When it comes to books, 2024 was a good year for us: we published 114 graphic novels and comics! Some of the highlights:
- We released the highly anticipated sequel to My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris and it was worth the wait! In their starred review, Kirkus deemed it “heartfelt horror and spectacular cartooning” and Publishers Weekly (another starred review!) called it “gloriously subversive”. It was also named as one of The New York Times Notable Books of 2024 and made the “best of 2024” lists of Kirkus, NPR, The Guardian, Library Journal, and the Chicago Public Library.
- We paired with the podcasting and publishing maniacs at Mangasplaining to publish Search and Destroy Vol. 1, Atsushi Kaneko‘s contemporary reimagining of Osamu Tezuka‘s Dororo! This “blast of pure cyberpunk energy” (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) made the Library Journal Best Graphic Novels of 2024 list and New York Public Library’s Best Comics for Adults 2024! It also got a shout-out from The Hollywood Reporter, who called it “action-packed and thrilling”.
- When it comes to “the best of 2024”, Sunday by Olivier Schrauwen made the cut for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian! This “epic mock-Proustian graphic novel” (Publishers Weekly Starred Review), a “Ulysses of soused solipsism” (The Book Beat), is a masterfully funny and profound day in the life narrative by a comics genius.
- We published not one, but two collections by Joe Sacco this year: a new hardcover edition of his landmark work of comics journalism Palestine and War on Gaza, a timely satirical broadside on Israel’s genocidal campaign against Gaza. In addition to a starred review from Library Journal (“Not an easy read, but an essential, necessary indictment of political systems, military aggression, and global and personal complicity.”), the latter has gotten international attention: Joe was interviewed by Haaretz, Qantara, and the Tehran Times. Plus Palestine and War on Gaza made The Irish Times’ list of the best graphic novels of 2024!
- Kommix, the latest piece of “fascinating and thought-provoking nightmare fuel” (The Los Angeles Review of Books) from Charles Burns was a hit! This uncanny collection of 80 covers for imaginary comic books is “a gorgeous, fictional collection of the absurd” (AIPT Comics) and “will invite constant revisitation” (Broken Frontier)–perfect for the true heads!
What’s on the horizon for 2025:
Our Winter and Summer catalogs are out and they are bursting with the exact kind of future we at Fantagraphics (and, well, anywhere) want to have: stories about the messiness and challenges of youth from intensely talented young cartoonists (that would be Briana Loewinsohn’s Raised by Ghosts), new releases from the legends that built the Fantagraphics name (Jaime Hernandez’ Life Drawing, Richard Sala’s Night Drive), stories that smash and pry and change the “graphic memoir” concept with total fearlessness and experimentation (Kayla E’s Precious Rubbish). We’ll return to our roots with a newly formatted series of classic comic reprints, this time with the spotlight on Ernie Bushmiller’s Nancy, shepherd the world’s manga fans through the Brain Damage horrors of Shintaro Kago, and allow Noah Van Sciver the opportunity to skewer musicians in Beat It, Rufus with the same zest with which his Fante Bukowskiwent after poets. And then, before the summer is even close to done, we’ll turn the reins of comics back over to Alex Graham, whose Devil’s Grin will cement her name in the pantheon of shitkicker comics geniuses.
2025 is not a year that has started off well for many, and there’s zero mileage to be made out of pretending that there isn’t more pain to come. But for as long as we can, talking about art, reading it, sharing the joys of it, living up to the challenges it inspires—remains one of the only guaranteed actions I know of that will keep you on the right side of history. If you’re reading, you’re breathing, and if you’re breathing, there’s still a chance. — Tucker Stone, Executive Director of Communications & Marketing at Fantagraphics
“Lovely and atmospheric, Raised by Ghosts is a potent trip back to the 1990s. I could feel myself unfolding one of Loewinsohn’s handwritten notes.” — Rainbow Rowell
Ten years in the making (and torn from the pages of the legendary Love and Rockets), Jaime Hernandez‘s newest graphic novel skillfully weaves two generations of his beloved characters into a satisfying story of love—both young and middle-aged.
Beat It, Rufus is very much a kindred spirit with Van Sciver’s Fante Bukowski series, a comedic character study both played for laughs but also infused with a surprising gravitas that has you rooting for Rufus despite having every reason not to. Van Sciver’s comedic and graphic talents are in peak form in this original graphic novel!
“The flawless pastiche of commercial art and design, drenched in cheery primary colors, suggests the influence of Chris Ware and Ivan Brunetti while establishing an aesthetic all its own. This four-color atomic bomb of a comic signals the arrival of a formidable talent.” — Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Originally self-published in an edition of 500 copies in 1984, Night Drive signaled the creative emergence of a singular talent finding his footing with the surety of an artist equipped with the innate mastery of his craft and vision. Edited by longtime Sala friend Dana Marie Andra (Web of Horror) and designed by Sala’s friend and fellow cartoonist Daniel Clowes (Monica, Ghost World), this graphic novella is rounded out with rare artwork, interviews with Sala about the book, and an essay by Andra.
Millennial cartoonist Alex Graham’s follow-up to her acclaimed graphic novel Dog Biscuits follows the residents of Henryville, Idaho and their intertwined lives—and involves demons, Jim Morrison, a cartoonist with supernatural talent, sewer rats, and much more.
The cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller stated that his beloved Nancy was created for “the gum chewers” and not the “caviar eaters,” and this new collection of classic Nancy comic strips is perfect for gum chewers of all ages! Featuring over 300 comic strips (from the years 1949–1950), Nancy Wears Hats is a hilarious introduction to the timeless classic, beloved by generation after generation of children and adults.
From the brilliant and twisted mind of manga artist Shintaro Kago, a new collection of short stories rife with skin-crawling suspense, visceral body horror, and pitch dark-humor.