandela, Muhammed Ali and Walt Disney are just a few of the many people who inspired Fernando.  Like the superheroes he grew up with, these people weren’t always perfect.  They made mistakes, struggled and failed, but they got back up and never gave up.
 
“They were ordinary people like us, who gave it a little bit more ‘extra’ to become extraordinary,” he said.
 
Fernando’s original art collection is 32 years in the making – from comic book pages he collected as a kid.  Stop by the library at 100 Civic Center to see his work through April 25.