Fantagraphics Blog Anna Pederson

It's only been one year since the inaugural show of Linework NW, but they are back this April with not one, but two, impressive lineups over a two-day period. That's right, a two-day shows with a different roster of special guests and exhibitors on each day. You'll be able to double down on your dollar at this FREE show by coming back for new goodies and faces the next day. But Fantagraphics will be there both days, hosting debut books and special signings all weekend long at the beautiful Norse Hall. DebutsThe Complete Eightball by Daniel Clowes Before he rose to fame as…

You might read them religiously, or just while you're trolling online, but VICE has been working on bringing readers daily doses of comics from some of the hottest and hardest working artists from across the globe. Run by VICE Comics editor, Nick Gazin, the online series got up and running on September 11, 2011 with a meta Blobby Boys comic by Alex Schubert. Since then, VICE has picked up the pace with a rotation of ongoing weekly and monthly series, or a three month rotation. This latest batch of artists is not to be missed, and is diverse and the people making them. Simon Hanselmann's Megg,…

This week's comic shop shipment is slated to include the following titles. Read on the see what comics-blog commentators and web-savvy comic shops are saying about them (more to be added as they appear). Check out the book previews in the links, and contact your local shop to confirm availability. Sheriff of Bullet Valley, Starring Walt Disney's Donald Duck by Carl Barks 96-page full color 7.25" x 5.5" softcover$9.99 | 978-1-60699-820-5  "In just 30 pages, at the rate of an average of eight bullets each, Carl Barks gave a lesson in how to tell a compact and highly entertaining story, with…

Thursday, April 2nd Los Angeles, CA – Money does indeed rule everything around me, so you need to get yourself to the Cash Machine art show that opens tomorrow night. The list of people exhibiting their art/zines/selves at this group show is top notch, and some highlights include artists like Brendan Donnelly and the Fantagraphics creator, Leah Hayes! Author of Funeral of the Heart and Holy Moly. Her new book Not Funny Ha-Ha will be out this June. Opening night runs from 7-10 PM. I hear Thursdays are the new Friday, making this opening reception (with after-party across the street) your perfect starter to the weekend. You don't…

Next month's issue of Booklist will include reviews of recent releases by Fantagraphics cartoonists + creators, excerpted below:    Run Like Crazy Run Like Hell by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette"Tardi’s atmospheric visuals, with their inky line work and solid compositions, are perfectly suited to Manchette’s noirish milieu. The cartooniness of his figures, juxtaposed against the soundly realistic settings, perfectly matches the matter-of-factly over-the-top nature of this blackest of mordantly comedic capers." – Gordon Flagg  

Thursday, March 26th Seattle, WA – Yikes! How many people can one comic book shop fit into their rafters? And how many more signs can they put on their door to let you know that this place is where it's at on Thursday? Arcane Comics in the Ballard neighborhood is kicking off ECCC with a who's who lineup of guests and fans. Some of these oh so special comic celebs are Ed Piskor and Ed Luce! Piskor has just wrapped Hip Hop Family Tree Vol 3, and Mr. Luce is debuting the super-sized, and super awe inspiring Wuvable Oaf collection in beautiful hardcover. Other faces you…

Tuesday, March 17th Los Angeles – ONE Archives Foundation is the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) in the world. Which makes it the perfect setting for the first stop of the MASSIVE tour featuring Jiraiya! His work adorns the cover of the recently released hit anthology, Massive: Gay Erotic Manga and the Men Who Make It. Jiraiya just happens to be one of those men, and is heading the U.S. for his very first international tour. ONE Archives is his first stop, and the Massive crew featuring Anne Ishii, Graham Kolbeins, and Chip Kidd will kick things off at…

The award-winning and timeless collection of Love and Rockets stories gathered into the gorgeous book, Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez, was published more than a decade ago. But controversy at a high school library in New Mexico has given new life into the continuing dicussion, and sometimes battle, that surrounds comics when they attempt to break new ground and tackle themes which require context and analysis.  As Jen Vaughn pointed out in our original posting of the challenged book, one mother of a 14-year-old who had checked out the offending text from Rio Rancho High School library, took to the local TV station, KOAT,…

  Friday, March 20th Chicago, IL – "Shop as Independently as You Think" is a handy moto for the progressive Chicago bookstore, Women & Children First. Though they take their name from an adage of weakness, nothing could be more empowering than the books you'll find lining the walls of this Northside store.  And on the 20th of March, you'll also find a Lucy Knisley participating in a Q&A session about her newest Fantagraphics release, Displacement: A Travelogue.  Her full color autobiographical journey captures the heartbreak and motivation of caring for your aging family as she accompanies her eldery grandparents on a weeks long…

Wednesday, March 11th Seattle, WA – PechaKucha! Presenting PKN Sea Vol. 61: Comics! NW Roots! From 5:30-8:30 on March 11th at the Cornish Playhouse , 11 of Seattle's most notable cartoonists and historians from the area share their stories of influence and experience in the NW Comics scene. Joining on stage will be the ever talented Peter Bagge, Jim Wooding, Ellen Forney, and the esteemed Larry Reid.   If you've never been to a PechaKucha event, prepare yourself for a whirlwind of informative speakers, engaging content, and new perspectives on a wide variety of content. 20 images are shown for 20 seconds each while presenters talk about…