Buffalo native Jason Yungbluth has said that his proudest accomplishment was being fired by Gannett newsweekly the Rochester Insider. Unusual as that sounds, it makes perfect sense given his often seditious work in the cartoon Deep Fried. Of the matter, Yungbluth said, “I regretted losing the job, but in my field, being considered too dangerous to publish is the next best thing to a Pulitzer.” While he hasn’t been awarded a Pulitzer yet, he’s garnered enough critical acclaim to warrant one. Ted Rall has called Deep Fried “a perfect union of great artwork and strident political and social commentary.” Comics Buyer’s Guide has referred to his work as “both brilliant and hilarious.” Besides penning Deep Fried (which he began in the immediate wake of September 11, 2001), Yungbluth is a comic book artist, a regular contributor to MAD Magazine and an adjunct professor at Rochester Institute of Technology. Among other achievements, he was the first published comic to predict that Saddam Hussein had fully disarmed before the Iraq war, and that the war would be revealed as fraudulent. Yungbluth’s work will be the subject of an exhibition at Rust Belt Books, which begins with an opening reception and artist’s talk this Sunday at from 2-5pm. The show will feature the orginial artwork for 15 of his most controversial pieces published between 2000 and 2006, and runs through January 31.

Sunday, January 13 from 2-5pm. Rust Belt Books, 202 Allen Street, Buffalo. FREE.